by Makayla Murphy, Nelson Architects Student Intern

In honor of the start of the 2021-2022 school year, we thought we could share some insights for those of you who have taken the challenge to pursue a degree in architecture. As a current student entering my final semester in the architecture program at Montana State University, I thought it was only fitting to provide some things I wished I would have known a lot sooner in my college career. I hope that this two-part series will give both current and future students some tips and tricks to improve their experience in the architecture program and to save money.

1. Do Not Immediately Buy All the Supplies on the School Supplies List

I know this advice goes against everything that was instilled in us through our K-12 experience. We are so used to receiving our school supply list, going to the stores during the “Back to School” sales, and checking off boxes as you put items in the cart. This is what many of my peers and I did after receiving the school supply list. Five and a half years later, I can tell you that I have not used a large portion of the items I bought from the “required” supplies list.

Why is this, you may ask? Each professor has a different preference on which tools work best for each of the tasks they assign. A list is compiled from each professor and the college distributes a general list in hopes of preparing you for day one. However, as you go through school you will find you have your own preference for the tools you use to draft, draw, and model. At the start of each class your professors should inform you of what materials are actually required for their class.

With that being said, here is a list of the materials that are a must for any student going into the architecture program

• Trace, Grid, and (Letter and Tabloid) Printing Paper
• Quality Erasers, Drafting Pencils, Pens, and Markers
• A Pencil Sharpener
• Drafting dots and masking tape
• At least one X-acto knife with extra blade
• A cutting mat and straight edge- preferably a T-square
• Tacky Glue and T-pins
• Architecture and Engineering Scales
• A laptop/desktop equipped with enough storage space to house the various computer programs you will use. good laptop/desktop

Check out these links for more in-depth information on selecting the best computer for school:

architizer.com
laptopstudy.com

These supplies will get you started for drafting, drawing, printing, and creating physical and digital models. As you start to work on different projects you will begin to acquire more specific materials.

2. ​When and How to Get Textbooks

Here are some tricks that you can use to save money and avoid purchasing books that you won’t even use in class. PS. I have a lot of these.

Before classes start you will be able to look, either online or at the bookstore, to see what books are required for your classes. I would highly suggest that you do not buy any books until you are handed the class syllabus.

After receiving the list of required books for your classes, I would suggest asking an upperclassman about the classes and the required books. Upperclassmen have taken these classes before (most often by the same professors) and should be able to tell you where to find a cheaper version of the textbook or will even sell you their own.

The internet can be so helpful for today’s education. A large portion of higher education books have free online pdf’s or digital purchasing options. I would highly suggest using a digital copy for certain classes because it is a lot easier to hit “ctrl f” to find something than flipping through 300 pages of a physical book.

3. ​Freshman Year is Going to be Very Different Than You Imagined It Would be

Imagine, you have decided that you want to be an architect and have been accepted into the college your choice. The whole summer was spent thinking about all the cool buildings you were going to design in school and how amazing it is going to be. You have all these ideas of what you could do and what buildings you would apply them to. The first day of classes and you walk into the studio space and are handed your first project description. You are so excited to find out what your project is, but as you are reading, you realize that you will not be designing a building.

Instead, you’ll have to philosophically define “design” or construct the essence of creativity; as that’s as much information as your given. Congratulations, you have just experienced what every student who has ever walked into the freshman studio the first day has felt.

What is barely mentioned during orientation or college tours is what to expect freshman year of any design program. Understand that you will not get to design a building right off the bat.
Buildings will start to form in the second year of the program, but for the first two semesters of your college career, you will be taken through many difficult projects.

These projects are meant to challenge your thinking, learn how to abstract the literal, find ways around rules, and to question everything you thought architecture was.

I am not going to lie, these two semesters were very difficult. It was designed to be this way. You don’t know what you are doing, the TA’s barely know what’s actually happening, and at points, the professors are even lost. (I know this because my roommate was a TA for first year studio). My best advice is to embrace the wackiness of the class. Explore what you are interested in. Try that idea that your brain is telling you is not logical. Make mistakes, embrace them, and learn from them. Freshman year of architecture school is a time for you to learn the fun of exploring and creating a unique presentation that showcases your findings.

4. ​Don’t be Afraid to Talk to Upperclassmen

As a freshman and sophomore in college the thought of asking an upperclassman for advice or help seemed daunting. Now as a master’s student, I wish that younger students would come ask questions.

Why would I say this, especially when it looks like we are extremely busy on our own projects? Those who are in the years above you have been where you are at. We have tips and tricks that we learned to get through the classes that you are currently taking. If you ask a question, we are usually willing to share them. These questions can include “What studio professor would you suggest I take next semester?” “How do I get an internship?” “Will you look at my project and give me advice on how to make it better?” and “I have a quick question on how to work this computer program.” Most of the time we are happy to take a break from our project and help you with your project or answer any questions that you have.

5. Don’t Take Critiques Personally

Criticism can be hard to take. Especially when the project that you have been working on all semester is at the center of a critique. It is so easy to forget that a critic is focusing solely on your project and negative criticism may even feel like a personal attack.

What you need to remember is that critiques are a large part of design curriculum. Everything that is said during either an in-class pin-up or final project critique is meant to challenge you, push your project forward, and further your knowledge. During a critique, especially the final critique, criticism should be taken with a grain of salt.

These criticisms are to be used to improve your project before putting it into your portfolio or taken as advice to remember for future projects.