Submission to NCARB Blog - "Family Life while tackling the ARE"

Whether you’re called an architectural intern, architect in training, designer, or just intern, tackling the ARE requires sacrifice. Even more so when you have a family. Here are a few tips to help you master the ARE while still maintaining your sanity—and allowing time to enjoy the nuisances of marriage and parenthood.

Make It Count

NCARB's five-year Rolling Clock can approach very quickly. When you have a family, it may not be feasible to test every month or even two months. So make your study time count. Only schedule and attempt exams when you feel fully prepared. The new 60-day retake policy is far better than the previous six-month rule, but can still be detrimental to your plan if procrastination sets in. Set a schedule and try to stick to it. But don't kill yourself if you have to reschedule an exam.

Don't Let Work Get You Down

Generally speaking, architectural staff members work long hours, leaving little time for family before the nightly bedtime routines commence. Sometimes reviewing enough material to keep the topics and concepts fresh in your mind will suffice. Going long periods of time without studying can sometimes mean starting over. Remember, a little at a time can add up.

Be a Weekend Warrior

Weekends are usually spent out as a family, and you probably won’t get to sleep in. This means the weekends can end up being just as busy as the work week. Setting aside large blocks of time to study can be difficult. Similar to weekdays, dedicate an evening or morning to studying. A quiet hour or two can make a difference.

Embrace “Free Time”

Free time and children, young children especially, seem to be an oxymoron. When that precious time does pop up, use it wisely. Though you'd rather catch up on sleep, watch television, or take on a hobby, you’re better off reviewing study materials. Don't procrastinate or you will never get done! Remember, these scarifies won’t last forever—the length of time it takes you to complete the exams is ultimately up to you.

Discover Your Study Style

Generally, each person has a study style that works best for him or her. Think back to how you completed assignments and aced exams in college. Audiobooks are great for multitasking; listen to a few chapters while you drive to work. Flash cards are another great tool for parents on-the-go, especially if you take public transportation.

Attend Life Events

Everyone has important family events like birthdays, weddings, or graduations. Take the time to go, be present, and enjoy these events. Life's irreplaceable events cannot be relived. After the confetti has settled, the cake has been cut, and the last congratulation has been given, make sure to get back on your study schedule. Just don't let these celebrations turn into procrastination.

Think Positively

It may sound obvious, but this needs to be repeated often. Thinking negatively can impact everything from study habits to your performance on test day. Prepare accordingly and stay optimistic.

In the end, family is irreplaceable. The moments shared among those close to you are indescribable. Navigating the path to licensure requires sacrifice. Perseverance, persistence, and patience are just some of the qualities you’ll need to embrace. Nothing is impossible as long as you try.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Originally from the Bronx, Jared W. Smith, AIA, LEED AP, is a licensed architect in New York. He currently works as a Project Architect at Stantec Architecture in Manhattan, NY. He juggles his professional life with his wife Yahaira and two children, Noah (2) and Penelope (1).

Originally posted on the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards' Blog here: http://blog.ncarb.org/2014/October/ARE-Family.aspx

See more on the Architectural Registration Exam here: http://registeredarchitect.blogspot.ca/p/architec.html

Why you should prepare like the "6 month rule" is still in effect

Other than the new ARE 5.0 which is set to come out in 2016, the next biggest news in the licensing world is the retake policy change. Having gone though the seven exam process and failing my first exam, it is mentally & physically exhausting to have to retake. Let's be honest- it sucks the momentum out and drops you in a hole of depression. The ambiguity of NCARB's score reports may not help clarifying your errors either. Let's look at this new rule briefly and my opinion as to why your preparation shouldn't change just because the rule has. 

NCARB is implementing a 60 day (2 months) retake policy as oppose to the current "6 month rule." Take a look at their reasoning here: The NCARB Blog. The full news release can be found here: Revised Retake Policy. This new policy will be implemented on October 1, 2014 and is said to be proactive towards those waiting out an existing failure. What does this mean to interns and A.I.T.s? The short answer: it allows a failed exam portion to be retaken sooner. In theory shortening the time necessary to pass all exams if you do fail one of more. Or does it? 

Thinking more objectively on this change, those of us that have experienced the 6 month waiting period are probably elated and relieved. Conversely the thought pattern and study habits of those that will benefit from this change should not feel as though the exam has gotten any easier. The same if not more focus and dedication is required. Don't let the lessened retake policy allow you to be complacent while studying. "If I fail, it's only 2 months and I can retake it." Don't be this person. Once the exam material is out of your mind, it can take some extra effort to gain momentum again. 

