Thinking about my
journey through architecture, it has been filled with many bumps along the way.
I remember after graduation, wondering if this was the right path for me, with
the rolling clock in play, job market crash and heavy debt trailing.
It took me nearly three
years after graduating with my Bachelors of Architecture to essentially step
back into the lifestyle that I always knew I belonged. The biggest struggle
that seems to fall into many people’s mind is “is it worth it? All this struggling,
all the hard work, can I do something else with my life?”
Three years after
contemplating these thoughts, I have completed more than half my ARE’s. I’ve
learned that this isn’t a journey any person can tackle alone. Whether it’s the
encouragement of those around you who say how proud they are, or peers who are
as determined as you to see you and themselves succeed, it takes a lot of love
and determination to press on.
There are several
factors that continue to resonate in my mind from the day I decided I was ready
to test until every exam I apply for.
First, these exams are incredibly difficult and expensive, it seems to be the biggest fear factor in everyone considering to apply. Just remember, nobody is ever 100% ready, there WILL be questions that you could not even guess the answer to. Be confident in yourself, use the forums, read the guidebooks, ask questions. These are your best tools to prepare yourself.
First, these exams are incredibly difficult and expensive, it seems to be the biggest fear factor in everyone considering to apply. Just remember, nobody is ever 100% ready, there WILL be questions that you could not even guess the answer to. Be confident in yourself, use the forums, read the guidebooks, ask questions. These are your best tools to prepare yourself.
Second, what order do I
take the tests in? Well, that depends, you have to get a basic idea of what
each section contains and gauge for yourself what you feel comfortable taking.
For me, I chose one I thought would be simple to get a hang of the exam format.
Third, what if I fail?
What if the failures don’t meet the rolling clock deadline? Simple answer that
I’ve received, most people fail. Pick yourself up, dust yourself off. This goes back to “what order do I test in?” I
decided to start off easy, with Site Planning and Design, and continued with
what I thought had significant overlap. I also chose to test what I considered
most difficult, saving what I was comfortable with toward the end to justify
the 6 month wait between retesting periods.
Finally, School meant
nothing. That’s right, I could have bought the books and studied for this test
and felt as prepared or unprepared as I do now. School teaches us how to be
designers, to be creative. These tests in my opinion test you on how to test.
Sure there is some basic knowledge and experienced based questions, but I find
most people struggle on the way these darn tests are worded. NCARB tends to
screw with you. Many people have had complaints about their procedures, the
difficulties in speaking to a live person about what they screwed up on and
what other way they’ve chosen to screw us interns over with. I have my personal
gripes with NCARB, constantly changing their rules and costing thousands of
dollars throughout this internship experience in one form or another. As many people have said, their testing
standards today do not gauge a persons’ ability to successfully practice
architecture, and yet, they are the national standard for what we are to
prepare for. I believe many things I have learned in preparation for the exams
are invaluable to life as an architect. However, their merit for the exam can
be laughable.
In the end, I cannot
tell you how you should study, or even if it is a path you would want to
partake. This decision is yours. I chose to take an exam once per month which
many would advise against, however, I have been able to study at a pace of 30
hours per week. I felt the information was fresh in my mind each time I stepped
into the exam room. With SPD, CDs, PPP and Structures out of the way, I see the
light at the end of my tunnel. These exams aren’t the most difficult thing you
will encounter in your future practice of architecture, they are a hurdle that
inducts us into a society. For me, after walking away from this profession, I
discovered that it was what I want in life, a discovery that reinvigorated my
desire to complete the ARE. All I can really say to you is: "Good Luck on your
journey. Keep fighting."
Signed
Ron Kunateerachadalai
Signed
Ron Kunateerachadalai
