So for the past couple of years I've been completely set on studying architecture when I get to college. I love everything about it, seems like the coolest thing to study...but the last couple of days I've been thinking, well, I don't have a portfolio started, I don't know what to do, where to go, yadda yadda yadda... I pretty much panicked with the thought of the time it's gonna take me to get a good portfolio worth any college's time... And then I sad, CRAP, I'm screwed...

 

I've always been fond of learning of others cultures, ideas, LANGUAGES... and so, It's been in my mind that maybe studying liberal arts is where my calling is... :shrug: It sounds like a good idea now that I look into it.

 

There's so many opportunities in that and it's just astounding how much I can learn...

 

 

 

I dunno, I mean not to plan ahead since i literally have a year and a half til i go off to wherever I'm gonna go, but I don't wanna freak out last minute and be like "Shit! Architecture is gonna suck, what if there's no jobs... What if Alexa is right? It's a male dominated work field, I'm not a male...Shit!"

 

Or.... "Shit, I don't wanna study liberal arts.... this sux! Give me some art, some maths...(even though I suck), some science.... let me build something!!"

 

 

Ugh.... :facepalm:

 

What do you guys think?

 

 

 

/awesome thought inducing thread :wacky:

 

 

THIS IS MY FUTURE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, COLDPLAYERS... I NEED YOUR HELP :uneasy:

I didn't even read it all.

Ivet, it's not about what you think it's right for you. It's not about what seems cool.

That's the problem with many students.

 

Choose what you like. What makes you feel passionate.

What do you actually want?

 

Re-read your post.

Both are something I would really like to study, that's my problem :anxious:

YOU PUT MY NAME THERE :stunned:

Ok first of all Ivet, what I told you might be true, but you have a chance to prove that you're not like other girls and actually be a good architect, I didn't really try to make you feel bad about it.

 

But give it a lot of thought, in the end, it's what you want.

 

 

edit: Look at me, it's not like female doctors are taken seriously, or at least that's what I've heard. Like I said, you can go after it and prove that a girl can do it.

You like both of those majors, but if you do architecture, you're not sure if you'll easily find a job?

And I'm just wondering.... isn't studying architecture a little expensive.... you know the materials and all that stuff?

 

I wanted to to study architecture, I love it, but in the end decided to take business since it'd be so hard to get a job as an architect :\

Right now I'm majoring in something that I know will give me a great job, but I don't like the classes I have to take... I want to change to a major that I really really like, but I don't think I'd get a good job when I graduate. :/

Right now I'm majoring in something that I know will give me a great job, but I don't like the classes I have to take... I want to change to a major that I really really like, but I don't think I'd get a good job when I graduate. :/

 

What are you studying?

What are you studying?

 

Accountancy.

Accountancy.

 

Cool, my brother too.

Study what you like and what you want, and don't worry about the job or money afterwards.

Ivet you need to not worry so much for the time being. I'm currently applying to colleges and will have to choose where to go in a matter of months, yet I still do not have a major decided. I will go in as Undeclared, study up on the four or five subjects I love, and go from there. You have plenty of time to make decisions and try new things. Two of my possible major choices are fields of study I only became interested in during the past 6 months! You'll most likely change your mind a thousand times between now and when you declare a major so for now sit back and enjoy high school and just work hard while you can and keep an open mind.

 

[/most advice I've given all year]

I looked into architecture when I first started going to university after having given up on graphic design. The way my school had their program set up was really weird, but at least it let us take an introduction to architecture as an elective before going into the program full-time.

 

I came to 2 conclusions: -There are two things that most people think about becoming at some point in their life. One is a vet, and the other is an architect. (I think third might be psychologist.) -The intro course was a weeding out course taught by a jerk. So I don't have many warm fuzzy feelings for the profession.

 

I will say this though, if you really love it already, and you take it, and you survive it, you will never regret it. Even if you don't become an architect it will open millions of doors for you for the rest of your life. There are so many careers that you've never even thought of that an architect's background will get you into.

