Make the most of your summer

So here we are in early July. Personally I love the summer time for a few reasons. The gorgeous weather, getting actual sleep & No Studio!! I am always so ready for summer by the time exams roll around at the end of the spring semester. Summer is a time of relaxing and de stressing for me. But it’s also a time to prepare for the upcoming school year. I mean summer is for relaxing, and you will defiantly need it after a semester studying architecture, but it can also be a time where you can get ahead in architectural learning. I often find myself with a little time to kill in the summer, especially on weekends when I’m not working. So take a break from your Netflix marathons and follow some of these tips to get ahead of the game.

1] Get an Internship

Or an architecture related employment job. Remember your friend IDP? With the new guidelines for reporting there is no longer a time limit for how long an internship has to be in order for it to count. Imagine how many hours you can get towards IDP working an architecture internship for the summer. I’ve been lucky to have internships the past two summers, but getting one is not easy. If you find yourself not in an internship for the summer, try and see if your summer job counts for IDP. If you work for a construction company, landscaping firm, interior designer, work at a nonprofit etc. those hours can count as long as you report them according to the guidelines outlined in the IDP handbook. On average the time it takes to complete IDP hours (all 5600 of them) is 5 years. Working over summer break, winter break, weekends, anything that counts and you can record helps you cut this time down. Not to mention working in an architecture firm or architecture related field give you valuable experience to put on your resume and portfolio and will teach you things you can’t learn in the classroom.

   

2] Update your portfolio

I always take time during the summer and winter breaks to update my architecture portfolio with my work from the previous semester. It’s always a good idea to do it sooner rather than later because it can take a big amount of time to get done. And this way your portfolio is always up to date with your latest work. You would never (or should never) show up to a job interview with an outdated /incomplete portfolio. Take the time when you don’t have the stress of deadlines and projects to get it done; you’ll thank yourself during the semester.

3] Get up to date with software

Most software producers come out with a new version every year that may contain updates, a new interface etc. Save yourself some time by playing around with the new versions before the semester starts. You don’t want to waste time trying to find a command that moved right when your start a project. This can stress you out and make you struggle. And also take some time to learn how to better use these programs. Sites like Lynda and YouTube have hundreds of tutorials that teach you everything from the basics to advance techniques.

4] Architecture Road Trip

One of my goals for the summer time is to take a small road trip and see some architectural icons in the US. I’ve been to Boston several times but I would love to go on my own and see icons like Trinity Church, buildings on MIT’s campus, Boston City Hall and the Elizabeth Gardiner museum. Boston is only an hour and a half away from me so I hope to find a free weekend and go. Other road trips I would like to go on, Falling Water. Arguably the most iconic of Frank Lloyd Wright’s residences, Falling Water should be on everyone’s architecture list. This road trip is a little more out of the way though, seeing as it’s located in rural PA. It’s about an 8 hour drive from RI. Hopefully when I get a little extra $$ for gas I’ll take the trip. The point is get out there if you can! Make a list of things around you and go see them. Take pictures, explore and see if the things you learned in school were right. I’ve always believed the best way to learn is from experience, and there is no better way to learn about the Farnsworth House or Gropius House than to go see them for yourself.

5] Create your own Entourage Library

This is still on my to-do list for this summer, but I think it will arguably be the best thing I do for myself all summer. This will save you TONS of time when it comes to creating renderings and adding entourage. I always spend the most time on websites like http://www.immediateentourage.com/  searching for scale people, plants, cars and textures to add into my renders. By preparing and organizing them into a folder on your computer/portable hard drive, you won’t have to waste time searching for them, downloading the file, removing the background and so on. By building and maintaining your own personal library, you’ll set yourself up for success.

6] Sketch, Draft & Letter

Read about the importance of being able to do these three things in one of my older posts here.

7] Take time to pursue other interests

Whether that be art, dance, music, sports, running, kayaking, Netflix marathons, what have you. Take the time to enjoy your other hobbies and people in your life. I believe happiness is the ultimate key to success, and you must be able to balance architecture with other aspects of your life to maintain your sanity. And don’t just do this over the summer, do this for life. 

Hope you find these tips helpful! What other things do you think architecture students should do over the summer?

-A