Question: Hi, I am a junior in highschool and I I have recently decided that I want to set my goal on architecture. However, I fear that i will not be able to learn the necessary skills that i might need when i go to college. are there any classes that i should take before my last years of highschool end?

Answer: Hi Jamian,

Thank you for your question,

I personally think that one of the most important thing for someone who’s considering a career in architecture is to engage the practice side of architecture as soon as possible, and by engaging I mean either speaking to practice architects or even better, get an internship at an architecture firm. I find that most people don’t have an accurate understanding of what architects do and to certain extent, the experience of going through an architectural education also do not approximate what its like to work as an architect. The only way to learn is through internship with an architectural office, the earlier the better.

With that in mind, you should focus on skills that will enable you to be immediately useful to any architecture firm; CAD and 3D rendering. More specifically you should learn AutoCAD, revit and 3D studio. If your school offers classes on these software, take them. Otherwise pick up a copy and try to go through the tutorial and learn it on your own. Draw, and I mean the pencil on paper kind. Despite all the technology we have adopted, hand drawing is still the most often used medium of communication and the number one complain I have often heard about interns are their inability to draw.

Hope these help and best of luck!

_Hsiang Lin, AIA LEED AP