 

The proffesion is NOT male-dominated. Maybe something like 60-40 (just a guess), but there are a lot of women involved in major areas of it. Based on the view from the ground-level, there's much less of a glass ceiling in architecture than a lot of even female-dominated professions. Yes, the Frank Gherys (sp?) of the world seem to be all male, but a lot of the most amazing things are built by women. And even if you did end up as the only woman in a male-dominated office, I can say as one of the only women in a male-dominated trade that it isn't that bad. I quite like it actually. Want a great example of what women can do, look at this new racing track hotel in Abu Dhabi. The complex will cost billions of dollars by the time it's done, and it was built in part by a woman, Lise Anne Couture. http://www.asymptote.net/

I will warn you though, the profession does attract a lot of pompous, narcissistic jerks. If you don't know how to deal with high-stress situations and difficult people, you will have trouble. The good news is that the skills you need for coping can be learned.

 

YOUR PORTFOLIO: Not that hard. You're still in highschool, so they're not expecting anything spectacular, just something that demonstrates competence and a good eye. When I realized I needed one for college in grade 12, I took an 8-week life drawing course and used my best projects from the course along with some photography. Even with intense competition the program I wanted to get into loved what I put together. It's nothing to stress over as long as you have a little bit of raw artistic talent.

 

One thing you do need a really good grasp of is math and physics. If you don't understand basic relationships between things, you will be useless. If the math is a problem area for you, it's nothing that can't be overcome as long as you're willing to work really hard. If you hate them in general, you will end up hating your life. (Lots of architects hate their life. I never understand why they don't just do something else. Please don't hate your life.)

 

One of the greatest things about architecture is the way it combines the creative and the analytical. But it also means you have to have an aptitude for both. If you're weak on one of them, shop around. Different schools emphasize different parts of the equation- some are geared more toward industrial engineering while others focus more on artistic merit. Talk to different schools. Admin people will tell you what you need to get in and many schools let you set up meetings with the profs to see which school will be a good fit. Visiting makes a huge difference.

 

Now liberal arts. If you have 20 thousand dollars lying around for tuition, by all means, it could be wonderful and enriching and I would highly recommend it. It's completely and absolutely useless in the real world though, so avoid it if you will need a student loan. Everyone has an arts degree these days. It will mean the difference between a job behind a cash register, and a job managing a couple of people who are behind a cash register for an extra 50 cents an hour. Make sure you have a backup plan for afterward or your degree will just be something nice to hang in your taxi.

 

Don't stress too much about what you choose in the end. Most people who go to university switch programs in their first year. Sometimes several times until the find what fits.

 

Good luck.

Join the Army.

Do whichever interests you the most, theoretically if you like what you studied enough even if you are destitute and can't get a job at least you will be doing/trying to do what you love. And if they both interest you why don't you see if you can't study both? Eg, if you study architecture, you can take liberal arts classes too. As far as I know.

If you're interested in cultures.. anthropology, cross-cultural studies and sociology would be much more specific and useful than a general liberal arts degree.

My best friend is an architecture major and he didn't need a portfolio to get into the program. (although I know this isn't true for all schools) But this is something he loves and wants to be (When he finally got to focus more on his major and less on his general studies, he was so excited) and, in turn, it's a lot of fun for him. Even though there's still a lot of work put into it.

 

But don't stress too much over this. Do whatever you love. There are a lot of people who don't even use their degree once they graduate and end up getting into a completely different field of work. (I've heard of someone who got a degree in accounting and ended up not wanting to become an accountant and so she became a tudor and loves it more than anything.) And one my friends ended up dropping out of college so she can focus more on her job as a light technician at a theatre. Not that I'm suggesting dropping out, but even though she doesn't make top dollar and is trying to get into a career that would earn her even less, she's completely happy with her career.

 

But if you want to live a cozy life with a stable career and income and whatnot, then get into that! It's whatever makes you happy.

