0016 What to do in Your Spare Time
The Brief
Welcome back Ladies and Gentlemen to the Architecture Student Diaries where it is my mission to help you kill it in Architecture school whilst making you, the best you in the process. When you are in the middle of the University semester and in total work mode, your body is under a lot of stress and this usually means that during uni breaks, when you are able to finally rest, you overindulge in the art of doing nothing. Now, there is nothing wrong with taking a break and recuperating for a while, but if you spend your entire holidays eating ice cream and watching Netflix in bed, you really are wasting your time. I have never been one to spend time doing nothing, as I typically get bored quite easily, this means that if I don’t have anything to do, I will find something to do; this a good habit to get into as you move into adulthood. As opposed to wasting away your free time, let’s put it to good use and have fun at the same time.
Below is a breakdown of what we will discuss in today's lesson:
Practice Architectural Writing
Practice Sketching
Lean Relevant Computer Programs
Read Books
Exercise
Have Fun in Moderation
Self Improvement
Visit Places of Inspiration
Get Organised and Plan
Now, let’s get into it. Class is now in session.
Practice Architectural Writing
Have you ever looked at architectural plans or at an architect’s notes and noticed that every architect writes the same, or at least very similarly? It’s not like doctors who all write so poorly that it is illegible (no offense intended to any budding or current doctors who may be reading this…), but rather it is a particular font where the letters all look the same. This is not by chance; architects write this way for a few reasons. An obvious reason is that it is neat and clear to read with letters that are hard to confuse with others, however, the main reason though has routes a long time back in history. In today’s drafting it is simple to have a uniform font on each of your sheets because you simply choose which font you want on your computer and then it is done, in the pre computer era though this was much harder.
In the past when drafting was completed by hand and multiple people may be working on the one page it was integral to ensure neatness and professionalism that the writing on the page be similar. Therefore, the architect’s font was born, and all architects and draftsmen were taught the same lettering to achieve this. Yes, in today’s digital age you will not be writing a lot for finished products, but you still will be in the conceptual stages and some clients really like to see hand drawn and written work from time to time (not to mention they’re great to post to Instagram) and so it is important for your writing to look professional and have that architect look to it. You should put time into learning how to write in architectural font as it is an integral skill for architects, and it is a cool party trick that is sure to impress and make all of your friends jealous; especially if you’re friends with doctors.
Practice Sketching
Sketching is just about the most important skill that an architect can have in their repertoire. It is something that you will most likely use every single day of your professional career, from when you are sitting at your desk thinking about new concepts to when a client asks for a hand rendered sketch to get framed in their new house you designed them. A pro revenue making tip here is to if possible, charge an additional fee for these hand renders as they do take time and are not necessary with computer modelling; therefore, it can almost be seen as selling a one off piece of art to your client. Put in time wherever you can to better your sketching at it is a tool that will never go out of fashion and it is also something that will impress your tutors in assignments.
Learn Relevant Computer Programs
Delegating time during your breaks to learning relevant computer programs will avoid wasting time learning them midway through assignments and is a terrific way to minimise your stress levels. Most universities will offer free subscriptions to professional tutorial sites such as LinkedIn Learning (formerly known as Lynda.com), these sites offer video and written tutorials for almost anything you could possibly need in every professional area and are well worth a look. I personally have used LinkedIn Learning several times for bettering my skills in Microsoft Excel and Rhino. Other sites similar to LinkedIn Learning are Skillshare and MasterClass, these offer several tutorial classes of professional quality. I have not found a university that offers free access to these unfortunately, however if you are open to paying for the subscription it opens a world of resources to you.
I recommend utilising these types of sites as opposed to attempting to learn skills off of some websites and YouTube videos as many of these resources are not created by professionals and can teach you bad habits. So, set some time aside to browse sites like LinkedIn Learning and have a go at learning programs such as AutoCAD, Revit, Rhino, Microsoft Office, the Adobe Create Suite, Lumion and anything else that you see relevant to your course.
