<p>I'm curious since I'm considering this major. Art's been a really strong suit in my case, I spent my highschool years sketching airplanes, cars or landscapes. I studied Chemical engineering until now, mostly because I'm good at chem and I heard chem engineers make a lot of money. But after taking Chem Eng 101 course I realize I'll spend the rest of my life doing calculations, it'll bore me to death.
I wonder, do architects get good salaries? Is it actually worth the 6+ years spent in college? I also wonder if architectural engineering will be the better field. I prefer to do both though if possible. I assume knowing both will be a significant advantage in jobs.
I also want to know if architecture students have a social life. I want to study, but I also want to have normal social life like other college kids. Chem eng students don't have any; the workload is so much the professors said theres no room for socializing in this major, it takes students almost all their free time. Is it the same for architecture? I dont mind tough courses as long as I still have a normal social life.
Btw I also heard that many architects get no payments in their early years, is this true???
Any answers and information are very appreciated.
Thanks</p>
<p>Yes, I do know some that make very good money, enough to spend 60,000+ on high school education. this doesnt speak for every architect, though, I realize.</p>
<p>do architects get good salaries?</p>
<p>starting out, salaries are notoriously low....and on the whole, most architects earn decently but not as much as other professions. if you become principal of your firm, then you can make quite a lot...but do it for the passion. there are a lot easier ways to earn money than architecture</p>
<p>architectural eng and architecture are two very different fields....if you are design-oriented and idea-oriented, go architecture. pay in arch eng is much better but you'll spend a lot of time calculating structural problems but if that's wat you like..then def go for it</p>
<p>if you're looking for a normal social life, i don't think you'll like arch in college. you'll spend a LOT of time in studio. but that isn't to say that you won't get a great social life IN studio...and close architecture friends. tons of all nighters will eventually force you to train you how to be extremely time efficient and balanced. most arch students i know have something else to do for fun everyweek...to get away from studio</p>
<p>"if you're looking for a normal social life, i don't think you'll like arch in college"
Sashimi,
thats what I'm afraid of... I'm not the type to have my social life w/ just one group, thats for sure. I have loads of friends on campus, and goin out w/ friends every weekend is a very common thing for me. I lost all that in engineering school. We had daily homeworks, weekly quizzes and projects/essays every weekend, no free time at all.</p>
<p>Truth is I'm not exactly sure of which field to take. On one side I love designs and art, on the other hand I like, and am really good at physics, math (except calculus), biology, geology and geography. I'm not sure whether I should go for architecture or arch engineering. I'm also concerned that other engineering majors will consume all my free time as chem eng did.</p>
<p>i think i'm going to be honest about it. architecture major takes up probably more of your time than most majors. but that sacrifice is up to you. if you truly are passionate about architecture, then you will have to sacrifice some of that time for your work. but that is not to say that I do not enjoy my time at studio or the type of work that I do. I find it far more rewarding than most other majors...but that is just me. it is worth the time and effort if you are very interested in architecture. </p>
<p>i have a lot of friends outside of architecture as well since i commit myself to two outside social clubs but I don't get to see them as much as I want to....but i do make my best effort to see them. </p>
<p>the truth is, you CAN have a social life in architecture. the official studio hours are usually about 12 hrs a week where you HAVE to be in studio...but outside of that time, you can do whatever you want. of course..if you want to do well however, you'll have to spend a lot of time in studio. students pull all nighters not because the school forces them to, but because they want to do well.. </p>
<p>there are certainly those who pull only all nighters before project deadlines and have a pretty balanced life. but that is rare and demands for some amazing work ethic. but personally, i feel that if you want to do well in studio, you'll pull in more hours in studio just because you care about what you're doing.</p>
<p>"i think i'm going to be honest about it. architecture major takes up probably more of your time than most majors. but that sacrifice is up to you"</p>
<p>Perhaps whether the architecture major takes up more time and is a sacrifice may be in your perspective. My daughter is majoring in architecture (not Barch though so that may make the difference) and does not find the time committment overly oppressive. She infinitely prefers sketching, making models, etc. over spending hours reading texts, doing problem sets or studying in the library. And yes, there are those all-nighters, but they are not every night. She has also found the camaraderie amongst the architecture students, perhaps because of these type of projects, much stronger.</p>
<p>And should you think that selecting this major dooms you to no social life, I can share my daughter's activities to provide another perspective. In addition to her classes, she works two part time jobs, is captain of the cheerleading squad, participates in intra-mural sports, belongs to a sorority where she holds an office and still finds time to do volunteer work and socialize with her friends. While I still believe she has somehow found a way to stuff more than 24 hours into a day, she is remarkably invigorated by all of this. Yes, she gets stressed out at times and I am sure there are things she has sacrificed, but overall the need to manage multiple priorities, keep organized and produce creative works within restricted schedules has helped her to really focus her efforts. And she loves what she is doing, which is the most important part.</p>
<p>LP75 your daghter is amazing.