Let's look at an example: Bob & Jane are starting their ARE 4.0 exams. Bob is under the 6 month rule. Jane is under the new 2 month (60 days) rule.

Bob decides to space his exams 2 months each and 3 months for Structures. He studies hard and thoroughly but still happens to fail one exam and has to retake it. His total ARE exam time equals (2 months X 6 exams) + (3 months X 1 exam) + 6 month retake period = 21 months or 1 year 9 months. 

Jane decides to space exams 6 weeks (1.5 months) apart, even the Structures exam. She has a more relaxed approach. Studying when she can and cramming in the last two weeks for each section. She ends up failing Structures twice and 3 other exams one time a piece. Her total ARE exam time equals (1.5 months X 7 exams) + (5 exams X 2 month retake period) = 20.5 months or 1 year 8.5 months. 

Looking at this example, these two have similar time frames but different approaches. Additionally, no time was added to Jane's example for procrastination or lose of momentum with multiple failures.  

Bottom line: The retake policy should be an afterthought not an initial one. Study hard, be thorough & confident. Go in & give it your all.  

By 
Jared W. Smith, R.A. 

Homeless - Photographic Documentary

Growing up in New York City and in the outer realm within Westchester County, I am very close to many large city centers that are thriving and flourishing. New York City being the largest. NYC is considered one of the largest epicenters of the US (if not the world). 
 

Walking the streets in this economic down turn there are countless people homeless panhandling. Weather it is due to the economy, medical issues or a set of bad circumstances, it is still a paradox of wealth and poverty overlaid in direct adjacency. 

On a stretch from 26th to 13th street on 6th Ave, there were six homeless people asking for help. I documented my short walk.

I was able to speak with several. Some chose not to be photographed, some did not want their face shown directly while others didn't mind and I was able to choose my angle.

As I returned from my walk I saw a veteran homeless guy sitting adjacent to a double parked 2014 E-series Mercedes Benz. This epitomized the level of travesty seen in everyday New York City. Wish I could have been able to capture this.

I hope and pray there will be others willing to help these fellow New Yorkers. And be willing to set the politics aside and treat them as humans in need of help. 

As a New Yorker, it seems many people including myself have gotten accustom to them being "around." I do not want to support a drug or alcohol addiction but don't know how to help any further.   

A couple of reputable homeless help centers worth supporting include: http://nymag.com/urban/articles/charityguide/homeless.htm. You can also support the government organization here: http://www.nyc.gov/html/dhs/html/home/home.shtml. 

Note:You can see the full size high resolution images by clicking on each. 

By
Jared W. Smith, R.A.

The ARE 5.0: What you need to know.

OK- the cat is out of the bag. ARE 5.0 is approaching. NCARB is claiming this will adhere more closely to the commonly defined activities of an architect. This will not be a few bandaid fixes. The whole exam system will be completely revamped similar to the 3.1 to 4.0 transition. Here is a rundown of the basics according to NCARB: 

Time frame- 5.0 will launch in fall/winter of 2016. This gives plenty of time for those seeking to finish their exams under 4.0. They will continue delivering the current version until June of 2018. That's 3.5 years! The average time is 2 years to complete the AREs. This is more than enough for those of you just starting out or already in the middle of them. 

Content- 5.0 will have six sections as compared to the seven sections in 4.0. As mentioned above these are an attempt at aligning more closely with how architecture is in reality. The sections are: Practice Management, Project Management, Programming & Analysis, Project Planning & Design, Project Development & Documentation and Construction & Evaluation. These names will become synonymous with the AREs as we get closer to the 5.0 release.

Graphics and software- the graphic vignettes and software will be overhauled. Yes this means that horribly inaccurate prehistoric software will be no more. Hopefully they have a more user friendly version which won't hinder candidates purely due to program peculiarities. I am looking forward to how the user interface will be. 

Cost- it appears NCARB has not released the cost just yet. If I were to guess, I'd say it will cost more that the current $210. So expect it. 

There you have it! Check out the NCARB website for more information on the 5.0. Here are a few links to important info on 5.0: 

FAQs

Test Specs

Credit Model

Transition Plan

Timeline 

The Divisions

News brief 

By 

Jared W. Smith, R.A. 

DISCLAIMER: 
This website/blog is not affiliated with NCARB and is not endorsed or sanctioned by NCARB. Here is a reminder from NCARB given to those using websites to prepare for the ARE.

