Today was the last regular day of classes! How are all the students out there feeling? Hal thinks it’s bittersweet. He’s happy to be done with his hefty schedule, but he’s going to miss seeing his classmates over the next month.
The strangest thing about today, though? Hal realized today he only has four assignments left this semester. And now that classes are finished, the assignments don’t keep coming! Hal and I are both a little dubious about this. What are we gonna do if we’re not pouring all our time and energy into homework??
Hal sends his best wishes for the students starting finals now. New here? Hal is a U-M student studying remotely for the 2020-2021 school year! He’s back on the Study Hal tag every Tuesday, so come back next week for more.
I’m back again this week to write about this week’s topic: Odd Habits (acquired from Architecture School?).
So, “odd habits,” what does she mean? you must be thinking.
Well, I say “odd habits” in reference to habits that you may call bad or just downright strange, or maybe they’re just neutrally necessary habits. They’re really just small, amusing things that I realize I notice on a daily basis, or I “step back” to see the big picture and realize they’re things I pretty much only see within my studio setting, or even just the art and architecture building (aka AAB) in general.
Whenever there’s (free) food present at an event, we tend to bud in, or even just walk near the region to see if we can snag some, even if we did not RSVP etc… #brokedesignstudents #spendentirewalletonprojects
We really wish free printing (of all sizes and media honestly) was a thing. Like, c’mon, we pay for all our supplies and materials for ourselves (yes, even desk lamps and mini heaters as necessary), yet, whenever we need to print something, either the nearest printer(s) are down or printing to them ends up being a rip-off because we’ve worked SO hard to produce the best images in their best resolution quality and then the printer is just jacked-up and has stripes of pink (yes, randomly) per page… just 🙁 is my reaction, along with the feeling that my wallet has an unfix-able hole in it
There’s only one media center store in this whole facility… and unfortunately, not the most accessible in all of its destinations. So we’ll often find ourselves in awkward situations where we either have to carry large materials (along with food sometimes if we’re extra lazy and refuse to make an extra trip down to the store) long distance, and if we’re lucky, we’ll be able to safely transport that material all the way back to our desks without running into anyone we know or getting any scuffs or marks and fingerprints on the materials we just emptied our wallets over.
We get used to overpriced everything, really. Materials are claimed as “discounted” but honestly, it’s just a dollar or two cheaper. The food there isn’t unaffordable, but it’s also not a good deal… they have both unhealthy and healthy selections to cater to both preferences, but prices are still (mostly) more expensive than what you could find on a regular basis at U-Go’s or Mujo’s at the Dude. The main reason why people still constantly buy food there is mostly out of convenience, willingness to pay that extra two dollars to keep from having to do a twenty minute run to the Dude.
Seeing people fall asleep in class(es) or Studio in general is no shocker. Honestly, everyone here has different lifestyles. Some people pretty much don’t sleep and somehow still look alive. Others barely scrape by with three hours. Others are even as lucky to get five hours of sleep daily on average, and then we all pass out on the weekends (figure of speech).
We don’t got time for #basic scissors. We’ve become accustomed to the perfection and definitive cut via Olfa knives. Need to cut some paper? Olfa. Need to chop some wood strips? Olfa. Struggling to open that bag of gummy worms? Olfa. We will do this anywhere and everywhere. (Yes, I have a collection of Olfa’s.)
We become natural hoarders and scavengers. We agree with the statement, “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure” even if we don’t explicitly say so. We regularly check-out the dumps for extra materials, and proudly take them back to our desks to incorporate them into our projects, or even preserve for other future projects. I tend to find myself reluctant to dispose of past material scraps “just in case” I’ll need it again. I think we’ve all experienced that moment in the past when we’ve discarded scraps and then realized a while later that we needed that material again, but not too much of it, and end up totally regretting the fact that we ever discarded anything. Legit, all of us have these boxes under our desks filled with materials of all shapes, sizes, and textures.
Everyone here dresses stylishly. Maybe not STAMPS level, but there’s definitely the “designer look” going around. Whether it’s all-black apparel ensembles, or high-waisted, perfect-fitting pants, I’m not sure what it is but everyone here has no problem expressing their uniqueness through both their work and appearances.
The lingo we use to describe our work, I often find also is the same manner in which we see the world and talk with others even to those who are not also in design school. It’s a mindset I guess. Or maybe it’s just still something we all need to learn as designers, to be able to effectively communicate between disciplines using the appropriate language.
The professors often expect much more from us, but also are very understanding and diplomatic with deadlines if we all unite and discuss things with them beforehand, After all, this whole school is dependent on shared spaces, and that often is reflected to classes’ professors being aware of each others’ topics and assignment deadlines.
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Honestly, the list could go on, but I must get back to grappling with my current project now.
Anyhow, I hope ya’ll found these as amusing as I did! Or maybe you might even learned a thing or two about the harsh reality of design students and their (likely) odd lifestyles. Let me know what you think 🙂
taubman courtyard lights at sunset photographed exclusively by @themichiganarchitect instagram
Apparently it has only been a month since college had first started back up. Yet, how do I feel so beat already? Is it me? Or is it my habits that are the issue?
I have spoken to many classmates and friends, and they’ve all given various responses as to how they feel at this moment of the semester. Some are super chill, living their life as they’d like to. Others are just barely scraping by, rarely showering, eating, and (if they’re lucky) sleeping. So, what’s the diversity from? Do some people just work or study more efficiently or something that others, or is it just mostly because of the different scheduling due to major and types of classes?
Ya’ll know I’m gonna say that it will most likely be a mixture of both.
Like they all say, “everyone is different.” Even with the academic motivations, skills, and level of stress.
Of course, as college students, we are constantly learning from every experience of our everyday lives, and our brains are still developing, constantly rewiring new skills, and deleting past ones sometimes.
