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5 Reasons Why I Chose to Study Architecture




Dubai, UAE – We all have our own good reasons why we took up the degree of our choice.  During my time (I’m not sure if it still applicable now) the deciding factor is what your parents want you to take. It’s very difficult to argue with them because number one, you don’t want to hurt their feelings and number two is that they are the ones who will work hard to pay your tuition fees or have invested in your college educational plan. As for my case, my nanay, who was then working with a garment manufacturing factory wanted me to take up an Industrial Engineering course. She convinced me that in her company, Industrial Engineers take home an ample amount of salary enough to decently support a family. Nevertheless, she never succeeded to talk me out of my decision and thankfully I had her full support to take up Architecture.
There was a funny story right after I passed the January 1998 licensure exam, when my mom finally admitted that the reason she don’t want me to take up Architecture is because she was afraid I might not make it and drop out of college along the way. When I heard that I was awestruck and speechless, I just told myself, “thanks mom….. for believing”, LOL!
So here are the 5 reasons why I decided since before senior high school to take, and subsequently completed this course.

1.       I LOVE DRAWING – I love to sketch, especially cartoon strips and charcoal portraits, I did not excel much at hand made illustrations but I am not bad creating illustrations. People I know can attest to that. And when you are good at drawing most of your peers and some adults would advise that the Architecture course would fit for you. So it stuck my mind.
2.       INFLUENCE – There was a Lady Architect who purchased the adjacent property of our old house who eventually became my father’s friend, during the construction of the new building, I managed to take possession of the blue prints and take it home to look at it and I told myself I create those drawings while I was amazed on how those plans will be converted into a structure plus given the fact that the Lady Architect was rich. 
3.       I HATE MATH – I must admit, I don’t like numbers. Its not that I’m scared of it but maybe because I’m too lazy to study combinations of alphanumeric figures and fractions. So when I heard from some people (not once, but many times) that Architecture course doesn’t involve a lot of math problems, it cemented my decision that this is my course. So for someone who loves to draw and hates Math, its the perfect course.  Through college I realize its actually quite true.
4.       THE PRESTIGE – I grew up in Makati during those times when there was a slight construction boom mostly in the Business District which is a few minutes (walk) away where we used to live. In the board-up or hoarding of every construction site you will see the name of the principal Architect taking that much credit to the construction of the building, names of Locsin, Manosa, Gaite, Recio+Casas, et al were very much familiar as I can recall. I said to myself, someday I’ll see my name on one of those billboards. Unfortunately, until now its still a dream. But still there is hope.
5.       I ENDURE CRAMMING – Cramming is the term used for finishing a design plate that was given a month back within a short period of time, normally 2 to 3 nights straight without sleeping. Not so many people have this skill, especially those despite the short amount of time doing the plate, still his work is outstanding compared to others who gave much time for their projects. Actually this is not a reason why I decided to take Architecture but this is one of the reasons why I survived the course.

I may have wandered off the path of my chosen career for the majority of my working years overseas due to practical reasons . But until now those practical reasons weren’t achieved and maybe this is part of a calling for me to go back and do what I really love. Hopefully there is still time left to fulfill those dreams.

I wonder how much it will cost me to update 15 years of 2 professional licenses? May God help me.

Be blessed.

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