Advice prior to starting your course

by Giles Bridge

Before I started on my course, I didn’t know how to prepare or what to prepare. Turns out, you don’t need to do anything special to prepare because everyone studying Architecture starts from the same place, so, generally, no one is ever behind from the beginning. However, there are a few things you can do which can give you a kick-start into the course.

#1

Get the books from the reading list. You’re very likely to be sent a reading list by the tutors on the course. You can get these books new or second-hand. I got mine second hand and they look as good as new. These books give you a more well-rounded view of architecture which then adds to your learning throughout the year. One of the books that was on my reading list was ‘Space and the Architect’ by Herman Hertzberger, and when writing an essay on ‘Space’, this book was one of my best friends. The books you are advised to get do definitely come in handy, and even if they don’t come in handy in the first year, they will surely come in useful later on in your journey as an architecture student.

#2

If you’re given a summer task, definitely do it. These are fun ways to get your mind in gear for the course. You start thinking about the architecture around you and you begin to notice things in a building’s design that you may not have noticed before. I loved the summer task we were given. It was to find an object that was complex in its functioning, not too fluid in its form and had moving parts. I thought about a lot of objects I could use (garden sheers, calculator, etc) but eventually I settled for a spray bottle. The fun part was searching through lots of different objects to find the right one which fit the criteria. It took me about two weeks to find the right one, but it was worth all the searching because the project that we used the objects for was very good.

#3

Find the weekly timetable and the one for the whole academic year, print them out and put them on your pin board or somewhere you can always see it. This was probably the best thing I did. Looking and referring to the course timetable constantly kept me on track with all the deadlines. The deadlines are very important and making sure you know when they are and that you are on time for them will massively help you in the following years to come. As well as having the timetables on my notice board, I also put all the deadline dates in my calendar on my phone so, when it came to a deadline date, I would be reminded about it two weeks in advance so I would have enough time to catchup if I was behind.

#4

Explore the campus, look around and make sure you know where the architecture buildings are (they’re not too difficult to find). During the welcome week, me and my flat would go out and explore the campus, finding out where everything was. Not only was this good for knowing how to find places like the Library, Porters Office, or popular restaurant Sultans, but it was also something fun to do to get to know one another. Along with getting to know people, try and find an architecture group chat to join. This is a good way to find out who you will be studying with and so when the first day comes you can have things to talk about and reduce the ‘awkwardness level’ of no-one knowing anyone. If there isn’t a group chat, then make one and post it in the Lancaster University Freshers Week Page, so then other students on the course can join. I was late to the party with joining group chats. I didn’t know there was one. I only found out when I bumped into another student who lived in the flat next to mine and they added me; but even though I was late to joining the chat, I still fitted in, so if you don’t find a group chat then don’t worry!

#5

Sign up for everything. Any opportunity you’re given, take it. There are so many great opportunities within Lancaster University in general, so make sure to make the most of them. Within Architecture, there are things you can be part of such as the Architecture society. You can become an ambassador for the course, be a student rep, or participate in many more positions. However, make sure to keep your time balanced and don’t overload yourself because that will make your work and the things you sign up for become very ‘unfun’ since you can get weighed down with too much. Personally, I signed up and took an interest in anything that was thrown my way. It made my first year really fun and profound. I learned new skills from being part of small projects and positions I applied for and took an interest in. And even when I applied for a position or expressed an interest in something and I didn’t get it, it was a learning opportunity for next time. So, in short, sign up for everything, because even if you don’t get everything, you’ll learn from the process.

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Giles is a first year undergraduate at Lancaster University, and is studying Architecture.

Lancaster University employs students to create authentic content from a student perspective. All views expressed in this article are those of the students, and do not necessarily reflect the views or position of Lancaster University.