Greetings, Friends.

        This marks the beginning of a long 6 weeks. Even in the first week and a half, we have produced more models than I thought we'd make over the entire program. But, I guess I should have expected that, being Harvard School of Design and all. Before diving in, I should provide you with a bit of background on my summer. I'm attending a program called "Career Discovery" (CD),  for students who think they're interested in architecture, urban planning, urban design, or landscape architecture, but aren't sure yet. It's pretty much an entire first year of typical graduate school squeezed into 6 weeks in Cambridge, MA. Even after spending only 9 days in the studio, I already know that this quote found on the CD website is true. A previous student explained it as:

"More work in one day than I think I've ever done, but more learning in a single minute than I think I've ever experienced."

       I'd say that's a pretty accurate description, seeing as we're in Gund Hall, our home base, from 9am until 6pm every day, before starting our homework assignments due the following morning, each of which take at least two or three hours. But the weird thing about it is that I enjoy every second of it. It's every kindergarteners dream, honestly. What 21 year old girl thought she'd be able to do 3 hours of homework on a Tuesday night using play dough, and only play dough? I sure as heck didn't. Until I finished my first project, which consisted solely of "play clay," the adult version of play dough. At Career Discovery, they make it very clear, right off the bat, that architecture school is incredibly challenging and time consuming. I had heard rumors that Architecture graduate students "have no lives," and an "early" night for them involves heading home from the studio at midnight. I kind of assumed that was just a way of scaring off the non-dedicated.

False.

        On my second night in the program, I was in the studio until security shut the lights off and announced it was "bed time" for all of us. That's when I realized that this might be the right place for me. I had been having so much fun with my play clay project that I didn't even know it was late. In my mind it was 9:30pm, and I had all the time in the world to complete my masterpiece. I think this is what architecture students talk about when they say, "They live in the studio, but it is home." In just 9 days at the studio, I have learned to know each of the 9 members of Arch. #1, my studio group, so well. We are a tight knit group, simply from spending all day every day together in the same studio section, moving late into the night. On those nights when we need a break, it's become habit to bring the party to the studio, rather than leaving the studio to go to a party. For example, Tuesday night movie night at the studio was pre-gamed... It didn't seem like a problem, and the instructors did not discourage it. As long as our work was done, why not throw a little alcoholic creativity into the projects? Sometimes people's best work is done under the influence... look at Dr. Seuss, and Walt Disney. Rumor has it they were a little loopy in their creation/design process. The teachers encouraged that we "maintain a social life" rather than "living in complete seclusion," by "working with some wine and cheese." Well...if the teacher says so.....

        Anyways, to sum it all up, in 9 days at the studio, I can already tell that architecture and design is the right direction for me. I have enjoyed it so much that I cannot imagine any other lifestyle. Screw the money and the fame... my eleven year old dream of being a movie star has 100% dissolved, and I'm pretty sure my fourteen year old dream of being the doctor who cured cancer disappeared when I discovered that blood makes me woozy. Architecture has answered my prayers, and if nothing changes, I see a loooooong future of it ahead of me.

       Today they told us that as an architect, you will not ever retire, but I almost think that the enjoyment I'd get out of the job would be worth working until the day that I die. I guess we'll have to see about that!

Enjoy the upcoming weeks posts!