My major worry at the moment is Design class - which pretty much proves the basis for the whole course, ie. building design. That class is giving me a bit of grief at the moment, and I think my doubt has stemmed from that....
building design, makes you a building designer.. now the name sounds like you.. design, but really in a lot of real world jobs, you will be the one that is drawing up the plans, your roll in designing will probaly as little as making small changes to a window, or a column, as the architect as made some whacky concept drawing, of which to construct will be WAYYY of the clients budget, which is why they come to you with the drawings/ideas, as you will be cheaper, easier to deal with and more realistic!! .. ok thats a bit of a generlistaion but thats what i have found.
I'm finishing 1st year - guaranteed. Don't think I'll be going onto 2nd year though....
2nd year, in that course is a competly differnt ball game, it is all comercial work, and is ALOT better (well i found it), there is no more boring timber framing work, or working out crappy pitch roof systems (wtf do you do that any way, these days its all truss construction).. you are working with concrete walling, steel frames, curtain walling systems, enviromental sustainable design etc etc.
in the real work force you will find there is HEAPS of people out there who can design (well think they can) but eomployer's really really want people who have good knowledge of the stuctural systems, so many people in my course had no idea about how a house actualy stood up (no idea how the passed).
and now i am at uni, in 2md/3rd year, i rekon about 20 percent of fello architecture students could tell me the purpose of a lintel over a window frame. what i am tryin to say is, understanding and enjoying the technical side, can be excelent for yoru future.
if you have any "feel" for the course at all i suggest you have a talk to your lectures about what happens next year.
It's killing me now - there's no way I can see myself doing the stuff I'm doing now at Tafe for a living. Right now I'm getting 0% satisfaction from the content of this course - everything is an absolute drag.
3 weeks away from completing Semester 1, and I'm seriously doubting whether I want to continue. I still have no fucking idea what I actually want to do however...
i will give you one hint, atleast finish the semester. that way, you can always come back and start mid year, as you will have your passes for 1st semester written down, i had a mate who quit, 2 weeks before end of 1st year, he couldnt handle the work load with everythign due and exams coming up. worst decision he had ever made.
I'm not sure exactly, but I think I get some recognition for this semesters units, so I could come back at a later stage - it would be sacrificing the $$ already paid for Semester 2 however.
I'm not even sure if a break would change my outlook on the course & career though...
on the money note, yes you will loose money, but a tafe course is what.. 800 bucks for a yaer??? or is it more up there.
money will come back, if you "waste" another semester sitting in a class room, not paying attention and taking in nothing. it will be worth alot more in time, then your 400 bucks.
so i personaly wouldnt put the money into the equation.
taking 6months of can be good for some people, but bad for others.
its hard if you get a good paying job, to go back to uni.tafe and back to a small income.
btw i think i might have said this before, but this is coming from some one who has finished that course, and has the advanced diploma (the extra 6 months, on top of the 2 years), and has now moved onto architecture/construct managment.