One of my biggest mistakes has been taking a long gap between my second exam and my third exam. I know I’ve said it before, but I have to stress this. Win or lose keep studying for your next exam. You have to keep up the intensity. If you allow pauses, distractions will push in the way.
“Being process-oriented, not product-driven, is the most important and difficult skill for a designer to develop.”
Being process-oriented means: 1, 2, 3…
6) knowing when to change and when to stick with previous decisions;
7) accepting as normal the anxiety that comes from not knowing what to do;
- from 101 Things I Learned in Architecture School by Matthew Frederick, 2007
When you start studying, don’t worry if you’re not getting all or even any of the answers. Be primarily concerned with the process, meaning maintain a habit of studying and improve upon those habits. Do what is right, more and more often and you will improve your end result.
The more you can accept “not knowing”, the more receptive you can be in your studies. Recognize this anxiety as a normal part of taking these architectural exams and acclimate yourself. For me, because I have already taken an exam, it has become easier to accept that I can not know exactly what’s on my exam.
I harp on this because, right now:
- My study time is irregular.
- I haven’t set a priority order of which books to read/re-read.
- My specific study goals (what am I supposed to learn) are not summarized, (not in my head and not on paper).
Because of all this, I’ve decided to pull the ARE Review Manual to the forefront of my reading. I will try to finish the required sections for Building Design and Construction Systems (BDCS) before moving on to other readings.
PPI
[...] alluded to process in tackling the architect registration exam (ARE). ?The more you can accept ?not knowing?, the more receptive you can be in your studies.? You control your actions in surmounting these exams, so focus on your [...]