Back on the Blog
After a few months, and a few minutes trying to figure out how to log back in to this blog ... I'm back!An eventful - and then again, not really - few months. I took General Structures and Lateral Forces at the end of August. I think late August went something like this: Tuesday was a massive work day, Wednesday was a study day, Thursday was my exam / Council meeting (I didn't go) / parents came over and Friday I went off to Europe. Anyways, I found out I passed a few weeks ago - so this makes 4 down, 5 to go. I have Mechanical and Electrical in about 6 weeks, and then Pre-Design kicks off the new year with a bang. Yes, Prometric was booked solid for 3 months.
When I got back from holidays I was the very green OR guinea pig at the AIBC's first ever Mock Oral Review. I went to a couple of real Oral Reviews back in June, and thought that being able to see it was psychologically useful in preparing for it. So, without, um, much preparation, I was grilled by Scott and Amanda for 20 minutes on stuff I really should know more about!
My personal tips:
- Ask Roisin at the AIBC for the Oral Review preparation material. Ideally, you will have done all the PD courses, reviewed the PD binder material, reviewed the AIBC website material, done many if not all the AREs (especially Contract Documents). And ideally, you will have had a variety of work experience in a smaller firm. Budget the same amount of time to prepare for this as an ARE. Come to the workshop.
- It is an Oral Review, so practice verbally saying answers to possible questions - either with a study buddy or just plain out loud. It is one thing to tick a check box off on a multiple choice exam. It is another - for those not verbally gifted - to verablize the answer.
- You will be nervous. Relax, and listen to the question.
- Your mouth will run dry from talking for 45 minutes. Be sure to get yourself a glass of water before starting.
- A very good way to prepare is also to be the volunteer guinea pig at the next Mock Oral. Help yourself by helping others!
The sad news this summer has been that Norman Dorf passed away. He has been the Graphics ARE Guru for interns all across North America and internationally. We were going to have him here in Vancouver this fall. I remember him telling me that he was going to cut down his sessions this year, but he really wanted to come as he loved our city. His material has been cited by one BC interns as indispensable, and honestly, I hear nothing prepares you better for the high-fail-rate (not kidding! See NCARBs Pass Rates by Division and Pass Rates for Schools) Graphics exams. So check out http://www.are-solutions.com/, take advantage of the good exchange rate, get his books ($309USD for everything you need on BP, BT, SP), and book your exams now!!
We had thought that we would have David Thaddeus, the Structures ARE Guru in next spring, but now have secured him to do his, ahem, 3-day, 8am-7am, all-the-structures-you'll-ever-need seminar over Remembrance Day weekend. He is coming all the way from North Carolina to teach us General and Lateral in a jiffy. It will be at UBC - but register at http://www.aibc.ca/. I'll be there Saturday morning to introduce him. I have to thank the Alberta rep again for this - Stephanie booked him earlier this spring in Calgary, and 50 AB interns (out of 150) and 5 BC interns took it. With 481 BC interns, it will definately be packed so register early!
Tuesday was a Council meeting. The usual acronyms were tossed around like radishes in a good salad: IDI, BDIBC, ASTTBC, CACB, RAIC and a sprinkling of TILMA. Plus a new El G - oops! I meant LG, Lieutenant Governor Appointee, who I hadn't met yet, who was Lost in All Those Acronyms. There was New Act stuff (sort of), revised Tariff of Fees for Principals (a raise in fee based on the cost of living is entirely defensible), a thick wad of RAIC stuff, and then after 5 hours, the final item: a proposed new registration exam (a Canadian ARE alternative) set to bust out pretty soon. So far, it's just Alberta, Ontario, and Quebec that are committed to offering it to its interns. I think we are going to talk about that more at the next meeting. It's a big issue.
I was browsing in the Union of International Architects website today. They've got this link to a project database called Architectural Practice Around the World. On the left side you can look at specific countries. On the right side, "Statistics" gives graphical comparisons.
I have to say I have a laugh when I compare Denmark and Canada. Denmark is remarkably different. There is no internship, no compulsory exam, no regulation of practice, no mechanism checking license to practice (stamp), no fee scale, no compulsory PD, and yes foreign architects can practise independently. My Danish friends look at me like I'm from Mars when I tell them of our system!
Otherwise, did you know it was World Architecture Day on October 1st?
The Union of International Architects has chosen to devote this year's event to the issue of climate change. With 50% of all greenhouse gasses coming from the construction and transportation sector, you know it: the global force of 1,300,000 architects of the world can make an enormous difference.
Let's do it.
posted by Lisa @ 8:27 PM
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