I remember hearing all about “all-nighters” in architecture, and I thought they were a joke. I thought that it was just a time management issue or an exaggeration of what a typical experience is for an architecture student. Ever since I came to Berkeley, I was proved wrong and found myself pulling an all-nighter for more nights than I could count. It was common for me to be pulling multiple back-to-back all-nighters to submit my project, in fact. Regardless, I still managed to juggle having a job as a campus ambassador and pursuing other activities I wanted. I don’t mean to write this to scare you or impress you, but rather share how I calibrated my schedule.
Realizing how much time and effort being a college student took, I had to sit with myself and contemplate the time I wanted to invest in activities I wanted to get involved in. My first year, I took it easy and explored my options. With my first-year architecture course load, it was fairly simple, and I haven’t had to pull as many all-nighters at this point in time. However, being a new college student and not wanting to tire myself too early on, I knew there were some non-negotiables when it came to my activities. I needed a job; hence, me being a campus ambassador. I also wanted to get involved more with careers I was interested in, so I joined one or two clubs as well as Air Force ROTC. That way, finding the non-negotiables would help me solidify how I wanted my next four years to be.
Once I got more accustomed to my schedule, I slowly involved myself with more clubs on campus. It wasn’t until the second year of architecture that many of my school involvements became at odds. I found myself staying in my architecture studio rather than back home at my apartment. I knew that in the long run this was not sustainable. I still wanted to get involved with other clubs and personal commitments. In times like this, I am thankful that with a work-study job like being a campus ambassador, schedules are very flexible. It helped me a lot when I needed to push through and study for another class or finish any projects. I also did not want to risk my health because I needed to be in tip-top shape while I spent my time in ROTC. I strived for my weekends to be my rest days and tried not to work on my assignments as much as I could. I reserved time to eat healthy meals, go out for walks, travel within the Bay Area, and of course rest. I do use Google Calendar to schedule important parts of my week such as club meetings and classes, but I intentionally do not schedule every hour of my day just so I can have the time to do other tasks that may come up. Those empty blocks could be just getting drinks with a friend or going grocery shopping if I run out of a food. I always remember a saying that college is a marathon, not a sprint. I try to keep my schedule as fun and interesting as I can, so I don’t feel suffocated.
In architecture, it is especially easy to get obsessed with a design and keep delaying finishing up your project. Sometimes, even if it’s not up to your standard yet, you need to learn to move on so you could submit something for a letter grade. It is better to have something ready rather than fall behind. With each design I submit, I gain feedback and learn on how I could improve for my next project. I like to also apply this mentality with my other endeavors. Be present, try your best, and have grace for yourself even when making mistakes here and there. As college students, you will keep learning a lot about yourself. Keep exploring! But don’t spread yourself too thin. Invest your time in what truly matters for you and your passions. Even as a junior, I still find myself navigating my schedule, but knowing my priorities and non-negotiables helped me a lot. Take care of your health, use your tools to stay on top of tasks, and have a system and routine. Each person will definitely have differing capacities for the tasks you can take, but these are some things to consider when it comes to your personal responsibilities. I wish you good luck in your own college journey!