In some programs, there's a basic assumption that students will be getting only about five hours of sleep a night. However, architecture is a rewarding, useful career that's almost always in demand and pays quite well. That makes the difficulty of getting there worth it for many people. Let's take a look at the process of becoming an architect and what you're likely to encounter along the way.
The process of obtaining your architecture certification is going to be different depending on the country you're in, and even the area. However, just about every country views architecture as a field requiring certain schooling and licensure. You may be required to pass certain examinations, and you'll certainly need to have an undergraduate degree in the field of architecture. In the US, obtaining this degree takes four years. In other countries, different amounts of time may be required - it all depends on your local regulations.
While you're in school, you'll need to put together a portfolio that shows what you're capable of doing. You'll need to have a good knowledge of art techniques, including model assembly, technical drawing, and even painting and freehand drawing. You'll also need to understand building techniques, code requirements, good practices and some legal aspects, too. Architecture is a field that mingles elements from a lot of other disciplines. That means you'll have to understand a large amount of information in order to develop the kinds of skills you need, to excel in this field.
You're going to spend most of your time in a studio while working on an architecture degree, and you can expect to spend long hours at it. Tight deadlines, big projects, and a heavy course load are extremely common. You'll produce models and drawings to meet the requirements of a design project and present them for group critique by your peers. Critique can be difficult to deal with, and many people find themselves overwhelmed by an architecture program. The drop out rate is very high, and in some cases as much as seventy-five percent of the student population in an architecture major may go on to other majors, or leave school entirely.
Once you've received your degree, you can go to work for an architecture firm as a junior employee. You'll learn a lot from this process, and you may end up needing to take more examinations or schooling to be considered a full architect. Many architects hold masters degrees or even doctorates in their field, and have been through a lot of coursework and hands on experience. When it's all done, you've gone through a lot, but you also have a fantastically rewarding career that most architects wouldn't dream of giving up.