 

And, believe me, everyone goes through this. Or at least everyone I have met, including myself. Just do whatever you love and you'll be fine. If you have to keep changing your mind until you go to college... or even during college a lot of people still change their major... then that's fine.

YOU PUT MY NAME THERE :stunned:

Ok first of all Ivet, what I told you might be true, but you have a chance to prove that you're not like other girls and actually be a good architect, I didn't really try to make you feel bad about it.

 

But give it a lot of thought, in the end, it's what you want.

 

 

edit: Look at me, it's not like female doctors are taken seriously, or at least that's what I've heard. Like I said, you can go after it and prove that a girl can do it.

 

:lol: I had to make some kind of reference :shy: and don't worry, I know you weren't doing it to be mean :P

 

 

And I'm just wondering.... isn't studying architecture a little expensive.... you know the materials and all that stuff?

 

I wanted to to study architecture, I love it, but in the end decided to take business since it'd be so hard to get a job as an architect :\

 

Yeah, it's a tad expensive, but it also depends on what school you choose...

 

 

Ivet you need to not worry so much for the time being. I'm currently applying to colleges and will have to choose where to go in a matter of months, yet I still do not have a major decided. I will go in as Undeclared, study up on the four or five subjects I love, and go from there. You have plenty of time to make decisions and try new things. Two of my possible major choices are fields of study I only became interested in during the past 6 months! You'll most likely change your mind a thousand times between now and when you declare a major so for now sit back and enjoy high school and just work hard while you can and keep an open mind.

 

[/most advice I've given all year]

 

:heart: Awww, I'm honored this advice was given to me :blush:

 

 

I looked into architecture when I first started going to university after having given up on graphic design. The way my school had their program set up was really weird, but at least it let us take an introduction to architecture as an elective before going into the program full-time.

 

I came to 2 conclusions: -There are two things that most people think about becoming at some point in their life. One is a vet, and the other is an architect. (I think third might be psychologist.) -The intro course was a weeding out course taught by a jerk. So I don't have many warm fuzzy feelings for the profession.

 

I will say this though, if you really love it already, and you take it, and you survive it, you will never regret it. Even if you don't become an architect it will open millions of doors for you for the rest of your life. There are so many careers that you've never even thought of that an architect's background will get you into.

 

The proffesion is NOT male-dominated. Maybe something like 60-40 (just a guess), but there are a lot of women involved in major areas of it. Based on the view from the ground-level, there's much less of a glass ceiling in architecture than a lot of even female-dominated professions. Yes, the Frank Gherys (sp?) of the world seem to be all male, but a lot of the most amazing things are built by women. And even if you did end up as the only woman in a male-dominated office, I can say as one of the only women in a male-dominated trade that it isn't that bad. I quite like it actually. Want a great example of what women can do, look at this new racing track hotel in Abu Dhabi. The complex will cost billions of dollars by the time it's done, and it was built in part by a woman, Lise Anne Couture. http://www.asymptote.net/

I will warn you though, the profession does attract a lot of pompous, narcissistic jerks. If you don't know how to deal with high-stress situations and difficult people, you will have trouble. The good news is that the skills you need for coping can be learned.

 

YOUR PORTFOLIO: Not that hard. You're still in highschool, so they're not expecting anything spectacular, just something that demonstrates competence and a good eye. When I realized I needed one for college in grade 12, I took an 8-week life drawing course and used my best projects from the course along with some photography. Even with intense competition the program I wanted to get into loved what I put together. It's nothing to stress over as long as you have a little bit of raw artistic talent.

 

One thing you do need a really good grasp of is math and physics. If you don't understand basic relationships between things, you will be useless. If the math is a problem area for you, it's nothing that can't be overcome as long as you're willing to work really hard. If you hate them in general, you will end up hating your life. (Lots of architects hate their life. I never understand why they don't just do something else. Please don't hate your life.)

