09 January, 2012
Wisdom for the day
One day, Architecture may become one of my hobbies but no longer career... who knows?
What can I do VS What do I want?
The same question is appearing on my mind again whenever I have to decide my postgraduate studies. Maybe some of you may think that why I have to create problem to myself. Why I cannot just work first and think about it later? No, I have not enough time just like the main character in the movie "IN TIME". I don't want to waste my time and I have wasted it for almost 2 years. I have to chase back all the time left behind. And back to the topic "What can I do VS What do I want?"
First of all, I have to answer the 2nd question 1st which is the "What do I want?" Hmm... It is very simple and it has always related to architecture. I want to be an architect since the first day that I've attended my first architecture class in college. I think it is very normal, right? An architecture student is supposed to end up as an architect if he or she manages to pass all the subjects. But of course, he or she needs to have enough determination to be an architect or else none of the students can make it in the end. So what is my problem? There are few things here. Let me list down them:
1. Financial problem - The master degree course will cost above 30k for 2 years.
2. Family responsibility - I cannot go back to study full time as I have spent to much time to study and I should contribute money to the household expenses.
3. Design ability - I didn't score well in design subjects for the few years in university.
Actually I have been trying to find out some solution for the problems above. For financial problem and family responsibility, I can choose to study part time at SPACE UTM which will allow me to work at the same time. So it can be somehow settle two problems together. But another issue will come in. It's not easy to get in SPACE UTM since it's considered as public university. In order to qualify myself, I have to get my bachelor degree accredited by LAM - the architect association in Malaysia. Why my course is not accredited in the first place? A good question. It is because the course is offered by private university which is normally not accredited. This is very common in Malaysia and it is not only limited to architecture course but other courses as well. To apply for the accreditation, it is required to pay RM300. If the student's assignments are not up to the standard to pass the interview then he or she has to pay another RM600 to get into 2nd attempt which is to complete an assignment and pass it in the end. It's sound like troublesome right? But we have no choice if we, the private uni graduates, want to be a registered architect in Malaysia. It is one of the must do process.
So it is very clear that I have to apply for accreditation and what's more? Oh ya, I have to sit for MUET, the Malaysia University English Test. It is compulsory for all students who are targeting to study at public university. Sometimes I would ask myself why do I still need to sit for such examination as I have already obtained a bachelor degree. It is very clear that my university has provided me a good practice ground in English. Don't you think that it is time consuming to sit for such English test? That's why you can see that it is really stopping me from sitting the test although I know it is a must for me to enter public university.
Alright, the 3rd problem in the list above - Design ability. Why is it a problem? As mentioned above, I never scored A in design for my whole bachelor degree course. It is somehow as a sign telling me that I am not a good designer. I know there are quite a lot of architects outside who are not a good designer but still earning a lot. But for me, if I cannot have good design then what for to be an architect? The main role of an architect is to design nice building for the people. Some people says that architect can be good in project management and technical knowledge although without design ability. That's true but not fully correct. There are experts in every field. If you say that an architect who is not good in design can just be a project architect, then I have to tell you there are a group of people known as project manager. They are the expert in project management. They know more than architects especially when comes to site experience. And for technical knowledge, I am sorry to say that almost half of the architects are not really good in detailing, especially those who are age below fifty. Most of them need to rely on senior draftsman or even those so-called product specialist which you can see that most of the detail specifications in architectural drawings are always stated that is to specialist's detail. Therefore, an architect without design ability is almost nothing.
I am quite optimistic most of the times. But when comes to problem above, I'm always speechless and confuse. Architecture is like one of my partner which has been accompanying me since the day I've decided to choose it as my career path in the future. But the disappointed part is that it seems like I am falling to the group of people that can only be an architect without design ability. I don't want to give up architecture. But even though I am not giving up, it doesn't mean that I can be successful in the future. Tadao Ando said that if you cannot be good at one thing might as well just giving up and go for the things that you can be very successful and nobody can beat you.
First of all, I have to answer the 2nd question 1st which is the "What do I want?" Hmm... It is very simple and it has always related to architecture. I want to be an architect since the first day that I've attended my first architecture class in college. I think it is very normal, right? An architecture student is supposed to end up as an architect if he or she manages to pass all the subjects. But of course, he or she needs to have enough determination to be an architect or else none of the students can make it in the end. So what is my problem? There are few things here. Let me list down them:
1. Financial problem - The master degree course will cost above 30k for 2 years.
2. Family responsibility - I cannot go back to study full time as I have spent to much time to study and I should contribute money to the household expenses.
3. Design ability - I didn't score well in design subjects for the few years in university.
Actually I have been trying to find out some solution for the problems above. For financial problem and family responsibility, I can choose to study part time at SPACE UTM which will allow me to work at the same time. So it can be somehow settle two problems together. But another issue will come in. It's not easy to get in SPACE UTM since it's considered as public university. In order to qualify myself, I have to get my bachelor degree accredited by LAM - the architect association in Malaysia. Why my course is not accredited in the first place? A good question. It is because the course is offered by private university which is normally not accredited. This is very common in Malaysia and it is not only limited to architecture course but other courses as well. To apply for the accreditation, it is required to pay RM300. If the student's assignments are not up to the standard to pass the interview then he or she has to pay another RM600 to get into 2nd attempt which is to complete an assignment and pass it in the end. It's sound like troublesome right? But we have no choice if we, the private uni graduates, want to be a registered architect in Malaysia. It is one of the must do process.
So it is very clear that I have to apply for accreditation and what's more? Oh ya, I have to sit for MUET, the Malaysia University English Test. It is compulsory for all students who are targeting to study at public university. Sometimes I would ask myself why do I still need to sit for such examination as I have already obtained a bachelor degree. It is very clear that my university has provided me a good practice ground in English. Don't you think that it is time consuming to sit for such English test? That's why you can see that it is really stopping me from sitting the test although I know it is a must for me to enter public university.
Alright, the 3rd problem in the list above - Design ability. Why is it a problem? As mentioned above, I never scored A in design for my whole bachelor degree course. It is somehow as a sign telling me that I am not a good designer. I know there are quite a lot of architects outside who are not a good designer but still earning a lot. But for me, if I cannot have good design then what for to be an architect? The main role of an architect is to design nice building for the people. Some people says that architect can be good in project management and technical knowledge although without design ability. That's true but not fully correct. There are experts in every field. If you say that an architect who is not good in design can just be a project architect, then I have to tell you there are a group of people known as project manager. They are the expert in project management. They know more than architects especially when comes to site experience. And for technical knowledge, I am sorry to say that almost half of the architects are not really good in detailing, especially those who are age below fifty. Most of them need to rely on senior draftsman or even those so-called product specialist which you can see that most of the detail specifications in architectural drawings are always stated that is to specialist's detail. Therefore, an architect without design ability is almost nothing.
I am quite optimistic most of the times. But when comes to problem above, I'm always speechless and confuse. Architecture is like one of my partner which has been accompanying me since the day I've decided to choose it as my career path in the future. But the disappointed part is that it seems like I am falling to the group of people that can only be an architect without design ability. I don't want to give up architecture. But even though I am not giving up, it doesn't mean that I can be successful in the future. Tadao Ando said that if you cannot be good at one thing might as well just giving up and go for the things that you can be very successful and nobody can beat you.
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