Ask Me Anything (Prospective & Existing Architectural Technology Students)

There is already a thread for Architecture and due to the amount of threads relating to Arch Tech i thought i'd make a thread specially.

Ask me anything about the course. Whether its about the types of skills required. Potential career avenues. CAD, Sketchup or Photoshop.

I'm only in 2nd year but i will try my utmost to answer.

Thanks for the useful info. Luckily I got those books and a few others for Christmas

Is there anything specific to the Plymouth course worth knowing?

Thanks for this thread, and thank you for replying to my actual thread. I'll bookmark this as any information is greatly appreciated . I'm really interested in studying this course, as I said in my other thread.. I did computing for 2 years. But with you saying someone did hairdressing for 5 years before studying AT, that makes me feel a little better. You say you have to present work to your class/tutor every week - is this a big 'deal'? Are the classes quite big student wise? I was warned speaking into large groups would happen when I was at college, but wasn't something I'd thought of again until now. I'll take a look at the books you have recommended , but just to confirm, you personally wouldn't say experience was essential to doing the course?

Well, I completed my 2 year college IT course. It was interesting and I passed with a good grade... but there was so many modules I didn't enjoy (such as networking, programming, computer mathematics etc.) so I don't feel continuing computing would be ideal.

Architectural technology would be completely brand new and is only something I recently come across whilst hunting through prospectuses. I enjoyed design technology at school (and I'm already assuming that architectural technology would be a distant subject from that) but from studying that at school, I know I enjoy a design based subject. And from studying computing at college, I know I would still like something that involves a reasonable use of computing. The course just sounds as though it would suit what I'm looking for and could lead to an interesting and varied career. It hasn't been something I've longed to do or anything like that as in all honesty ... I have no specific career that I've ever wanted to do. So because of this I'm obviously worried that I wouldn't be suitable for the course, however your comments about other students being new to it gives me some confidence that I could do it - so currently, I'm quite excited at the concept of studying this course, which I've not felt with any other course. So thanks!

I have two more questions...

1) What sort of laptop do you have to complete your work on? I've got a reasonably new HP laptop - but when I go next year, I'm toying with the idea of getting an all in one desktop PC ... like this: http://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/computing/desktop-pcs/all-in-one-pcs/hp-pavilion-23-b222ea-23-all-in-one-pc-21469773-pdt.html#topdeals

I'm just not sure if the course would require me to have the portability of a laptop, or I would get away with pen & papering it in class and working from my personal desktop PC at home?

2) The books you suggested above, would you recommend that I get any of them before starting the course to begin reading up? and if so, any in specific?

Thanks again for all your information, it's very much appreciated.
Amy

Hi, ummm kinda awkward here but I've pretty much had my decision set for Architecture but have had thoughts about Architectural Technology for a while now, especially nearing submitting my application.. so in a nutshell, this was what I said in a previous thread:
So this is part of what I said previously:

''So I'm thinking of applying for Architecture [obviously, otherwise I wouldn't be posting here] and I'm just a bit stuck on Uni choices. I've been to Liverpool, Liverpool John Moores, Leeds Met, Huddersfield, Manchester, UCLAN and the AA. And, basically I LOVED Leeds Met and Huddersfield, whereas the others - Liverpool - I live here and I really want to move away, Uclan - the campus is appalling! AA - lovely, but expensive and living costs in London are just crazy, and Manchester - although I loved it on paper, the campus and year sizes are mindblowing - I can't cope with 179 other architecture students as well as design crammed into several large rooms for a few years so that's off the list :/

Anyway, I was originally thinking of applying to Leeds Met and Huddersfield, and a couple of others which I'm still umming over, but because Uni of Leeds doesn't do architecture, I have had feedback from uni friends, employers and some architects say that it's definitely best to go to one that's sort of, well known? As in, I'm Chinese - so I'll probably end up working in an architect's firm in China/Hong Kong one day - and no one over there will have heard of Huddersfield, for example - I mean, I didn't know that it existed before looking at League tables and stuff.

Now, one thing to mention about league tables is that although I'm not looking at numbers - top 10, 20 etc. [and I probably shouldn't - which you'll know in a bit] - I would like to go to a good uni..

On the 15th I realised that I hadn't done as well as I expected, so put it this way - with the subjects I'm doing now for A2 - Fine Art, Product Design and Physics - alongside an A grade at AS, the highest possible predicted/target grades my school and tutors will put on my application form is AAC, which isn't desirable for most unis - and this also ties in with something I'm confused/worried about.
Sadly I missed out on an A at AS art, got a B in AS prod. design, and a D in physics - messed up Unit 2 and the EMPA so badly.
Anyway, so this kinda messes things up as thinking about it now, I think I was originally thinking of applying to Huddersfield [~AAB - they do it in points]; Leeds Met [BBB], Kent [AAB], Edinburgh [BBB] and probably Robert Gordon [BBB] or something...''


I spoke to my head of year/teacher who knows UCAS inside out, and she basically said that because it's competitive [and I basically messed up physics], I should probably broaden my search for a degree... so I'm just wondering now, with these hopefully predicted grades, would I still be able to do Architectural Technology? I'm aware that it's more sciency/engineering based, but maybe if I happen to come across some more artsy based course that's a tad bit more similar to architecture? - don't get me wrong, there are obviously some archy courses that are less art/design, more science, but I'd love everyone's thoughts.

Stewie pretty much hit the nail on the head there. AT is the focus on practical and technical design rather than fancy looks. Although that is important too.

Look at what type of degree it is. If its a BA Hons then its likely to be more design based. If its a Bsc Hons then its probably going to be more tech based.

AT is a reasonably new course for most Unis and so entry grades are still quite low. I messed up my A levels too and hated 6th form. I still got into the course 30 points under what i needed.

I know some people that have completed the 1st year in either Architecture or AT and then swapped courses because it wasn't for them. This might be a possibility too?

Hm.... yeah, I'm aware that AT is fairly new.. I know that Huddersfield also do this..

I've pretty much finished composing my Personal Statement now and I've mentioned Architecture a lot.. should it matter if I apply using the same PS to an AT course.. probably for insurance?

What if I applied to the same Uni for 2 different courses? -- AT and architecture?

thanks

There is already a thread for Architecture and due to the amount of threads relating to Arch Tech i thought i'd make a thread specially.

Ask me anything about the course. Whether its about the types of skills required. Potential career avenues. CAD, Sketchup or Photoshop.

I'm only in 2nd year but i will try my utmost to answer.

Hey!

Glad to see someone is applying for AT too for this year! I also applied to UWE and Brighton, as well as NTU, Coventry and Sheffield Hallam. So far I've got offers from Coventry, NTU and Sheffield Hallam. I'm hoping to get offers from all 5 as I took a gap year and already have my grades in hand.

My first choice at the moment is UWE but I keep changing my mind between that and Coventry and NTU... I just don't know which out of my options is the best for the course in terms of teaching, facilities, socialising and city life. Btw, you should also be aware that the campus where AT is taught in Brighton is also about 2 miles away from the city and from what I've heard the campus there is pretty dead with not much to do. Don't quote me on that though as I'm pretty much just as confused and stuck as you are 😅. But since you've been to see UWE, would you mind if you can tell me a bit more of what the department, lecturers and city were like? Also, if you don't mind me asking, what other unis did you apply to and which is your first choice?

Thanks