 

One of the greatest things about architecture is the way it combines the creative and the analytical. But it also means you have to have an aptitude for both. If you're weak on one of them, shop around. Different schools emphasize different parts of the equation- some are geared more toward industrial engineering while others focus more on artistic merit. Talk to different schools. Admin people will tell you what you need to get in and many schools let you set up meetings with the profs to see which school will be a good fit. Visiting makes a huge difference.

 

Now liberal arts. If you have 20 thousand dollars lying around for tuition, by all means, it could be wonderful and enriching and I would highly recommend it. It's completely and absolutely useless in the real world though, so avoid it if you will need a student loan. Everyone has an arts degree these days. It will mean the difference between a job behind a cash register, and a job managing a couple of people who are behind a cash register for an extra 50 cents an hour. Make sure you have a backup plan for afterward or your degree will just be something nice to hang in your taxi.

 

Don't stress too much about what you choose in the end. Most people who go to university switch programs in their first year. Sometimes several times until the find what fits.

 

Good luck.

 

Thanks, and of course I'm not oblivious to impact women have on architeture, well a little! :P

 

Funny you mention Abu Dhabi though, I've had this crazy fantasy of going there when ever I win the lottery :lol: It's like the dream playground for architects!! Back at the beginning of the year I learned about that place, for example the Burj Al Arab and i was just mind blown by all of it and the future plans they have for the city!

 

 

Join the Army.

 

No sir, I'm a pacifist :happy:

 

If you're interested in cultures.. anthropology, cross-cultural studies and sociology would be much more specific and useful than a general liberal arts degree.

 

Sociology sounds cool, History is something that I'm like really passionate about, I've always enjoyed learning about it... maybe that's what I'm more leaning towards in the liberal arts :)

 

 

My best friend is an architecture major and he didn't need a portfolio to get into the program. (although I know this isn't true for all schools) But this is something he loves and wants to be (When he finally got to focus more on his major and less on his general studies, he was so excited) and, in turn, it's a lot of fun for him. Even though there's still a lot of work put into it.

 

But don't stress too much over this. Do whatever you love. There are a lot of people who don't even use their degree once they graduate and end up getting into a completely different field of work. (I've heard of someone who got a degree in accounting and ended up not wanting to become an accountant and so she became a tudor and loves it more than anything.) And one my friends ended up dropping out of college so she can focus more on her job as a light technician at a theatre. Not that I'm suggesting dropping out, but even though she doesn't make top dollar and is trying to get into a career that would earn her even less, she's completely happy with her career.

 

But if you want to live a cozy life with a stable career and income and whatnot, then get into that! It's whatever makes you happy.

 

And, believe me, everyone goes through this. Or at least everyone I have met, including myself. Just do whatever you love and you'll be fine. If you have to keep changing your mind until you go to college... or even during college a lot of people still change their major... then that's fine.

 

Hmmm... the schools I've looked into require a portfolio, but thanks anyways :)

 

 

 

This really was just a thought and thanks for the great feedback, everyone :D

You guys made me realize a bunch of stuff :heart:

No sir, I'm a pacifist :happy:

Oh, you mean a coward.

 

[/Futurama joke]

Sociology sounds cool, History is something that I'm like really passionate about, I've always enjoyed learning about it... maybe that's what I'm more leaning towards in the liberal arts :)

well there's always my major of humanities, which is broad like liberal arts but focused primarily on history.

well there's always my major of humanities, which is broad like liberal arts but focused primarily on history.

I'm taking a college history class now...it's sooo boring and detailed sometimes. you really gotta have a true passion for it.

^:angry: no, I'm not a coward :P

 

I just don't like guns and killing people and going to war to solve our problems... hardly achieving world peace :wacko:

^:angry: no, I'm not a coward :P

 

I just don't like guns and killing people and going to war to solve our problems... hardly achieving world peace :wacko:

I know I know, I just had to quote Bender.

Speaking of College history classes... I've been looking into taking AP History... :wacko: next year... when I'm ready! The teacher is awesome and stuff... but he's hardcore... and scary :anxious: