Now that our first online semester is getting started, our VP Tarnjeet Lalh, has kindly shared 10 useful tips and advice for making the most out of the school year!
1
Make friends with your studio mates. Your late nights will become fun and entertaining and a whole new learning experience. Create a group chat and hold video calls for work sessions. Sometimes just having the presence of another person while working can relieve some stress and make working from home more fun. And it’s convenient if you have questions or need resources for new precedents, software tips, project critiques and studio advice.
2
Reach out for help! Professors and faculty are always a great resource, your fellow peers, whether in your program or not, will be more than willing to help out, and of course, students from organizations and clubs like UBC NOMAS are always here for you as well. Just reach out to me or whoever you feel comfortable with!
3
Practice prioritizing -- in school and in life. Prioritize what is most important and use your time wisely. Try not to spend too long on one thing; sometimes it’s better to give yourself a time limit, that way you can move on to something else.
4
Overcome perfectionism. This one is similar to the point above, but it cannot be emphasized more. It’s important to realize that you can endlessly improve a project, but sometimes you need to let go and accept that you have done your best.
5
Follow your curiosity. Some of the best ideas can come from experimentation, exploration and accidents!
6
Don’t take your critique feedback to heart. We all have at least one bad crit, if not more. It’s not a personal attack on you, or your work, rather, it’s to show you a different perspective on things.
7
Differentiate your space. As most of us will need to designate working spaces within our homes, it may be in your best interest to want to keep studio work separate from home life. Try designating one spot in the house as a place for only work - this way there will be no blurred lines between relaxation and work.
8
All designs are unique. Don’t waste your time realizing how someone next to you approached a design in a more creative way than you even thought to. It’s likely that they’re looking at your design and thinking the exact same thing.
9
Get some sleep and establish healthy habits. Studio can consume much of your time, but your well-being is still top priority, so it is still very important to keep in check with your health -- mentally and physically.
10
Play! Never stop having fun, whether it’s going out with friends in a socially distanced and safe manner, or taking some time to breathe and relax alone. If it brings you happiness, then it should be something that you make time for.
The upcoming school year will definitely be a change from the usual, but nonetheless, just as exciting and full of opportunity! I hope you find this year to be fulfilling as we work together to make the best of the situation and stay connected. I hope these tips will be useful for you and I’m rooting that you have a successful year ahead filled with experience of all sorts!
All the best! :)
- Tarnjeet Lalh