Congratulations to our newest Architects
Well done to Danny, Anastasia, Ben, James, Yuchen and Hye-Jin, who all passed their Part 3 exams at the University of Westminster this year!
It has been a challenging time for our new Architects, with studying taking part remotely as a result of the ongoing pandemic. So, what has been their experience of preparing for this final qualification and just how has it been affected by virtual learning?
“Doing the whole course remotely was strange and it was difficult to concentrate in virtual evening lectures. I missed out on meeting new people” says Anastasia, however, she goes on to explain that perhaps it was also a blessing in disguise, allowing her more time to dedicate to the course, without the lure of social activities!
Hye-Jin commented that “studying for the Part 3 remotely during the pandemic was certainly a challenge but I was positively surprised by how well my group mates and I were coordinated. Despite remote learning, ultimately I felt the program was very useful because of its practical and real-life-use-oriented content.”
“It is very different from Part 1 and Part 2. Throughout the year of studying Part 3, I can always ask people in the office, from partners and associates to the project architect, and also my office mentor, which made me feel less pressure” explains Yuchen.
Ben noted that “studying remotely is much more conducive to working full-time alongside studying, enabling me to interact with the team and be engaged in meetings which I would have been unable to be in the room for in person. This enables a more efficient workflow for the practice, but also enables me to have a more comprehensive understanding of the project for my case study.”
He goes on to say “I enjoyed finally getting a real-world understanding of everything I have learnt before and being able to understand what improvements can be made to align the project closer to best practice standards, where realistic to do so.”
So what next? Yuchen comments “I am developing my skills and knowledge on technical aspects. The project I am currently working on at stage 4 gives me a great opportunity to become a professional architect.” For others, their new-found time will allow them to focus on other activities, with Anastasia committed to doing her yoga teacher training and Hye-Jin excited to finally enjoy reading the books she has amassed over the years of studying.
What advice would they give to anyone about to embark on a career in architecture? Hye-Jin thinks determination and perseverance are key to making it through the architecture education process. “Fortunately, I believe the effort ultimately gets rewarded” she says. Yuchen simply would say, “Enjoy!”.