Often we forget how much time we spend being a student until summer comes rolling around and you have almost 3 months of free time. If you work hard during the year, this time of not being a student and not having something to do can make it a lot harder for you to feel like you are spending it well. It is time for a break but also a great time to slowly wean yourself into habits, skills, and activities that you can do that can serve as a way for you to both rest and feel like the time you use hasn't been wasted. Many may tell you it is the perfect time to get work experience, and that goes without saying. However, that requires that you seek experience prior to the end of the academic year and there may be occasions to do a week or two here and there during the academic year. This article is for the weeks leading up to a return to the university term and might feel a little guilty for not doing anything productive when we all know rest can be productive. Besides, you are never too late, but also it is better to start something than to do nothing at all. Here are four things you can do this summer as an architecture student to get yourself ready for the new academic year to come.
Read. And read. And read some more.
Architecture is no exception to one of the degrees that requires you to do some reading for research or dissertation writing. During the course, it is inevitable that you have to do some reading. There is an endless opportunity to find something you enjoy reading. As someone who relied heavily on reading to relax, to commute with or simply to see the world from a different (and sometimes more informed) perspective it would be a shame to miss out on this. This isn’t to say that you have to go looking for architecture books (although there are some great books out there), in fact, don’t look for architecture books, dive into your own interest and you’ll find a subject or topic of interest that will unintentionally drip its way into your design work. If anything I find immersing oneself in a fictional book gives you a little bit of rest that weirdly gives you room to think outside of what you find familiar. When I’m lacking ideas or get stuck in a creative rut, the break from drawing or writing and getting lost in a book really has a way of sparking new ideas. If you are also going into the year with no clue on what interests you, this is the time to find that and a book (or a few) might be a great way to do just that.
Get into a routine of regular exercising and taking care of your mental health
With busy days in the studio and lots to do as a student, it is easy to put exercising as the last thing on your list, especially if you are still struggling with time management. Whether it is simply going on strolls first thing in the morning or heading to the gym to pump some iron, find something that you enjoy and works for you. Finding a way to exercise that you enjoy makes it easier to be consistent. There are studies out there that will tell you the benefits of exercising for your mental health and that mental health among architecture students can be some of the worst. I'm not going to bore you with statistics or studies, but I don’t remember ever regretting not getting into the habit of exercising regularly. Although exercising is a great way to de-stress it isn’t the only thing you can do. Experiment and find an activity that you could do daily, whether it is video calls with a friend, family member, or carer, reading, doodling, watching a show you enjoy (and not binge-watching it in one swoop). Having a break from working and scheduling some ‘me’ time or activities you don’t need company for is a healthy way to build time management skills that can encourage you to be efficient with the time you do have assignments and drawings to complete.
Create a workspace arrangement and environment for working from home situations
If this last year (or two) has taught you anything, it is that you may or may not have to be prepared to work from home regardless of your situation as either a student or a working professional. If you have a bit more time on your hands it would be great to make adjustments to a space you want to return to if going on campus becomes difficult for the new academic year. If working from home isn’t the most comfortable experience as a student finding spots outside the house, whether it is co-working spaces, coffee shops, or a local library, try out a few locations and see what works for you. Having these locations or a spot to work from at home dedicated solely to working will help you build a consistent working routine that you can zone in and out of when you need to. Not everyone can work at home, not everyone is comfortable at home but taking a few steps to plan ahead for these situations should save you the stress of finding a space when you really need to focus.
Learn practical skills
Whether it is finally learning how to cook, ride a bike or drive, these are just some of the many practical skills that would be handy if you live alone or away from home. Some skills require an upfront investment of either time, money or both. An obvious answer would be to learn a particular software but honestly the drive like most of the learning you do really has to come from you being able to consistently implement them until it becomes part of everyday living. Plus if you are currently home when you aren’t usually during term time it would be one of the many ways you can learn from older siblings, parents or relatives and spend some time with family before you go back to student life at uni. These aren’t things you learn for the sake of placing on your CV (or though it does help when it is specific like driving). It can be a way to make uni life less stressful when you know how to take care of your living situation when there isn’t any available and regular help around when deadlines appear.
It is the end of August, and to enter the new term with guilt is no way to start, this year has been full of changes and learning to adapt so don’t be so hard on yourself. Show up, for no one but yourself because you deserve to have a great fresh start and that begins with planning now.