Wednesdays.

This is the blog for students enrolled in ELI 530- Academic Speaking and Writing for Architecture and Urban Planning, at the University of Michigan.

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Reflection

The semester passed so quickly!

 It has been only four months since I got here, but I’ve experienced four seasons of Ann Arbor and I am getting loved with it. For the summer time, parks are there to go jogging in. And with the changing color of the leaves, autumn comes gradually with little drop of temperature, and, of course, the best yellow leaves scene of the year. After little period of raining days, real winter comes to visit. The ground is covered with white snow. Can’t wait to go skiing after final review!

 The great climate offers a good mood to think about what I would do later. Getting into a professional program makes me know more about the nature of architecture design, which then helps me to figure out where my real passion is. The next coming winter break may be the best time to think about that carefully.

 Can’t wait to meet with more interesting people after break.

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BUY BUY BUY EAT EAT EAT

I would call this break an old-and-new experience. The old part is that my friend visits me during this break. She was my high school classmates and we haven’t been seen each other for one year. During this break, we could stay together and talk with each other, which always brought me back to the high school time. The new part is that we together celebrated Thanks giving by having meals with family and going shopping, which was a new experience for me. My roommates and I had Chongqing hot pot together on the Friday night. After that on Saturday, we drove to several shopping malls. The parking lot was almost full that day, which is interesting because I can rarely see so many people here.

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Reflection

This semester comes to the end. I feel time pass so quickly.

I feel so many different things here. It’s very cold here compared with my hometown. There are not so many restaurants open at night here. There are less people walking on the street. No spicy hotpot restaurant here. It seams like all are bad things for me. The good thing is I found the people here are great. I mean the teachers and classmates are all very nice.

Talking about the studio things, I feel the one-semester long project gives me more time to think something deeper about architecture. I also found every classmate are so good and I can learn a lot from different classmate by looking at their great work.

Overall, things get better and I start enjoying the life here.

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Reflection

 I have to say that my first semester in Taubman College was amazing! 

The first amazing thing was that I learned such a lot of stuffs like software and equipment that I had never heard before in such a short semester. My undergraduate school was a very traditional one and we didn’t have things like robot arm or even a foam cutter. Here, almost everything was brand new to me. I felt stressed at the very beginning, because I felt like I had a due everyday, I had to learn everything, and all of my classmates were genius. But fortunately, I quickly adjusted myself to the new life and struggled to keep pace with the class.  

Besides, I really like the courses we had here and the way we pushed forward and explore the possibilities. Although some assignments were really annoying, and, again, they were totally different from what I learned before, I still enjoyed them. For me, all of them were experiences. 

Meanwhile, my English has been improved a lot. Thanks to Debbie, Sara, and all of the presentations. 

I hope everyone could enjoy the following terms, and I could be more strict with myself. Read more, think more, and have enough sleep.

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Reflection

It’s been four months since I came here, and my first semester in Taubman College is coming to a close. It took me nearly a month to get used to new environment of both study and living. I easily got confused of expectations of me in class at the beginning, but now I better understand how everything works.

I spent most of my time on my design class. (I really wish I could have spent more, but I was not very good at time management, so I ended up having not enough time before each studio meeting.) The Studio was inspiring, it had so many possibilities and it made me excited. I like the way my instructor encouraged and inspired me. She made me dig deeper into my concept and design in a more thoughtful way. Overall, I enjoyed my first semester here, and I wish I can do better next year.

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Reflections

It’s been four months and a half since I came to Ann Arbor, I found this first semester exhausting but fruitful. Studio works take most of my time and energy. I enjoy looking for differences in design logic and culture between US and China. I really appreciate the abundant resources provided in this college regarding fabrication and representation. I am impressed by creative way of modeling and crafting as well as testing expressive materials. In Arch515, I was exposed to wide range of knowledge of design methods and ideology which interacting with climate changes and environmental risks. I also enjoy the collaboration with other students who have different cultural backgrounds but all easygoing, responsible, reliable and passionate in team works.

 Apart from the study, the life here is also challenging but awarding to me. It’s my first time to be aboard for such a long time. I really enjoy handling all kinds of things by myself and to be further independent. I truly value what I have experienced and learned in this wonderful community.

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Thansgiving Break

I went to my uncle’s home to have my thanksgiving holiday in Dallas, Texas. I arrived there in the morning of Thanksgiving Day, I went home and cooked lunch with my uncle’s family and also prepared foods for Thanksgiving dinner. We had traditional hot-pot and some oven-cooked food, to make it a combination of Chinese and American holiday feast. The other day, we went to a shopping mall for a “Black Friday” experience. It was so crowded there, but nothing special to purchase, so that I went home and buy some stuff online. Of course, studio work should be a significant occupation during the holiday. I just took some rest, spent sometime with family and finished my work during the break.

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Reflection

I can’t believe that our semester is almost at the deadline. I want to go back…. Time is too fast.

I learned a lot. In Korea’s architectural education, there is no class something like “representation”. After I took that course, I love that course. It was hard to me but it is worth. And I think that my listening and speaking English skill is more improve. I eagerly look forward to next semester. However, we have only almost 2week break… It’s too short..

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Reflection

The first semester in Ann Arbor is coming to a close. The snow has covered the whole city now, which brings the winter literally. 

It has been four months since I came here, but oddly, it seems just like a flash to me in my mind. I still remember the blazing sun and fireflies in August when I saw the thick snow laying on the ground yesterday morning.

