Become an Architect! What You Need to Know

Become an Architect! What You Need to Know Would you like to become an architect? What classes should you take in school? How do you get started in your career? And (we have to ask) how much money are you likely to earn? All in one place, here are the most frequently asked questions about careers in architecture with links to common sense answers. The advice comes from architects who have participated in our online discussions, with additional comments from Dr. Lee W Waldrep, an Architectural Education Consultant and author of Becoming an Architect. 13 Things Aspiring Architects Should Know Aspiration, inspiration, and respiration- all of these words come from the same root, the Latin word spirare, to breathe. People who aspire to join the world of architecture live and breathe what is called the built environment. Could that describe you? Here are some questions to consider: What is an architect? What types of work does an architect do? How do architects spend their time? Is architecture a licensed profession?How much do architects earn? What is the average starting salary for an architect? Do architects earn as much as doctors and lawyers? What is the average income for an architect? Is a degree in architecture worth the cost? Should students consider choosing a more lucrative profession? What are the future prospects for architects?What can I do with a major in architecture? What jobs can I get if I study architecture in college? What careers use architecture skills? If I dont become a licensed architect, will my degree in architecture go to waste?To be an architect, what subjects should I take in high school? Can I begin preparing for a career in architecture while Im still in my teens? What courses will help me get ready for college? What classes will look impressive on my college application?Where are the best colleges to study architecture? Where c an I find college rankings and how important are they? Which schools are ranked high for architecture and does it matter? What features should I look for when I choose a college? What is accreditation? How can I find out whether a college or university is accredited? If I study architecture, what is the college curriculum like? What classes are required to earn a degree in architecture?  Will I have to study a lot of math? Will I have to take science classes?What books do you recommend for architecture students? What are some of the most important reference books for architecture? What books do professors and architecture students often recommend?Can I study architecture online? Can I educate myself about architecture by taking online courses and watching videos? Can I get college credit by taking online courses?  Can I earn an architecture degree by taking classes on the Internet? Where can I find free college courses?After college how do I start a career in architecture? Will I become an architect as soon as I earn a degree? What tests will I need to take to become licensed? What are the other requirements?What is a Building Designer? Are building designers always architects? Can I become a building designer without earning a degree in arch itecture? What are the licensing requirements to become a Professional Home Designer? Will I need a degree in architecture? What courses should I take? How did architecture become a licensed profession? Did Frank Lloyd Wright have a degree in architecture? Why do architects today have to pass so many requirements? When did the examination process for architects begin?What do the letters after an architects name mean? Why do some architects put AIA or FAIA after their names? What does the acronym CPBD mean? What other  acronymns are important in the building and design professions?Are you interested in architecture? If you are in high school, would you be excited about Six Weeks of Lessons? Or would you just tolerate it? Youve got to love it. Breathe it. Do you have what it takes? French architect Jean Nouvel acknowledged his parents when he accepted the Pritzker Architecture Prize in 2008. They taught me to look, to read, to think and to express what I think, Nouvel said. So, begin with the basics. What qualities make a great architect? Here are a few more comments from some seasoned professionals with ideas to share: A good architect should think more by his heart than brain. He should consider each clients dream as if it is his own....An architect must have interest in the surroundings. When others see land, you, as an architect, should see a plan, ideas, and design.Architecture takes passion and dedication together with creativity.What qualities make a great architect? The one who possesses a great understanding of other fields other than arts and architecture.Imagination, creativity, and passion. Having these three qualities is very important in an architect. Architecture is art.An architect must be a planner every time, every day, everywhere, every movement, to achieve the great wishes.To feel emotion and question it. To see the need and do it. To ask the question when all is complete: Was all done that needed to be done?A good architect must be optimistic. A great architect is not made by way of a brain nearly so much as he is made by way of a cultivated, enriched heart.An architect should b e organized, creative, and resourceful. An architect is a person who should be able to handle many co-related jobs simultaneously. Who should have knowledge of geography, history, sociology, and psychology. And capabilities of learning about new building materials in the market, learning about everything, in addition to thinking and designing. Source Jean Nouvel 2008 Laureate Acceptance Speech at pritzkerprize.com/sites/default/files/file_fields/field_files_inline/2008_Acceptance_Speech_0.pdf

