Architecture (2 Viewers)

[Not-That-Bright]

so having skills with 3d programs doesn't help much when it comes to learning autocad?
What sort of course would u describe architecture as.... i know it's definately hard with a huge workload, but maybe u could give me a better view on what the course is actually like.

 

[simmic]

hmm....u make friends very very very easily and very good friends too as ur always with em. Im at usyd so I cant speak for unsw.

if ur developed in ur processes of designing and mature in thought, well read and independant then usyd is good. U also in general have to have a thick skin because critiques can appear to be harsh (esp when uve had hardly any rest and worked ur ass off for a design)

the tutors are architects themselves so are on occasion forgetful of ur work, and very busy. most have an interest in architecture and the younger ones usually were the brightest pupils when they were in uni.

lectures are boring as hell but unmissable in my opinion as work piles up and u really need to hear the info as there are no textbooks and ud be lucky to get notes. but i spose thats the case in most unis where lecturers are very uninspiring. Though we do get inspiring ones on occasion who come from industry.

its very full on in terms of hours. i had wednesdays off but the rest were 10-5 on mondays and tuesdays, 9-5 on thursdays and 9-1 on fridays coz of how my electives panned out. the workload is like a bell curve...nothin at the beginning, then slowly rises, then fuckingly huge and impossible, then dribbles to nothing as we dont get exams (or maybe one or two)

thats all i can say really...dunno how convincing that was, im leaving anyways as architecture is not really what i want to design.

oh my god...your leaving?? Dont get discouraged by a certain very critical tutor man!



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I think some 3d knowledge would help you a bit in autoCAd. I had no knowledge and at first i found autocad as hard as hell but then once you work it out, its not as bad...jsut very repetitive. Basically you have to piece everything today, each line for the walls...but i think its better for special sturctures since you pretty much start from base anyway.


for architecture, i suppose you have to have a passion for buildings. Your encouraged to speak a lot in front of your tutor groups, a lot of team work, tstudents help/ critique on eachother. I do find that there is a shitload of work but also feel kinda relieved and happy when i see the work that i managed to work my ass off over. Kinda hard to really describe the course though cos apparently first year differs very differently from second, third year etc. Even first semester was very different from second...

 

[Not-That-Bright]

is it alot of project work, ie you get a project given to you then you produce the project + a report to go with it? or is it a bunch of different things?

 

[simmic]

we get one major design project that we work on for the whole semester, every tuesday. We have a process record that we are expected to hand in and we have to keep on improving our design until presentation day...so basically nearly every week we make new models, draw pictures of our models, ready to show them off to our tutor groups on tuesdays. Days before presentation day is usually pretty tough cos you've got to finalise your design, make a model of your design and present it on 2 A1 sheets (in a nice way of course).

upon this, we also have history, structures, environment, and computer lectures.

~The computer lectures i found to be quite interesting cos you get to fiddle around with different programs and basically do a lot of exploring.

~Structures has quite a lot of calculations (a few worksheets and 2 quizs each semester).

~Environment...a lot of talking but not much assessments (only a mastery task and multiple question test last semester and a group assignment this semester),

~history is interesting at times (need to hand in a notebook to show that you've actually attended classes plus an essay comparing two buildings from two eras.)

Plus theres electives but everyone does different ones ranging from urban planning, art, CAD, digital media, or even most electives from other faculties

hope this helps ^^

 

[johnson]

welcome to my world! omg, thats exactly what i got, cept try 2 weeks of 3 hours a nigh sleep

this is why im transferring to COFA's Bachelor of design (logic clearly prevails that choice)

oh wow, that's funny I was thinking of transferring to design at COFA as well. but my design tutor this semester was hannah tribe (she teaches usyd as well) and she inspired me a lot, so i'm going to finish my first degree and see what happens

 

[merv93.2]

don't uni students have better stuff to be doing?

hi to the ppl of the last couple of posts...
i'm thinking that you are mostly studying architecture no? i also think that you should have something better to be doing than sitting typing an argument about whether engineering is actually the same dept as architecture... i'm a school student with an interest in architecture, hoping to get some intelligent advice from current students, but think that it'll be a while before a dedicated student ever signed on here... byatch you're thinking, but, maybe you should use this as motivation to go find something active to do.... (sorry, re-reading that sounds awful, but was not meant in a harsh tone)

 

[woogie]

oh wow, that's funny I was thinking of transferring to design at COFA as well. but my design tutor this semester was hannah tribe (she teaches usyd as well) and she inspired me a lot, so i'm going to finish my first degree and see what happens

this is 'pri' accidently logged in sisters account:

if I had hannah I probably would stay too!! i really would have preferred someone like her. but alas it wasnt meant to be, and I dont think i can imagine a life full of council paperwork, convicing unadventurous clients, cad monkeying and waiting 25 years before I get anything I designed on my own actually built. I think an all round design degree is probably better. but then agen I may be wrong and come back to architecture crawling.

uve only got a year left so staying is probably wiser

 

[woogie]

hi to the ppl of the last couple of posts...
i'm thinking that you are mostly studying architecture no? i also think that you should have something better to be doing than sitting typing an argument about whether engineering is actually the same dept as architecture... i'm a school student with an interest in architecture, hoping to get some intelligent advice from current students, but think that it'll be a while before a dedicated student ever signed on here... byatch you're thinking, but, maybe you should use this as motivation to go find something active to do.... (sorry, re-reading that sounds awful, but was not meant in a harsh tone)

that was bitchy actually. and by saying we were arguing about engineering being similar to architecture for most of the post u show that u obviously havent been paying attention.

