17/08/2025
Keep Becoming
As we enter this new phase of life, we carry a mix of pride, relief, and fear. The long nights, the heavy plates, the countless revisions, and the anxious juries are finally behind us. For years, we have pushed ourselves through the challenges of architecture school, often fueled only by caffeine, deadlines, and the thought of someday reaching this moment. And now that we are here, a new question lingers: What happens next?
The truth is, many of us don’t have a clear answer. Some of us are 𝘀𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗱. 𝘐 𝘢𝘮 𝘴𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘥, 𝘵𝘰𝘰. The world outside the walls of our studios and classrooms feels vast and uncertain. Suddenly, we are no longer students but graduates, expected to know where to begin. Do we apply to firms? Do we prepare for licensure? Do we pursue a master’s degree? The fear lies not in the lack of options but in the weight of choice. What if we take the wrong first step? What if we are not good enough yet? These fears are real, but may they also remind us that we care deeply about this path. Fear, after all, is not a sign of weakness—it is a sign that the journey matters.
For others, the more pressing feeling is 𝗲𝘅𝗵𝗮𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻. Architecture school is not an easy road. It demands time, energy, creativity, and resilience. After years of giving so much of ourselves, it is natural to feel drained. I know classmates who simply want to rest first, to pause and breathe before rushing into the next stage of life. And that is okay. Resting does not make anyone less driven or less passionate. Rest is not giving up; it is gathering strength. Sometimes, pausing is the bravest thing to do, because it acknowledges that we are human and that our best work comes from a mind and heart that are whole.
I also know some of my batchmates feel a different kind of 𝘂𝗿𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗰𝘆. Family expectations, financial needs, and personal commitments drive them to start working immediately after graduation. They cannot afford to wait or wander—they need to move. I admire their strength because choosing to step right into the workforce is not just about ambition; it's also about determination. It is about resilience, honoring the sacrifices of loved ones, and carrying not just their own dreams. Their path is equally valid and admirable.
And then there are some of us who hear a 𝗱𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹 altogether. After years of studying architecture, a few may realize their hearts belong elsewhere—in fields not directly tied to what we studied. Perhaps in the arts, in writing, in entrepreneurship, or in entirely new disciplines. At first, it might feel like betrayal to the degree we worked so hard for. But our years in architecture have shaped how we think, see, and solve problems. No matter the path, the lessons will carry on. Choosing a different direction does not erase our identity—it expands it.
These paths—of fear, of rest, of exploring, of responsibility—are different, but none is lesser than the other. Whichever path we take, I’ve realized that all of them are valid. None of us are behind. None of us are ahead. We are all simply walking different roads that lead to the same thing: becoming. To become better in skill, deeper in understanding, wider in perspective. To become what we truly want to be—whether that’s a designer of towering structures, a protector of heritage, a planner of communities, a dreamer of spaces that don’t exist yet, or even if that vision changes along the way. To become the version of ourselves we once envisioned during those sleepless nights over drafting tables, when we whispered our hopes to ourselves.
Graduation is not the end of our journey—it’s just the opening of many doors. Some of us will walk slowly, some will run, some in entirely new directions, and some will pause before stepping in. But all of us are on the same journey of growth. My adviser once said, “𝙆𝙚𝙚𝙥 𝙗𝙚𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙜”. Wherever you begin, what matters most is to keep becoming better, becoming truer, becoming what you dreamed to be.
𝘑𝘢𝘮 𝘙𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘔𝘢𝘯𝘢-𝘢𝘺, 2025
𝘗𝘩𝘰𝘵𝘰𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘱𝘩 𝘣𝘺: 𝘔𝘪𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘦𝘭 𝘎𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘢
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