architecton
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- 6
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Hi
To introduce myself, i studied to be an architect but now want to pursue Masters in Planning for all the usual reasons that lament about whats wrong with the arch profession.
My first question is about specialization. There are so many spez in planning that I am unsure about what to focus on! I have not come across any post on the forum(though i might be mistaken) just giving an overview of the spezs involved. Here i am not so much bothered about what I would study than actually what i would end up WORKING at. I am looking at GIS and transportation right now. However, few planners I talked to said that they preferred people with a civil engnn background for the job. Comments?(Sincere request: Please don tell me to do what interests me. It is not applicable. Any job that allows me to use my head to do it and pays me enuf to live with dignity interests me)
Second question is about school to attend. Presently, I have applied to Georgia Tech, Univ of Illinois-Urbana, Virginia Tech, SUNY-Buffalo, USC, FSU. I thought that with tech schools i could get a good grounding in GIS. I don know how Important that is for planners but as in architecture, nobody would hire a computer-illiterate(personal experience). I really don want to study academic jargon. Any suggestions on which school would be a good bet? Also, at gatech, there is a spez in land development. The course content is all finance related. Can anyone enlighten me about what i would end up working at if i took that up. I beleive myself to be GOOD at number crunching!
Third question is more general and might not merit an answer. As an architect what i hate about the job is that any other moron could be doing what i am, it requires very less logical and analytical thought, it pays a pittance and mostly, there is no freesom for "creative expression" (which is probably the bait that we students fall for while entering arch school). Mostly, i feel like a second class professional. I don know if I am moving "up" in the ranks as a planner. I have read some frustrating posts on the forum. But I really don know if its a better bet than arch.
I'm also wondering if a spez in gis(abt which i know very little as for now) can open up more avenues of future employment or is it no big deal.
Lots of questions from my side! Hoping for some answers or atleast cues towards them.
To introduce myself, i studied to be an architect but now want to pursue Masters in Planning for all the usual reasons that lament about whats wrong with the arch profession.
My first question is about specialization. There are so many spez in planning that I am unsure about what to focus on! I have not come across any post on the forum(though i might be mistaken) just giving an overview of the spezs involved. Here i am not so much bothered about what I would study than actually what i would end up WORKING at. I am looking at GIS and transportation right now. However, few planners I talked to said that they preferred people with a civil engnn background for the job. Comments?(Sincere request: Please don tell me to do what interests me. It is not applicable. Any job that allows me to use my head to do it and pays me enuf to live with dignity interests me)
Second question is about school to attend. Presently, I have applied to Georgia Tech, Univ of Illinois-Urbana, Virginia Tech, SUNY-Buffalo, USC, FSU. I thought that with tech schools i could get a good grounding in GIS. I don know how Important that is for planners but as in architecture, nobody would hire a computer-illiterate(personal experience). I really don want to study academic jargon. Any suggestions on which school would be a good bet? Also, at gatech, there is a spez in land development. The course content is all finance related. Can anyone enlighten me about what i would end up working at if i took that up. I beleive myself to be GOOD at number crunching!
Third question is more general and might not merit an answer. As an architect what i hate about the job is that any other moron could be doing what i am, it requires very less logical and analytical thought, it pays a pittance and mostly, there is no freesom for "creative expression" (which is probably the bait that we students fall for while entering arch school). Mostly, i feel like a second class professional. I don know if I am moving "up" in the ranks as a planner. I have read some frustrating posts on the forum. But I really don know if its a better bet than arch.
I'm also wondering if a spez in gis(abt which i know very little as for now) can open up more avenues of future employment or is it no big deal.
Lots of questions from my side! Hoping for some answers or atleast cues towards them.