Architecture is not an easy degree and most people have a very wrong view about what its about. Its not all fun and games (even though it is enjoyable at times) and we do not sit around in a cafe discussing the nuances of the detailing in a typical australian vernacular structure.

Its nice u have an interest, but if u actually read what was written u will get a very good view about what degree u think ur embarking on.

and yes go find something active to do!

 

[johnson]

i'm not going to dignify merv93.2's 'tarded post with a refute so i'll merely be similarly obnoxious and stupid and say "dude lick my balls."

Pri, i completely agree with you, i should have gone to cofa when i had the chance at the beginning of the year, i haven't wanted to be an architect since two weeks into the course..hopefully with this degree ill try and get into film or theatre design.

like woogie said, there are so many misconceptions about architecture, and i don't think its just misconceptions on the general public's behalf, but also the architecture student..architecture is a lot of the boring stuff ^ that pri outlined, not just the fun creative design part

 

[pri]

Pri, i completely agree with you, i should have gone to cofa when i had the chance at the beginning of the year, i haven't wanted to be an architect since two weeks into the course..hopefully with this degree ill try and get into film or theatre design.

dude thats what I want to look into to. I kno NIDA has a course in that but I dont think thats the only avenue into set design. Ur probably best (as my drama teacher informed me) joining a community theatre and volunteering at first and then using that experience to get a paid gig.

 

[johnson]

oh yeah my dream is to one day go to NIDA and do design heh.

to be honest i really don't know what i want to do these days, i just don't want to ground myself just yet..

i have this tutor called naomi stead, she writes a lot for architecture australia. anyway she has inspired me a lot, by proving through example that doing architecture does not necessarily equate to being an architect. she tells me that theatre/film design with an architectural background would be really interesting..

 

[flip_flop]

USYD ARCH has been given a bad rep...

alrighty... seems to be abit of contention...
so lets steer the forum back to the matter at hand!!

i was just reading the GOOD UNIVERSITY'S GUIDE... or a book along the lines of that, and the USYD architecture course rated terribly bad... the thing is, that it was rated by graduating students!

now, i have read soooo much about how tha USYD course is one of the best in aus, and how they have the biggest architecture facilities in NSW... but then how come graduating students rated the course so poorly??

Teaching skills... Generic skills... and overall satistaction were all labelled "worse" in comparison to other students at different institutions by graduates.

this was a big shock!! it suprised me how dissatisifed the books says past students are. im hoping that it isnt the case... so please, anyone, post/under grad students, shed some light!!

in comaprison, all UTS students had rave reviews (comparitevly)

 

[pri]

alrighty... seems to be abit of contention...
so lets steer the forum back to the matter at hand!!

i was just reading the GOOD UNIVERSITY'S GUIDE... or a book along the lines of that, and the USYD architecture course rated terribly bad... the thing is, that it was rated by graduating students!

now, i have read soooo much about how tha USYD course is one of the best in aus, and how they have the biggest architecture facilities in NSW... but then how come graduating students rated the course so poorly??

Teaching skills... Generic skills... and overall satistaction were all labelled "worse" in comparison to other students at different institutions by graduates.

this was a big shock!! it suprised me how dissatisifed the books says past students are. im hoping that it isnt the case... so please, anyone, post/under grad students, shed some light!!

in comaprison, all UTS students had rave reviews (comparitevly)

facilities wise I dont think u can beat usyd. its fantastic in that respect...

teaching wise I cant agree (mind u im first year, so it may get better) its not that great so far. Generic skills though its pretty good, very all round course in that respect, got a bit of art bit of science and a dollop of design.

its a lot of work and a lot of hours, meaning be prepared to sacrifice all your curent friends and social life during uni.

 

[flip_flop]

so i was reading there is a fair bit of mandatory courses to take when u first start off... when can u start taking art classes? or are there art classes already in the mandatory courses first year?

 

[xxPanDa]

Re: USYD ARCH has been given a bad rep...

alrighty... seems to be abit of contention...
so lets steer the forum back to the matter at hand!!

i was just reading the GOOD UNIVERSITY'S GUIDE... or a book along the lines of that, and the USYD architecture course rated terribly bad... the thing is, that it was rated by graduating students!

now, i have read soooo much about how tha USYD course is one of the best in aus, and how they have the biggest architecture facilities in NSW... but then how come graduating students rated the course so poorly??

Teaching skills... Generic skills... and overall satistaction were all labelled "worse" in comparison to other students at different institutions by graduates.

this was a big shock!! it suprised me how dissatisifed the books says past students are. im hoping that it isnt the case... so please, anyone, post/under grad students, shed some light!!

in comaprison, all UTS students had rave reviews (comparitevly)

since other archi students from oter uni's can go to Usyd libary...
i'm getting the idea of going to UNSW, and use usyd's facilities^^