<p>Hey everyone! This is my first time making a thread on this site.</p>
<p>I'm an incoming freshman at my local university and I'm excited about starting college. The only thing I'm having trouble with is deciding what to major in. I'm really artistic and I love to draw but I'm not the absolute best at math or science. Also, I love the aesthetics of city skylines and I've always wanted to design large buildings.</p>
<p>I'm just not sure if going in the architecture direction would be right for me. I've heard that architects hardly ever see their designs come to life and that it's also an "above average" stressful career. So does anyone know from experience if architecture is a good career for an artistic person like me? What's it like going to school for this major? Also, what's the average pay for architects (I'm asking this because I always find different ranges in salaries for this career)? And most importantly, what's the real world like for architects?</p>
<p>tony, it’s difficult to give you one answer because architecture is a wide field with many different levels of experience. </p>
<p>When do you need to declare your major? Commonly this is done at the end of your sophomore year which give you some latitude to investigate and experiment before you decide on your major. Perhaps you could take an architectural drawing or art history class to see how you like it. </p>
<p>Of attend a career exploration program in architecture over the summer.</p>
<p>I assume since you’ve already been admitted that you’re thinking about getting a BA or BS degree in architecture, versus a B.Arch. With a BA or a BS you would still need a Masters of Architecture so you still have some time to think about it.</p>
<p>I wouldn’t worry too much about the math and science. You will not be taking engineering level courses, and many of the most talented architects I know had to make a couple of passes to get through basic calculus. I think the biggest question is whether you are going to enjoy studio. If you do then you can get around everything else.</p>
<p>As far as the career there are many places to research, but I don’t think it is a particularly stressful job. Starting salaries from $35k to $55k. Depending on the firm you go to your experience could vary wildly. Everything from designing high rise in Shanghai to site adapting a Chili’s. You need to do well in school so you can have options when you graduate.</p>