What you should be asking yourself about the career you are studying, and my reasons to keep studying Architecture
Choosing a major after you finish high school is an impossible decision, which should not be the educational path to start with, but that’s another conversation. From what I remember, very few students are actually lost and stressed with deciding what they want to study for the next four years. The rest of us were excited about what we chose to study. Partly because we genuinely intended to start our professional life from there, but mostly because we loved telling each other what we were going to study next year.
The best advice I can give superficially for choosing a major is to research the field that you will learn about and listen to your body telling you if you are truly interested in what you are reading, or you aren’t.
For me studying Architecture wasn’t a hard choice. For some reason I had been saying for the longest time that I wanted to become an Architect. Probably because I loved, and still do, looking at cool modern houses or well decorated interiors when we went to some friend’s house. The balance between technical and artistic abilities that I would train was very attractive and nicely suitable for me. So, with a very light weight approach and decision making strategy, I started the next stage of my education.
- I feel the responsibility to add a disclaimer. I am talking about university and architecture without even questioning other careers paths. The truth is that I was raised in a privileged bubble where finishing High School and going to University right afterwards didn’t seem like a choice, but a next step of a very straight ladder. Now having widened my knowledge, I can honestly say that to me, any activity that exercises and challenges your brain & body in whatever field is equally as valid. Many people start working when they are 18, or they do a shorter program to teach them a more physical task, etc. All equally good if and only if they are suitable for the right person. –
Studying Architecture, as I found soon enough, isn’t all fun and interesting. You enter with the excitement that as this is something you chose because you are interested in it you are going to like every single thing. But the truth is you couldn’t care less about half of the subjects. Sometimes is more and other times less. But there is so much boring content that you must learn, memorize and practice. Some of my friends for example find Architectural Design a waste of time, others despise Architectural History, and I don’t enjoy Urbanism. Generally speaking, the key is having a balance. If you hate every topic of every subject, you probably aren’t in the right place. And if you love everything… you have zero personality what’s wrong with you?
Progressively, an organic interest in some aspect or specific topic of your career will seem more appealing. I find the creative possibilities within Architecture the most fascinating topic at the moment, while my friend Lorena really wants to study further the structural aspects of Architecture. But what matters is that you study something that you like and motivates you.
Now back to myself. I am a very creative person with a lot of little projects at once. At the moment, I do cool makeup looks on my Instagram and now I write for this blog. I do get tired of Architecture and loose interest quickly, depending on the subject and project. I have considered several times dropping out, mostly from questioning whether this is something to which I want to dedicate my life and if its worth it. However, the winning argument to staying is that I truly am studying something that I like and find very interesting. Questions of the future remain open for now, but at least I know that when I finish this stage I leave with knowledge and tools on things I like. Knowing that I can apply my skillset to this field or another, or different projects, keeps me on my feet and focused.
To sum up, what matters in University and specifically Architecture, is that you can create your own path. You are free to find whatever you find more interesting within your studied and dig deeper and deeper. Of course you will learn content that doesn’t excite you, but that is always part of any education.
Architecture for me is a platform from which I can firmly stand and from there, pursue whatever I want to, as I know that what I have studied and am qualified to perform is a field I like.
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