That Joke Wasn’t Too Popular at School

What’s this? A conclusion? The most recent cynical ploy for more posts now draws to a close! Will this be the last time the rules are bent to fill an arbitrary quota? (no)

So yeah, I’m a bit disillusioned with architecture. I’d like to think it’s not just because I’m bitter about not having a job in the field, but I can’t rule that out. I really do think that there were some fundamental differences between how I looked at architecture, and how my professors and fellow students did.

Looking back at what I’ve written the past few days, it could also be that I was turned off by the “ivory tower of academia,” where things were allowed to be insulated from real world concerns. But when you feel compelled to add meaning to things just to feel useful, it might be time to take a good hard look at your priorities.

I guess you could say I like the idea of architecture, not necessarily of being an architect. My girlfriend had a similar experience: after going through college and grad school studying archeology, she came to the realization that she didn’t necessarily want to be an archeologist, she wanted to be Indiana Jones. Unfortunately, the job market for lantern-jawed, rugged grave robber/tenured professors is awfully slim.

Where does that leave me? I don’t know. I’d like to think that my time and money weren’t completely wasted. But it’s hard to let go of your goals, even if you get to the end and realize the prize wasn’t what you expected.

And I think that may be the case for architecture, at least for me. An experiment that didn’t pan out. I don’t feel like I’m giving up, but I guess I kind of am. But I’m okay with that, at least for now.