7th Grade Essay Prompts

7th Grade Essay Prompts By seventh grade, students should be refining the core writing skills of brainstorming, researching, outlining, drafting, and revising. In order to hone these skills, seventh-grade students need regular practice writing a variety of essay styles, including narrative, persuasive, expository, and creative essays. The following essay prompts offer age-appropriate starting points to help seventh graders flex their writing muscles. Narrative Essay Writing Prompts Narrative essays share a personal experience to tell a story,  usually  to make a point rather than  merely to  entertain. These narrative essay prompts encourage students to describe and reflect on a story thats meaningful to them. Embarrassing Pasts - As people get older, they are sometimes embarrassed by things they used to like, such as toys, television shows, or nicknames. Describe  something that you used to enjoy that you now find embarrassing. Why is it embarrassing now?Bonds of Hardship - Sometimes difficulties  draw families closer.  Describe something that your family endured together that strengthened your relationships.There’s No Place Like Home - What makes your hometown special?  Explain this special quality.New Kid  in Town  - Being  new  to a  town or school can be challenging because you don’t know anyone, or exciting because no one knows you and your past. Describe a time when you were the new kid.Finders Keepers  -  Write about a time when you lost (or found) something of value. How did that experience affect your opinion of the saying, â€Å"Finders keepers; losers weepers?Follow the Leader -  Describe a time when you were in a leadership role.  How d id it make you feel? What did you learn from the experience? April Fools -  Write about the best prank you’ve ever played on someone (or had played on you).  What made it so clever or funny?Bon Appetit - Special meals can be powerful memory-makers. Write about a specific meal that stands out in your memory. What made it so unforgettable?Bon Voyage - Family trips and vacations also create lasting memories. Write an essay  detailing  your favorite family vacation memory.Batter Up -  Write about a valuable lesson that you learned while playing your favorite sport.Best Friends Forever -  Describe your friendship with your BFF and what makes it so important to you.The Real Me -  What is one thing you wish your parents, teachers, or coaches really understood or knew about you?TV  -  Explain what makes your  favorite television show  so enjoyable or relatable to you. Persuasive Essay Writing Prompts Persuasive essays use facts and reasoning to convince the reader to embrace the writer’s opinion or take a course of action. These essay prompts empower seventh graders to write persuasively about an issue they genuinely care about.   Outdated Laws - What is one law or family or school rule that you think needs to be changed?  Convince lawmakers, your parents, or school leaders to make the change.Bad Ads - Advertising can have a powerful impact on consumers.  What is a  product that you’ve seen advertised that you don’t think should be? Explain why  the media should quit showing these ads.Puppy Love - You want a pet, but your parents don’t think you need one. What would you say to change their minds?Lights, Camera - What is your favorite book of all time? Write an essay  convincing  a producer to make a movie about it.Snooze Button - Studies have shown that tweens and teens need more sleep.  Write a proposal for a later school  start time.Body Shop - Magazines can negatively impact their readers’ body image by using edited images of models. Convince a teen magazine publisher that they should not use heavily-edited model images in their publication.It Can’t Be Over - The  network is canceling  your favorite television  show. Write a paper convincing the station that they’re making a mistake. Curfews -  Some malls have policies forbidding kids under 18 to be at the mall without adult supervision during certain times. Do you think this is fair or unfair? Defend your position.Team Spirit - Should homeschooled students be allowed to play sports on public or private school teams? Why or why not?Smartphones - All of your friends have the latest smartphone, but you only have a â€Å"dumb phone.† Should your parents  upgrade your phone, or are smartphones for middle school kids a bad idea?Bullies - Some dogs, such as pit bulls or  Dobermans, are labeled â€Å"bully breeds.†Ã‚  Is this label deserved or undeserved?Money Can’t Buy You Love - People say that money can’t buy  happiness, but some studies have shown that people with higher incomes may be happier. Do you think  this is true? Why or why not?Ratings -  There are age restrictions on movies and video games, ratings on  television shows, and  warning labels on music. Computers and smartphones offer parental controls. Do adults have too much control over what kids watch and listen to or do these restrictions serve a valuable purpose? Expository Essay Writing Prompts Expository essays describe a process or provide factual information. These prompts can serve as jumping-off points for the explanatory process.   School’s in Session - Would you rather attend public school, private school, or be homeschooled. Explain the benefits of your choice.Admiration  -  Who do you  admire from your life or history? Write an essay describing how their character or contributions to their community have earned your respect.Global Community -  If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you live? Write about your dream hometown and why you want to live there.Peer Problems - Peer pressure and bullying can make life as a middle school student difficult.  Describe a time you were pressured or bullied and how it affected you.Order Up -  A friend wants to learn how to make your favorite food.  Detail the process, step-by-step, so your friend can recreate the dish.Addictions - Many  people are impacted by drug or alcohol addictions. Share facts about how  the  use of these substances negatively affects families or communities.  Serve Others - Community service is a valuable ex perience. Describe a time you volunteered. What did you do and how did it make you feel? City or Country Mouse - Do you live in a big city or a small town? Explain why you do or don’t like living there.Aspirations - What  do you want to be when you’re an adult? Explain why you’d choose that  career  or what you’ll do to prepare for it.Point in Time - Sometimes people bury time capsules so  future generations can learn about the past. What would you  include to give an accurate snapshot of life in the current time?Hobbyist  -  You’re  friend  wants to take up your favorite hobby. Explain  it to him.SOS - A natural disaster has destroyed homes and businesses in a nearby city. Describe what you can do to help.Wonder Twin Power  - Some superheroes can fly or  become invisible. If you could have any superpower, what would it be and why? Creative Essay Writing Prompts Creative essays are fictional stories.  They use  plot, character, and dialog to engage and entertain the reader. These prompts will get the creative juices flowing.   Fan Fic -  Write a story about your favorite characters from a book, film, or television show.Cats vs. Dogs - You have two pets of different species. Write a story from their point of view about a day  at home alone.Time Travel - You find a time machine in your backyard. What happens when you step inside?Dream State - Think about a time when you woke in the middle of a vivid dream. What would have happened if the dream  hadn’t been interrupted?New Door  -  You’ve just  discovered a door that you’ve never seen before. What happens when you walk through it?Secret Keeper - You find out your best friend has kept a secret from you. What is the secret and why didn’t your friend tell you?Fridge Fun - Write a story from the perspective of an item in your refrigerator.Desert Island - You’ve just discovered an uncharted island. What happens next?Fly on the Wall  - You  see two people talking excitedly, but you can’t hear what theyâ€⠄¢re saying.  Write a story about what they might be saying.Special Delivery - You receive a battered package in the mail. Write a story about its journey from the sender to you. A Mile in My Shoes - You find a pair of shoes in the thrift store and put them on. Suddenly you find yourself transported into someone else’s life. Describe what happens.Mission to Mars - Imagine that you’re a pioneer to start a colony on Mars. Write about a typical day on your new planet.Snow Days - You find yourself snowed in for a week with your family. There is no electricity or phone service.  What do you do for fun?