Architecture Degree Course

I'm currently in my first year of studying architecture. If you have or are studying architecture, do you like it? Do you regret picking it and would you pick it again if you were to go back and if yes what would you have chosen? Is the work load too much? It it fulfilling? Does your whole life centre around it? A lot of questions I know lol but please let me know!

Do you regret picking architecture?

I have such mixed feelings about it! One minute I think it’s fine that I’ve chosen the right degree. But the next I’m absolutely hating it and feel like it’s so draining. This could be due to the fact that I fell behind and have to catch up. But also I can’t handle stress very well and get overwhelmed easily and I’ve heard that the work load in architecture is a lot. I don’t want my life to just centre around studying/ working on this career. I also have this urge to study something that I love a lot and for architecture I kind of like it but I’m not so sure at times. Not to mention the 7 long years u have to go through to become one! But then again idk what else to study! ☹️

The course does have a heavy workload (that's the message I got when I accompanied my son to open days), and I think the key to studying architecture is to try and keep on top of your work and don't leave it until the last minute. You might have a project deadline that is in a few months' time, but you will be assessed/critiqued during the development and not just for the end product. My son has tried to manage his time by staying in the department to work independently once lectures/tutorials have finished for the day rather then heading back to his digs where he's easily distracted. He's not always got the balance right and he has been and still is very active in a society, but you can manage to study and have a social life if you are disciplined.

It's quite normal to have periods when you are unsure about the choices you have made. Focus on achieving your degree first. If by then you have decided architecture is not for you, you can still apply to most graduate employment schemes or look for employment in related fields such as film/tv/theatre set production, town planning, landscape architecture, buildings conservation, etc. Or, do your year in practice and then decide if you want to continue to your masters. There are always options .

I'm tagging @arch17 who might be able to share their experience of being a first-year architecture student too.