| Egh, this thread just deflated my recently renewed excitement for architecture.
I'm now a senior since I "was" an architecture major back in my freshman year. I never even took a studio class on campus, just an intro to arch lecture course. But I got out because I was reading and hearing a lot more than I had known previously about architecture. I realized architects weren't in as much demand as I thought they were, and that most architects were employed by firms who had you design a closet or a bathroom, at most. But more so, I figured out I really didn't have much of an artistic talent when I was coming up through high school. For one thing, I had noticed better art pieces done by my classmates in art class who weren't pursuing careers or majors in art. At the same time, I never really 'wowed' anyone with my art pieces, except for this one clay project I did for an English class.
I did take some architecture courses at Pratt Institute but I was terribly discouraged by the achievements of my peers. I was light years behind. I had absolutely no previous art or architecture experience except for the typical art classes in school, and everyone else had portfolios ready to go. Still, I went to college determined to follow my dream.
Fast forward a few years later, a few majors later, I'm looking into landscape architecture. The programs seemed a little easier and the combination of the environment were more appealing to me. But then again, it's not much different from pure architecture.
I've never really taken the time to discover my artistic talents. While my current school doesn't offer architecture, I was planning on taking classes in sculpture and computer design courses to complete for a minor or even a major. Afterwards, if I felt confident, I would consider a masters landscape architecture program.
But now I'm not sure. My only other interest is in the field of geography, which I'm hoping would lead me into the urban planning field.
On a side note, I've taken construction management courses before after I dropped architecture, and they're very different from your typical architecture course. Obviously, the design aspect is nonexistent, but the field is really for your typical, blue collar man's man. I felt so out of place even as a guy, that I decided to return to my previous liberal arts school. But like everyone's mentioned, there is definitely a high demand for construction managers, who can rack up 6-figure salaries within five years from graduating. It was too big of a change from architecture that I wasn't willing to head into. |