6 TIPS: TO CONSIDER BEFORE DECIDING TO GO TO ARCHITECTURE GRADUATE SCHOOL

     You are at the point when you may either be close to graduating or you may have taken a break from school and you want to get back to getting a higher degree. This is a gray area for you, and you come to wonder ”Is grad school even worth spending my own/ my parents money on?”, ”Will I get any pay advancements if I do?”. This is a big decision  and sometimes not an easy decision to come across. Below are some tips to consider before you make your decision on graduate school. This will not come easy though this will definitely benefit your personal and professional development as you make your way through architecture! So embrace the process if you do decide to go to grad school.  

1. CONSIDER THE BUDGET FOR GRADUATE SCHOOL

      Consider 3 things on your graduate school budget: The cost of tuition (significantly higher than undergraduate year), the cost of materials (model materials, software, and books), and health. Yes, including health. There will be significant amount of days when you want to invest on staying up and working on your thesis.  Which ever school you go to, there will be people of all ages going to school, so you have to think about how this will factor in with your health. The importance is staying rejuvenated so that you can do the most, and put a lot of effort to your work. 

      Cost of materials – be prepared and this will depend on which school you decide to go for graduate school.

Solutions: To alleviate the cost, seek loans from the school or find reliable scholarship opportunities. Apply for as many scholarships – this will help a lot to reduce the price of graduate school. 

Take at least a 10 minute break, if you spend too much time on the screen. Remember to also purchase blue light glasses!

2. AIM FOR A HIGHER DEGREE IF YOU WANT TO ADVANCE YOUR KNOWLEDGE. DO NOT DO IT FOR THE TITLE. 

      There are some who may go to graduate school, because you want to prove a point to that one distant enemy in the back of your mind. Honestly, who cares! Sure, you can use them for motivation to get better, but throughout this process remember it will be YOU. You have to push yourself through graduate school, not that distant enemy. You are doing graduate school for you and just come to terms and ask yourself – How can YOU challenge yourself? How can YOU grow into a better architecture practitioner? What can YOU do to allow this graduate degree benefit YOU COMMUNITY? These are questions that you should ask yourself, in order to humble yourself. 

Solutions: Always ask questions to your peers on their thoughts on graduate school. What is their experience? Do they think it’s worth it? Ask around!

3. YOU WILL LEARN ALOT WITH BIM PROGRAMS

      In the undergraduate year, you will be doing a lot of practice to get you in the mindset of design. So there will be a lot of beginner topics such as modeling, drawing/sketching, and so on. You will definitely not get into the BIM programs right away – remember architects are not drafters. Do not get it wrong – drafters are extremely talented and there is definitely craft within their work. In fact, if an architectural drafter decides to go into architecture school, they will most likely be the coolest kids in the studio. They may have went to trade school, learn details, and how building components come together. There will be a point in graduate school when they teach you about BIM, and these programs are definitely used in architecture firms. In fact, they are one of the most accurate and efficient tools to use for practice. 

Solutions: Ask questions, and try to practice on BIM programs. If using Revit, learn small tricks like learning shortcut commands or downloading plug-ins (ex: pyrevit) for more efficiency. 

4. YOU WILL GROW A STRONGER PORTFOLIO

      In graduate school, you will be doing a lot of graphic presentation to show case your work. Be sure to do well the first time, instead of spending your summers editing the work for your portfolio. You will realize that your portfolio will be significantly stronger compared to your undergraduate year.

Solutions: Always archive your work. I recommend to invest in a hard drive with at least 1 or 2 terabyte memory space.

5. CONTINUE PRACTICE: TRY  TO ENTER A WORK OR INTERN POSITION (ARCHITECTURE RELATED)

      Even though you have entered school, that should not stop you from expanding your knowledge more. This is also a great help to continue to expand your knowledge within the architecture field and earn extra cash. Holding a part time position in an architecture firm can also benefit you, especially by the time you graduate and may really want to work for them full time, or continue have that firm as a back up. Remember to try to meet people within that firm and keep that connection! 

     Solutions: Look for an internship or beginning work position at an architecture firm. Though, keep in mind the travel distance or time allocation as you balance your school schedule as well. If commute is a problem, try to find a position within the architecture school that has a position for a designer, or BIM modeling. 

6. THERE WILL BE TOPICS THAT WILL NOT BE COVERED IN SCHOOL, AS YOU TRANSITION TO THE REAL ARCHITECTURE PRACTICE

      There are topics that will not be taught fully in graduate school, as you transition to the work field. As you make your way to a part-time or full-time position at an architecture firm. For example, in school, you may have that structures that teach you about building components, and how tot assemble a detail together. Though, this won’t happen everytime in school. In an architecture firm position, the practice is more practical, so you will be looking at building details more often. 

Solutions: If you come across an architecture class, always ask your professor questions on the assembly and it’s function.