As promised at the start of this blog, I am offering a little insight into the day of an undergraduate architecture student, who also works part time:
3am: Hit snooze. Those 15 more minutes of sleep seem to help.
3:15am: Slide out of bed, throw on some clothes, wrestle down some breakfast (cereal/waffle/oatmeal--whatever's quick) and grab a large coffee or energy drink for the road.
4am: Start my work day then spend around 5-6 hours pricing at my retail job.
9/9:30am: drive-thru coffee/snack. Wrestle with campus parking (WHY are there never enough spaces?!)
10-3:15pm: classes. Typically lecture after lecture after lecture or 4 hours of design class, depending on the day.
4pm: come home, grab another energy drink/coffee to refuel, and make dinner.
5pm: relax for an hour. (usually fall asleep on the couch, actively take a nap, or blankly stare at the television)
6pm: start homework. Typically more research and reading than can be completed in one day, drawing/sketching out design ideas, mini-projects, study model building.
8:15pm: recognize that I should be going to bed but forgo sleep to get more school work done.
9:00pm: mooooore coffee.
11:15pm: start falling asleep while working. spill coffee, knock materials off desk, rest head on laptop... and it's over.
2:00am: wake up with key imprints on my face. Realize I may have been drooling/snoring due to the awkward hunched position I've been in for the last few hours. Groan like an old person when I move, due to aches from said positioning. Groan again when I realize I have to be up for work again in an hour...
This is a standard day, with changing variables added depending on when projects are due, how long I have to spend rendering my drawings, if I can get off work early and squeeze in a nap between work and school, or, on the weekends the huge decision whether to spend time with neglected friends from other programs or be "responsible" and spend the whole weekend working toward an impossible deadline, only to finish 20 minutes too late for full credit.
Other issues the working architecture student may wrestle with:
1. Should I call in to work to utilize those 4 extra hours and still possibly not finish my project? (The final push is always so stressful! But you try to keep hope up until you hit the deadline)
2. Do I turn in a not-so-great project in order to meet the deadline or fully resolve my design and have a half-finished project at deadline?
3. Which is more important: Eating or Sleeping? (Sleep wins most frequently for me. I tend to gobble down a quick snack and then nap for at least an hour.)
4. Parking. (30 minutes to an hour lost circling the parking lot each day can really add up!) Picking up those plans at the print shop between class and work. (WHY am I catching every red light?!) Making it to that club meeting you're an officer for. etc. etc.
5. Food vs. Architecture supplies/printing costs/test fees/etc. Where does all this money go?!
6. Gas vs. Architecture supplies/printing costs/test fees/etc. (I can't believe I'm on E again!! Please-oh-please just make it to where I'm going...)
7. Exercise? does carrying all these projects the length of 2 football fields count?
and so on and so on...
I'm looking forward to the day when my schooling is "over" and I am only worrying about work for once (although I know the profession is focused on continuing education). For now, I'll enjoy the rest of this 2 week break. Happy holidays, everyone!!
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