Read Books
Reading books is by far one of the most important things that one can do in life and it is no surprise that almost all of the most successful people in the world say that they allocate time to reading every day. Reading books is and forever will be one of the best ways to learn and expand who you are. Whether you prefer to read hard copy books, read eBooks or listen to audiobooks it doesn’t matter; the important thing is that you are taking in the information. I personally read hard copy books whenever I can and also listen to audiobooks on Audible each day when I travel to work. I try to learn as much as I can through reading non-fiction books, however I add in a fiction book every now and then to give my mind a break (I personally find this break important for mental well-being). Books are an effective way to escape, rest your mind and learn at the same time, so read when you can, as often as you can, and you will be a better person for it.
Exercise
One of my absolute favourite things to do in the world is to exercise. I will admit that I am a bit of a fitness freak and probably take exercise more seriously than I need to, but it is something that I enjoy, and exercising is typically the only time that my mind truly lets me turn off. Exercising does not only hold benefits for your body physically, but also for your mind mentally. If you are feeling down or tired and want a quick fix, go for a run, hit the gym or ride a bike; you will feel better afterwards. If you have free time and are not already someone who exercises daily, exercise is the thing to add to your to do list as every person should be doing at least 30 minutes of exercise a day to lead a long and healthy life. It is important that you exercise carefully though, do not just decide one day to go to the gym and lift really heavy weights because you will use the wrong techniques and hurt yourself. Exercise smart and you will reap the rewards.
Have Fun in Moderation
So far, I have probably sounded like all I want you to do in your break is work and you are probably thinking you will come back to university even more tired than when you left. Don’t you worry, this is the part where I tell you to use your spare time to have fun! In your breaks, your mind needs just that, a break, so going out with friends and attending a party or two is exactly what you should be doing during your breaks. Let your hair down and have fun. But, do remember to have fun in moderation and be responsible, because after all, learning how to write like an architect or how to use Revit better will assist you much more in the future than trying to figure out a cure for a killer hangover.
Self Improvement
Take time to work on yourself. Basically, everything that I have spoken about in this article is working to improve yourself in one way or another, though it is important that you spend time working on who you are as a person. The time one spends in the university is usually the time in which one finds themselves and therefore, you should spend some time soul searching. Learn what you enjoy spending your time doing, look into religions and values and spend time meditating and simply being. Meditation is a powerful tool in becoming the best you and it is something that I practice often. You do not have to be religious or a certain type of person to meditate and meditation can be a practice that is highly useful to a University student to reduce stress and to assist with good mental health.
Visit Places of Inspiration
Visiting places that will fill you with inspiration and ready you to tackle the next semester, or simply on a weekend when you are looking for something to do, is highly efficient way to spend your free time. Visiting art galleries, museums and buildings of architectural significance will give you ideas for future work and will leave you in awe at what humans are capable of. So, if you are looking to fill time and get inspired, visit a place like this. I have an article purely on Where to Find Inspiration, so check it out for ideas on places to go!
Get Organised and Plan
Having a plan for the future is important. I am not saying that you need to plan out every moment for the rest of your life but having an idea of the direction that you want to go will help you get there, as you will have something to strive for. I am someone who plans a lot, I have 6 months, 1 year, 5 years and 10-year plans as well as knowing what I need to do to get there. These plans are not filled with small things; they are big picture things that I know that I will want by that stage of my life and I update them regularly as life changes. I also plan out my day, every day. I simply like to know where I am going, what I am doing, and it keeps me accountable and makes me push myself every day. You should take some of your spare time to start planning, think about what you want out of life and where you may want to go and write it down. Plan your day, plan your week, or plan what you want to learn over your break… hint hint… Having a plan is always something that will make your life easier, so get to it.
Final Notes
I know that it can be attractive to just spend your free time doing nothing, after all, it is called free time. But you only get so much free time in your life and the older you get, the less free time you have. This means that you need to start putting your free time to good use and making the most of it; so, the next time that you have a spare few hours, pick something from this article and do something practical and productive with your time. Learn a skill, get lost in a book, or go for a run; you will feel a real sense of accomplishment once you have done this. If you have any other ideas of practical things to do in your free time, feel free to leave a comment below and let me know!
Ladies and Gentlemen, class dismissed.
Iain Colliver, SONA, YBA, GKIHS