I'm pretty similar to her. I hate writing, dont mind exams but totally hate homeworks and essays. I almost got seizures when my chem eng prof said I had to write essays/reports every weekend and daily homeworks to do.
Thanks for the info, btw, I also received some inputs (not sure which to believe) that lead me to assume that how busy you are depends on the school's course requirement.
Is it safe to make that assumption?</p>
<p>i agree...i would very much rather create ideas and work on my own rather than having to memorize and take tests all the time. the thing about architecture is that they try to make you think for yourself...that's part of the training itself through criticism. that's why there really aren't "tests" for studios cause everyone thinks for themself. how can you ever have a right answer? one thing i can really relate architecture is debate..where you have to formulate and develop your case logically and defend for it. </p>
<p>it's very independent work...there's no exact guide to how you want to learn architecture. a lot of the excercises are very vague and it's up to you to decide how you want to do it. some people do not enjoy that type of freedom...some do. yet there is also a very strong rigor behind what you do and i think that's where the professors come in a lot....to train you to constantly question and think critically. </p>
<p>maybe it's just me or the degree i'm doing or the school that i go to but there never seems to be enough time. first of all, studio takes up a majority of your time...and since there is never an exact guideline...students push themselves to do their best by spending a lot of time in studio making sure that their project is solid. a good project takes time. then there are all those social activities and outside friends you told them you would meet up with sometime. then there are those 5-6 other classes that have daily deadlines you have to fullfill. it is not uncommon....especially by the end of the semester, to find yourself start and finish a 40 page essay in one weekend along with other deadlines due during that week. </p>
<p>the worst thing you can do is to commit to so many things and eventually burn out..which is pretty typical for many architecture students. but definitely find a balance...a few of my friends are involved in frats...some in dance..etc</p>
<p>most schools with B.Arch requirements tend to be quite rigorous...just because there are so many credits to fullfill (i have to fullfill 180 credits)..that means every semester, i must take 18 credits in order to be on track..and most people here take more than 18. i think it is more the student body that makes a difference...when everyone tries their best to do a great project...it really motivates you to do well. so it is certainly common to have the whole studio pulling all nighters together. it's not really a competitive thing...just a motivation factor i guess. </p>
<p>any studio requirement will be typically rigorous....mainly because any design excercise is time intensive. and if you want to do well, you will commit a lot of time to the project. no arch school really tells you to stay in studio all night long and the amount of time you spend on a project is up to you...just like other majors...you don't have to do your homework. you don't even need to show up in class. but you have to do well on the exams...and that will require you to give yourself however long enough time of study to do well.</p>
<p>lastly...most arch students do learn how to find balance in their life eventually. first years are usually hyped up about pulling all nighters and usually procrastinate more. but then you realize that you dont' want to pull such an unhealthy lifestyle for the next 4 years so you begin to become extremely efficient.</p>
<p>The link below is to the latest Archtecture Magazine's salary survey for the profession. It seems a little low based on what we are seeing in this part of the country, but it does give you a baseline. Only you can decide whether this is a good living.</p>
<p>As far as; will I have a social life? I always tell folks that architecture is not a major, it is a cult. Who needs a social life when you are part of a cult? ;-)</p>
<p>rick</p>
<p>"My daughter is majoring in architecture (not Barch though so that may make the difference)..."</p>
<p>Can anyone tell me if there's a noticeable difference in the ammount of workload for arch and Barch students???</p>
<p>Btw LP75, where does your daughter go to? </p>
<p>I go to wsu, and arch students here said they don't have too much courseload either, depending on the assignments their profs give. Students however pull a lot of all-nighters. I had a friend in arch major who LIVED in the studio for 2 continuous week, going back to his apt only to do his laundry and/or get his books. Unfortunately I'm no longer able to get infos from him due to, err.., personal reasons.</p>
<p>I used to major in Chem Eng (now undecided), and courseload was insane. homeworks were everyday, quizzes every friday, and projects/essays/reports given every friday, due MONDAY!!! I, like most, if not all other chem e students had to spend at least 9 hrs daily for chem e (about 6 hrs for hw + 3 for mandatory text reading).
