6 Best Things about Being an Architecture Student

1. Any time you tell a fellow college student that you are an architecture major, they immediately have sympathy for you.

It’s kind of funny, but almost every college student knows that architecture students stay up all night and work endless hours each week. It’s almost a mystery to them because they don’t understand how our “homework” takes that long, but nonetheless, they accept it and give us their condolences.

2. You are automatically placed into this exclusive and super amusing club that all architecture students become part of.

Architecture is a unique major in that you get to know your classmates really well, and I mean REALLY well. You develop a studio culture among your class/year that is unlike anything any other major experiences. You leave architecture school being close friends instead of just mere classmates.

3. You get a “second home” on campus.

Now some people may argue this one, but I loved that Hale Hall (our architecture building at La Tech) became like another home for me during my 5 years there. Every quarter, I and my studio mates had our own spaces to keep our computer, modeling supplies, drafting supplies, coffee maker, and all the other junk we architecture majors acquire. It was SO NICE not to worry about dragging all of that home every day (it’s actually quite unrealistic) and it also reinforces the studio culture I mentioned above.

4. You get to build cool and crazy stuff!

Louisiana Tech had a fantastic wood and metal shop, CNC router, 3D printers, and laser cutters. We got to make some awesome models of our projects and also some pretty cool art installations for our architecture building. Not to mention, we used the shop all the time during the quarters we took our Design + Build studio.

5. When you graduate, you can honestly say that you survived and conquered one of the hardest majors in the country.

And there’s proof of that! Check out this article on TheTab.com on the hardest majors in college. Yes, that’s right, architecture is number one. But don’t let that frighten you. It just goes to show that we aspiring architects are passionate about what we do (and really want to pass studio).

6. Architecture is fun!

Especially in college. The projects you do in studio may seem crazy, but enjoy them! I mean I designed a Velodrome + Aquatic Center combo in my third year and my husband designed a Zombie Museum his fifth year – you probably won’t be doing that in the real world so have fun with it in school.

If you are considering architecture as your major, I suggest attending the 2B an Architect event hosted by the AIA Dallas Education Outreach Committee. The event is for all local high school sophomores through seniors on February 18, 2017 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the Latino Cultural Center. The events of the day will include a college fair and a panel discussion comprised of practicing architects, interns, current students, and professors from local universities. Representatives or alumni from participating universities will be also be present to answer questions and provide general information about their university.