Architecture
ARCHITECTURE
Hello guys, so here’s a thought I have long wanted to share which is the reality about architecture school. The reality about architecture is it’s not really a practical course. Having the title is great but the amount of hard work it takes to earn the title ‘architect’ is like going through an eye of a needle. Often times it is romanticized in movie characters with people who are successful, wealthy, and good-looking (not everyone is good looking joke lang HAHAHA)
Frankly speaking, the course is only meant for the privileged. It takes 5 years to graduate and 3,840 hours of apprenticeship to be able to take the licensure exam and that could run up to 2 years. And note, this apprenticeship cannot be credited UNLESS you graduate the 5-year course of BS Architecture. Basically, if you have gone through senior high school, you would become an architect by the age of 26 given you were lucky enough to have finished on time. But if you have setbacks for even just one subject (especially design) you could be extended for a year or two. Even though you get the title at this age, it does not guarantee a successful career immediately because architects here in the Philippines are so underrated. When they start their own firms, looking for clients is not an easy endeavor because people often exclude architects in building constructions for they think architects are just for aesthetics and luxury. Something that is widely misunderstood up until this day.
Sure enough everyone has their own pace, but imagine starting your life at age 28 or even later than that wherein everyone you know is settled and established. And to top it all, the 5 years that had to be endured in order to graduate is no joke. You have to study and at the same time finish a ton of drawing plates within a week. Here’s the jist, one drawing plate could not be finished in an hour or two, it takes long hours to complete a detailed drawing, and one subject alone requires a number of plates to draw, sum up all the subjects within a week with their own given plate requirements. Most students learn to not sleep at all and skip meals, but even with that, architecture students, with all those efforts, would be lucky enough to get a grade of 3 (passing grade). Some instructors are great as they are kind enough to their students, but others have standards higher than the empire state building. I am not saying this to brag nor to discourage, but rather to educate because when everyone meets an architecture student they only seem to see the “wow arki” factor because of the colors and the facade we try to show. They don’t see the breakdowns, the sleepless days, hair falls, tremmors, etc. People don’t talk what architecture life really is and some kids dive into this program thinking it’s all so great. NO, honestly I am in architecture and yes I want to be an architect but at the same time I am so disappointed that I have to spend long years just to finish one course that is still so under-appreciated in our country. So, the next time you see an archi student, hug them charot lang HAHAHA. The next time you see an archi student, please be kind to them and know that they have been and currently is going through a lot.