Add the fact that we all had to take organic chem + lab and calculus 3 in the same semester (which btw also came standard w/ daily intense workload), and you have the perfect recipe for instant insanity.
In the end I got sick of it and skipped a lot of hws and readings. Its a miracle I still passed (barely though)</p>
<p>"most schools with B.Arch requirements tend to be quite rigorous...just because there are so many credits to fullfill (i have to fullfill 180 credits)..that means every semester, i must take 18 credits in order to be on track..and most people here take more than 18"</p>
<p>180 credits??? thats even more than engineering...Sashimi, where do you go to? my chem e class sounds like a perfect fit for your school.</p>
<p>i go to cornell...so maybe that's why it's a little bit more intense. my profs say that the students here are pushed a lot more.... everyone wants to do really well here but it's not like ppl like to cut each other down. you can look up on the cornell website for more details on the curriculum</p>
<p>the biggest difference between the b.arch and a say...b.s in arch is that the b.arch is far more focused on architecture. while you do take outside electives (25%), most of my classes are architecture related..since the b.arch is a professional degree....satisfying the academic requirements for someone to be come a licensed architect</p>
<p>if you go into architecture, you won't have as many quizzes and homework (though you still will for your outside courses)...but to compensate for that..you'll spend a lot of time in studio doing design excercises. i would rather much prefer working in studio with ideas and concepts that i've created. it can be very rewarding (and stressful at times).</p>
<p>i think one thing you learn a lot in arch school (at least mine's) is that you learn how to BS really well....most of the other outside courses essentially become last minute work because you just don't have time to do them...so you learn how to really BS something really quickly lol</p>
<p>"Can anyone tell me if there's a noticeable difference in the ammount of workload for arch and Barch students???"</p>
<p>ALL B.Archs are extremely heavy workload, and BA or BS in Arch programs vary widely from school to school because they are not regulated by NCARB. Some of them are as heavy a workload as a BArch, just one year shorter, and some are more akin to the workload expected in a normal undergraduate program.</p>
<p>BArch programs that don't require 180 units like Sashimi's tend to deflate their units. For example where I went we were only required to take 160 units, but some of those were courses that were only two units, but met for eight hours per week. If the school were being really honest, they would've made that at least a four unit course, but they deflated the unit count on a lot of courses so that we could stay in the 16-18 units/semester range and not have to pay extra tuition. So in that way they were doing us a favor, but because of it a lot of people bit off a bit more than they could chew in terms of courseload.</p>
<p>My D is a freshman next year and will be studying architecture. In looking at just the non-BArch programs, there was a huge difference between schools, so I would assume there could also be a large difference in workload. She considered Brown which has an Arch studies concentration. It only requires 8 courses, 5 of which are in arch history and one studio art class. You can only take 4 classes at RISD, so that limits the number of actual arch classes you can take. She will be attending UMichigan where there are 5 courses required or recommended during Fr & So years (2 studio, 2 arch history and a CAD course). Their example schedule for the last two years was 3 arch classes and 1 elective each semester. The UM degree is a BS rather than a BA, but I'm not sure how much, if any, difference this makes further down the line when going for a Masters.</p>
<p>"Btw LP75, where does your daughter go to?"</p>
<p>My daughter is at Yale. She just finished her sophomore year during which she took three required introductory classes (needed to apply to the major) two of which included some studio work. She also took one of the elective Architectural classes.</p>