Confidentiality Agreement pertaining to taking exams:

"I understand that the content of this examination is confidential. I agree that I will not divulge any questions on this examination to any individual or entity. I understand that the unauthorized possession, reproduction, or disclosure of any examination materials, including the nature or content of examination questions, before during or after the examination is in violation of law. A violation of this type can result in a civil liability and/or disciplinary action by my Board of Architecture."

The City is My Living Room

Like many urbanites starting out in New York, I rent a small studio that can fit a bed, a desk, a bike and a kitchen fit for one person. My laundry room is down the block and my pantry is on the opposite street corner. I have a library in the East Village and a gym in Midtown. The city is my living room and the streets between my activities are corridors with windows into other private realms. A vast proportion of the urban fabric is a transient space. The forces that shaped these spaces – namely, the trajectory of the automobile - are becoming less influential and a new spatial network is emerging at a rapid pace. In the overlap with my neighbor and my own distributed dwelling patterns, there could exist radical new living spaces for a generation of people enjoying people (on a budget). 

Envision an innovative spatial network and new kind of housing called Bitroom. This 
decentralized concept of living has many spaces that can be dispersed in the city based on activity and interaction. The idea proposes a series of open-source environments that are influenced by many users and offer temporary benefit to the individual. In this model, the core dwelling functions like sleeping and washing remain private spaces with a permanent address (where soap is delivered), but all other Bitrooms are made available collectively by the network. 

Think of Bitroom as a dynamic peer-to-peer exchange of living space on a daily timeframe. 
Imagine having a drawing studio downtown, a gaming room on the west side, or a BYOB lounge in Brooklyn. The cost to have all of these rooms in one Manhattan dwelling would be so excessive and eliminate social pollination in an age when collecting attention has come to be valued over privacy. These circumstances point to a new common territory for the urban demographic that operate between couch surfing and time-share ownership. Through Bitroom, the apparatus of ownership is questioned and space assumes its own value as a trading device in the system. 

Semi-public urban amenities like cafes, bars, and theaters require financial exchange in order to engage with these shared environments; one must make a monetary contribution by buying a coffee, a beer or ticket. This financial obligation sets up an economic barrier for the expansion of living beyond the private realm. The decoupling of spaces for trading (retail) from the trading of spaces (living) has the potential to transform the physical city. This would require spaces to be carved out of the city in existing buildings or reclaiming the public right-of-way. 

The terms of operation could be modeled after a distributed consensus system in which the 
rooms are open and free for all users willing to partake. Bitrooms could be accessed through a mining process that unpacks access to them from the urban block. This idea of “mining” creates the equivalent of a competitive lottery that prevents any individual from monopolizing one space and cultivates vested users. Rather than exchanging money, an exchange of space itself occurs through a virtual “check-in” to one room, which releases the unused blocks back into the network for others to access. A maximum occupancy is set for each room and as this limit is reached other rooms become active. Over time, a high demand for Bitrooms triggers further mining, until a robust web populates the urban fabric. 

A spatial network like this proposition may take shape in underused pieces of primary urban 
localities. The off-street parking space has often eluded urban usefulness in a post automobile-centric era but has been reimagined on the West Coast. The “Parklet” program repurposes this zone into open public space sponsored by neighboring businesses. It is a remarkable mechanism of increasing communal space accessible to all while reflecting the diversity of those who modify it. This remarkable concept has taken leaps and bounds on implementing shared resources, however it stays at the level of the streetscape. The idea of Bitroom could introduce common territories beyond the urban park or plaza by responding to a new architectural typology that provokes the role of the city and the shrinking dimensions of urban housing.

 The future city will increasingly demand newcomers like me to pay more for less private space. The trade-off is proximity to cultural conveniences but that also costs more money. This trend, combined with the de-emphasis on privacy in the era of status updates and geo-located check-ins, sets up a structure for a new kind of housing. The inefficiencies built into the urban fabric are leftover from organizing principals of past regimes. Bitroom is an ideal living configuration that changes with the days of the week and each user puts a personal stamp on the environment. Basic human needs anchor dwellers to a bed at night but every movement in between could reshape the environment. When I think of the city as a living room, my frame of mind shifts and I no longer see a separation of architectural objects but rather an occupation of connected space. Emerging living formations require a radical adaptation of the physical city where shareholding materializes through decentralized spatial assets.

By
Rosannah Sandoval, R.A.