I came to Mississippi State with hopes of completing my bachelor's degree in architecture. MSU's program is ranked within the top 25 in the nation for accredited architecture programs. Giles Hall contains some of the most hard-working students I've ever seen; however, the workload, the rigor, and the skill set that comes with architecture is not for everyone.
When I first entered Giles, I had never drawn anything more than simple stick-figures and maybe some finger painting. I was loaded with my drafting board, cutting mats, rulers, lead-holders, and all the other supplies that cost way more than what my savings account was expecting. I also had a very optimistic view on what I wanted to accomplish with the school. The first few months consisted of our 30-40 first year student class drawing lines and practicing line weights. Turns out, there are a lot more things lines can express than one may think. When it came to starting plans and elevations of our models, my drafts barely met a sub-par level. I am very heavy-handed, and my lines were thick and dark unlike the light, nearly invisible lines of my peers. Despite hours upon hours of working and trying to perfect my craft, my professors were never quite pleased with the work that I was bringing to the table. Oh! Did I mention that architecture studio is six credit hours, so it takes quite a toll on one's GPA.
The thought of midterms during my first semester struck fear inside me, for the best grade I had made at that point was a D on my work, which was not going to cut it for keeping my scholarship. Two days before the finals drawings were due, I had my first anxiety attack of the semester. My upper-year friends were assuring and helpful, but my work was still not as great as it could've been. When finals rolled around, we were assigned to do a wood model showing iteration, rhythm, and geometry. Being the "precrastinator" I am (a term used by my physics professor because I started/finished my work way earlier than most people), I wasted no time starting. I drew out my grid and worked with it. It was based off a nine-square grid, so it was basically based off thirds. I restarted the model twice after my draft because it consistently decided to dry in a crooked fashion. Once it was completed, I drew out my plans and elevations and was done three days before the due date. The entire process took about 25 hours in wood shop and making the model, plus another four or five hours of drawing. My sweet boyfriend at the time made sure that I was not going insane during the process, and that weekend we took a rewarding road trip together to meet his family.
Upon returning back to Starkville for pin-ups, I double checked all of my work to make sure everything was fine. The next day we had our very first final review — dressed in our professional best and ready to present our work. The jurors analyzed our past works, our new drafts, and our models. Everything seemed to be going well, and one professor in particular visiting from LSU liked my style of model making. In the end, I felt relieved and that my hard work had paid off ...
Wrong.
I got a C. Not only did this bring my GPA below the 3.0 I needed to keep my scholarship, but there were other people who had rushed their work, or even had incomplete work, and got the same grade as me. I was angry and upset with the professors and myself. I thought I had done well, and I know I had shown great improvement, but it wasn't enough.
The next semester came along, only we hit the ground at an incredibly fast pace. Our professors gave us a forewarning by saying "You're about to go through three weeks of Hell, but it won't be as bad when it's done." They were not lying. We were assigned a piece of modern art (mine was "Early Geometric" by Diller), and had to build a three-dimensional model off of it. The model had to display the art through composition on two faces of it, and we wasted no time starting it. We were assigned to build a new model, sometimes two, about every other studio. Each model takes several hours to make, so we were rushing to get our stuff done while balancing our other classes. There was one Thursday night when I was cutting some chipboard with a box knife, and completely slit off the top of my left pointer finger. My second-year friend watched the whole thing happen and rushed me to the first aid kit to wrap it up. I looked like I had stuck my finger into a lumpy, off-white marshmallow. That model took about 15 hours or so, and was probably one of my more favorite designs. The jurors didn't even ask about my model, but instead asked two of my fellow students and me about concepts that we had not yet fully grasped. We didn't get to explain or discuss our models or art. In fact, we barely talked at all while the jurors discussed architecture involving transparency. Not to my shock, I got another C. Disappointing, but at that point, not surprising.
At that point, I knew I was either going to have to change my working style completely or change my major. I started looking into other options, and had a couple of very long talks with my parents. Luckily, they both fully supported my considerations, and I later decided I wanted to go into international business once my third semester commenced. I.B. is a double major with a language and business degree, so I decided to do Spanish and marketing. At this point, I am still in architecture studio and taking all of those classes; however I'll hopefully be able to take summer classes to catch me up.
Unfortunately, because my GPA took such a low hit, I couldn't get into the I.B. program because they require a 3.0, so I am currently enlisted as a Business Administration major taking the I.B. course load.
When I decided to change my major, I had to weigh out the pros and cons of staying versus not staying. The people in the school are extremely close-knit because we're always together. However, who I am surrounded with should not affect what I am going to do with the rest of my life. It's all nerve-racking but exciting, and I'm looking forward to the new start of my school career.