<p>For her first two years she was attempting to fulfill the requirements for both an art and architecture major, but the class scheduling became a nightmare so she concentrated strictly on architecture. At Yale students are required to apply to the major second semester of the sophomore year after a review of the work they completed in their introductory classes. Only 25 students are selected (although this may be misleading as I am not sure how many actually apply--it seems quite a few self-select themselves out of process).</p>
<p>By the way, the Architecture major at Yale requires 16 classes, two of which are Art History. The design track includes four full studio classes during the junior and senior year. </p>
<p>In a practical sense a BArch may have been the best way to go. But my daughter wasn't sure which direction she wanted to head when she was choosing colleges during her senior year in high school. So the liberal arts approach was a good alternative for her even if it is a longer route to get there.</p>
<p>OK now I'm confused. What kind of difference does having a BS and BArch make???</p>
<p>Until now I thought the only difference is that you need the BArch to be a certified architect, but now I'm not even sure anymore. I have no plans yet on grad school, whether I'm gonna take it or not that is.</p>
<p>I'm switching from chem E expecting a lighter, more sensible courseload, as I want a balance between my school and social life in college. But from your stories, it seems like arch classes are just as heavy in courseload as engineering classes. I'm beginning to have doubts about my decision.</p>
<p>I gotta make up my mind before transferring. I did consider staying in my current school, since arch students here are definitely not so busy (apart from their monthly all nighters), but I dont think the unorganized dept. and narrow internship options will do me any good.</p>
<p>Btw how can I figure out if certain arch schools will have extremely heavy workload from their curriculum? I wonder since some schools, like larationalist mentioned, deflate their units...</p>
<p>Also can anyone tell me more about arch engineering? Like how intense it is (in terms of workload amount) compared to arch and engineering courses. Is it really a design-engineering 50/50 or is it more engineering than design? I seriously hope I dont have to lose the design part, it’s where the fun really is.</p>
<p>I've looked up some colleges' websites and their curriculum list and I gotta say I dont understand a thing.
I tried calling them to ask, but all I got were vague or simply dumb answers, like:
"I dont know, let me make some calls and I'll get back to you" (UW),
"We have a very demanding standard, I don’t think you'll do good here if you already ask about our course curriculum before even applying" (Penn state),
and my favorite "Oh you want to transfer, whats your cummulative gpa? What, 3.0? I suggest you find another univ. because there's absolutely no way you can transfer to our institution w/ mediocre grades" (U of Ill- Urbana Champaign)
What the he**? I asked them about curriculum and they gave me unrelated answers...</p>
<p>LP75, yet another surprise.
I never expect Yale's curriculum to give you more chance to relax than Cornell's</p>
<p>It is probably not a difference between Yale and Cornell, but between the BArch and the Bachellors of Architecture. I took a look at Cornell's requirements and there are 5-6 classes a semester for 5 years. Yale's requirements are 4-5 classes for 4 years. The intensity of each class is probably similar. There are just more classes in the Cornell program.</p>
<p>"i think i'm going to be honest about it. architecture major takes up probably more of your time than most majors."</p>
<p>having not read most of the latter posts here, I can say this is only sort of true. My gf is in arch. at Cornell and she's in the studio substantially less than most people, yet she's at the top of the class. The difference? She doesn't socialize while she works, other people are bringing in food, chit chatting, blasting music, planning parties, discussing past parties ... everything but studio work. I'm at Rand hall ALOT, and I've seen too many all nighters pulled not from an overabundance of work but rather from poor priority selection.</p>
<p>Finally! A confirmation of the theory of: "If you cannot do it in eight hours, you cannot do it".</p>
<p>A ton of time is wasted in architecture school--happily wasted I might add.</p>
<p>Is architecture too demanding for a person who has great techniques in pure art (painting, scetching, etc), but only does okay in math&sci and wants to major in arch for pure interest towards design? (not great at designing stuff, but interested)</p>