So, “what’s the point of this post?” you may ask.
Well, it’s more of an opinionated informative piece on this topic.
Sometimes, it is the most simple, mundane things in life that we should be most interested in taking time to improve. Not necessarily asking you to re-learn how to brush your teeth (though I’m sure it would be useful with the amount of cavities and oral issues college students commonly have), but maybe taking time to re-evaluate ourselves fairly. I was once asked by a friend of mine, “How do you evaluate your self worth? Is it through your work? Or is it through your aspirations for your work? (work as in course assignments)?” I’d had a hard time putting together the words of my thought at the time, but as short as the question was, it holds a lot of weight and definition in life.
As an architecture student, we are constantly taught how to re-see spaces, tap into our imaginations, and look deepx
into mundane topics for the sparks of our project ideas. As great as that may be for our creativity and model-making skills, how does this system of education support our own mental worth? I suppose it is similar in other fields as well, but I feel that at least in design (art and architecture and anything in that general sector), lessons can be easily taken to the heart.
Our projects are born from our minds, our thoughts, and may even pull from memories for structure. Furthermore, our projects are essentially our life during the semester; if I’m not in bed or showering, I am literally always at my studio cranking out the construction of my models. This accounts for the stress, and constant anxiety around grades and competition. In studio, surrounded by countless talented folks working just as hard as you, it really is hard not to look around and see a battlefield. (Not to mention, there are moments of literal bloodshed when you find your exacto knife had slipped right into your skin at 2am.) And, for those who struggle with even just formulating an idea, or the lack of knowledge of construction techniques, studio sometimes feels like a place to prove yourself, and create your self worth through educational struggles. But, the best part is yet to come. So, you’ve spent the whole week being antisocial, rarely eating, scarcely sleeping, or even showering, and your project is finally finished, yay! Now, it’s time for the review, where your professor and a few guest critics come and evaluate your work and give feedback publicly after you present. For many, reviews make or break the ego. If it goes well, our ego soars, we feel at the top of the world. If the review is mortifying, we feel embarrassed, and worthless, and like a total failure for “wasting” so much time and hope during the construction process. Then, the next project is assigned, and we gotta do it all over again…
The point is, life does suck sometimes, and we are all allowed to set our own standards and have our own habits. It’s just that I wanted to say that we need to still recognize our own strengths through all of this, and NOT place our self worth into our works’ products. Just because you worked hard, doesn’t guarantee you will score an A in the course, or show that you’re the most intelligent or talented or something. Working hard builds character, an essential pillar to being a person. Learning slowly but surely transports you from crappy to excellent. Likewise, your portfolio, which I am sure that you definitely took the time and effort to make it look presentable and illustrate your best works, is definitely not an accurate representation of who you are; a portfolio is simply a visual attempt for employers to get to know you better in terms of your personality and style and technical abilities. With that said, just try your best to create your portfolio, and I want to remind yourself that the only person you should be battling in this process is yourself. Don’t look at your neighbor’s project, look at your own, and learn off of your mistakes. It is not fair to compare yourself to others when you do not share experience in your backgrounds, and then try to compare your results.
To all my fellow Wolverine designers and dreamers out there, keep shooting for the stars, and I know you’ll land there 🙂
Which campus do you like to study at most? North Campus? Central Campus? Or do you not stay on campus to study? Either way, as exam season is here right before and after Thanksgiving Break, Let me suggest five great, non-obvious places to study!
Arts and Architecture building (North Campus): there are computer labs, if you are in need of using a computer other than your laptop, there’s regularly a cafe cart where student groups sell hot chocolate, coffee, juice, and bagels if you want food as you study, and there are tables situated on the second floor, and some on the first (ground) floor as well! You can enjoy the scenery as you work here, and it’s usually never dead quiet (unless if you are here at 3am).
Fishbowl of the M.A.T.H. Complex (aka Mason-Angell-Tisch-Haven Complex of Central Campus): there are computers here as well, and there’s many people here working of all backgrounds- architecture, Engineering, and English majors! This place is open 24/7 and is also never dead quiet! Also, there are convenient vending machines (for both food and electronics) around the corner 🙂 There are also tables and benches right outside of the Fishbowl. And if that atmosphere isn’t your thing, there’s the general Posting Wall space of Mason Hall that has electrical plugs, so if you just want a casual sit-down place that isn’t usually lonely, that’s a great place to stay! There are also random desks on each floor of any of the buildings in the M.A.T.H. Complex, so feel free to explore and find yourself a new place to study, as desired!
Dana Building Commons (Central Campus): If you’re an early bird, you’ll find that this building always has a seat to welcome you! The tables here are nicely placed so you should have a plug next to you, and if you need computers, they have a computer lab on the second floor!
The BBB of North Campus: This is a fun place to work in! There are several computer labs, so if you need computers, they’ve got you covered! There is also a mini arcade in the hallway, and there are also ping-pong tables in the main lobby area too! The main lobby area also has several desks and whiteboards, perfect for your individual use, or for a group setting. They also have group rooms with functioning whiteboards and projectors that you can use, if there are no reservations for it!
(May seem obvious at first but…) Any of the Dorms!! Yes, on both campuses!!: Generally, any M-card should let you into the locked front doors of any of the dorms (other than if you go to dorms that have dining halls during their designated hours) before midnight. Dorms are great because usually your friends may be there, so you all can team up to study (because two brains is better than one, right?!), or you can just study alone in any of the several lounges, or even in the dining halls- where you can just have unlimited access to cookies and tea and all that other good stuff!
Alright, well, hope you found that some of these study spaces were good ideas, or even just a fun place to explore if you did not already know that they existed! Happy Studying and have a great, safe Thanksgiving Break!
