What may work for someone else, may not work for you. When you get into architecture it’s for the long game. It’s not something you’ll complete overnight or get right first time. Within a competitive field it is easy to forget this. The journey towards being fully qualified is a long one and whilst we are taught to pursue the journey with a somewhat defined route. This just may not work for you! Do what you feel is right for you! Of course it’s hard not to compare yourself to another but should you focus on your intentions & goals, all will work out in the end. Not for anyone else but for yourself!
My Journey:
So up to this point my journey to this point in architecture has been a funny one. At this point I work with a property investor as a right hand architectural assistant & will be starting at a new role in a top architecture firm known as Grimshaw.
This is quite hilarious considering I was once an individual that wanted to drop out of university having failed her first year of bachelors in architecture and sent to resit in the summer. This is not where I saw myself being even now, having finished my masters summer last year.
You see the road to becoming an Architect isn’t one I was truly aware when I got into. I mean, I always heard the saying:
‘ It takes 7 years you know!’
Growing up when I mentioned that I wanted to become an architect. The realization of this statement didn’t even hit me, till now, now qualified as a part 2 and still having a last hurdle to cross before using the term 'Architect'.If you’ve read my previous post you will read that I’ve always been into anything creative from a young age. My mum studied fashion and from a little as 5, I was always encouraged to draw and create. She even brought me my own mini sewing machine (though I didn’t use it!).
I loved to play sports too and was a great goalkeeper, (if I do say so myself!) So from the time it was time to do GCSE’s, from the age 14/15. The 'avenue choice'came quickly. What i mean when I say 'Avenue Choice' is when the time & age comes when you are made to decide what you are going to do with the rest of your life. As I grew up my mothers golden rule was to: Always try your best & do well in school.
She didn’t ask for anything else & so that’s what I did. So I cut back the sports though I played up to A-Levels and then quit. At GCSE, we had two options alongside the regular set curriculum. Picking Physical education & Art as my choices, I knew I had to pick subjects I enjoyed seeing as at that point I knew it was shaping my future.
It was from this moment that I knew I was going down the Artistic education route. Also at this time, in between my summers , my mum always got my brother and I doing activities and keep occupied. So with this, I had a lot of opportunities to gain some skills that still help me to today. I always try express the notion of ‘using your time wisely’ and I guess you could say this is where it started from. I was working with youth in workshops, volunteering at a center that got me into creating costumes for Notting Hill Carnival and other fun activities, even made my own skateboard at one point. Not so useful now but it was fun!
It was an active childhood I must admit and so when it came to picking A-Levels I knew what I liked to do. At A-Levels I picked Art, Graphic Design, English Language & Literature & Maths. Apart from loving art, I loved numbers & writing so the options just came naturally I guess. Whilst at College. I would say picking Graphic Design as a course was one of the best decisions for me as it gave the understanding and skills to translate my drawings and painting into digital outputs. Before this I used to just fill up sketch books and use canvases.It was as this point that I learnt all the key design software within the Adobe Package and I knew I wanted to do something with it.
Now College is only two years and boy does it go fast! So I needed to decide what was going to be the best avenue for me to do what I enjoy and make money! Let’s be honest, we need money! So I went through lists of creative subjects I could do, should I go to university. I narrowed it down. Animation, Illustration or Architecture and began deciding whether I was going to do an apprenticeship or go to university. I was never encourage much to go down any other routes so ended up looking at universities. I looked up what courses and i could do and what would my end goal be because of this.
What would i learn?
How would I learn?
Am I going to get what is best for my money?
It was important for me to find out this, I did not come from money nor was I not going to be getting my moneys worth. So these were questions I considered whilst looking & in the end I went to all the open days for the courses I wanted to do and in the end I decided to study architecture, after some advise from my art teachers, who encouraged that I would learn a varied skill set & they wasn't lying.
So I guess architecture is the route made for me as I am currently still in it. Starting university at 18 was a fun experience and my bachelors degree was spent deciding whether or not I liked it enough to see it as a full time career. It did not help that at times I didn't have a tutor or any guidance in learning to design. After my bachelors I took the time out and opportunity to travel abroad and work in China. On my return after recuperation I knew I wanted to do my master and honestly it was the best decision I think I ever made. Restructuring back to my old university, De Montfort University which had now had a major 'Glow Up' with a brand new building, great facilities and a large amount of fresh new faces also doing masters, was a good decision too. I had the ability to really capitalize on the students, teachers & facilities to fully get my money and times worth!
Once the two years was over, I was now back in the same point as in finishing my masters and deciding what I was going to do. Fortunately I was able to get into a firm straight away however I hated it. I left that role and landed one of the most funnest and stimulating jobs working directly with a property investor however she could not offer me the opportunity to do my last step so I moved on till the point I am at today, working with a great company, learning, maintaining a healthy well being, something we know is very hard whilst doing architecture! However I love it & would do this whole journey again just learning things a lot quicker and applying them faster.
Now I do not know who this will register with or resinate with, however I realised that sharing stories and journeys has really encourage & motivated me to keep pushing and achieving my goals. You never know what will stick, but maybe my story will.
With Love,
Your Archihooter
N x