I have to say, this semester began with an overwhelming rush to me. It seems that each course has tons of drawings and readings, which made me stay up very late everyday, and almost had no time to eat any breakfast and lunch. As time goes by, I gradually catch up with the step. Or maybe partly because the assignment did reduce to some extent. I actually learnt a lot in this semester，especially in taking in various ideas and more inspirations. Take Respresentation as an example, this is a class with idea storm. On the first class, I was even a little astonished by different wild ideas popping up. That was really the most interesting course I have this semester. I started without knowing what the class will do, and end with different strange ideas that make me excited.

Out of class, I did a lot, as well. I have met some new friends, took a trip to Northern Michigan to enjoy the beautiful scenery, watched some films, knew more about American culture and food. And since I like pizza a lot, it’s a little pity I have never tried the real Chicago style Deep Dish Pizza yet.

Overall, this is a great semester and a good start in America.

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Thanksgiving: Idle at home

I was really excited before a week of Thanksgiving when I realized there would be a five-day holiday. I was planning to go to Chicago and have a great holiday, at least to see the Chicago Biennial. But then, none of my plans happened in Thanksgiving, thanks to my crazy staying up before Thanksgiving. I spent two weekends in two different workshops, and then have to stay up more to complete my other assignments. So taking a good rest became the greatest desire right before Thanksgiving day. After the last class on Wednesday, I went home and took a sleep until 5 PM. The next day, I woke up at 2 PM, and watched a film at home. Then the other time of the day, I was just idling without desire to do anything. On Black Friday, I woke up at 2 PM and almost repeated the last day. The last two day of the holiday, I finally tried to wake up and do some studio work. And I enjoyed the steak in Texas Roadhouse with some friends on Saturday night. So that’s my blank Thanksgiving day. I took a good rest, slept enough to prepare for the final.

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A short semester

Saw someone titled their post with “a long semester”, on the contrary, I think this semester is a short semester. Outside the studio’s window is a light grey but empty canvas. I went through the green to the gold to this blank grey (and snow! yeah!)

Academically, I had a good experience. Developed a good statement, met a enthusiastic instructor with some great design propositions, read some inspiring materials and precedents, etc. Everything just kept me enthusiastic about architectural design, and made me feel like a right decision to come here pursue further education.

For my personal life, the past few days are slightly going down, but I am sure it is just a process of handle stress and pressures, and it’s just the flow of growing up. 

Hope everyone have a great final review.

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Reflection

This is exactly how you say hello to each other during finals. Everyone is struggling in their own ways. For me, it’s myself that I’m struggling with. In the very beginning of this semester, everything is so cool that I didn’t want to miss, to some extent that I could sleep at 5 AM and wake at 8 AM just to have an American-style-huge apple before catching a bus to go to school. However, now I usually sleep at 3 AM and wake up at 11 AM only by my alarm clock. Yesterday, I just missed my final presentation of ARCH515, because it happened at 9:15 AM, which is crazily early to me.

Apparently, the problem is that I have to find a way to get back my passion. Three months ago, it was the fact that I didn’t know how to use Rhino or Illustrator, which are the most popular programs in here, made me excited; it was the fact that I could not understand what my professors said made me excited; it was the fact that I don’t know how to use the laser cutter made me excited. Therefore, the only way to get back to that status is to accept all the challenges and to try to convince myself that I can learn a lot by doing things in unfamiliar ways.

It’s gonna be like walking in the street at night without any lights, but I deserve it and look forward to it.

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Thanksgiving has passed, obviously. Like the final presentation of sustainable system, I missed the assignment, again. 

I woke up at 4 pm, as expected, felt extremely great. There’s a Chinese saying that the two most exciting moments are when your hands cramp during manually counting your cash and when you wake up by yourself. Apparently, that day was one of those moments.

Da Huo, the guy in our studio, asked me to have dinner with a couple of Chinese guys at their place.  

Until that moment, I had almost forgotten that the Thanksgiving was really happening. I had seen turkeys in China, but they were running at the zoo; I had seen family members sitting together enjoying a big dinner, but we were eating dumplings; I had seen 10 times of “Friendsgiving” in Friends, but that only happened on a TV set.

However, we didn’t have any turkeys because we don’t know how to put dishes in them, but we did enjoy it.

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A long semester

I have the same feeling as Zhiyi since we are in the same studio. But for me, not only the theme of our studio is difficult to understand but also our professor’s speaking speed is hard to catch up with. I still remember that I couldn’t understand anything when our professor expressed his feeling about fire station and introduced some codes during our first studio class. After the class I asked Zhiyi for the details of the information in this conversation. Zhiyi just thought me absent-minded and I was too shame of my listening skill to tell her actually I was all ears in class. And now even though I still can miss some important information, I can understand most of what the professor talks. I myself didn’t realize this unless recalled the days of the beginning.

When I started writing this post, I wanted to use “how time flies” as the first sentence originally because I used this sentence in my semester summary every year. Time really files when you are quite busy with your school work. However, this time I don’t feel that this semester is really short as I learnt much more than beftore and changed a lot, although it ends quickly. I think I really challenge myself in some extent. I was so afraid to speak English to others before because my poor pronunciation. And I struggled a lot about the ideas on how to begin my assignment which wasted plenty of time. Also I really didn’t like to read articles in English. Right now I dare to speak to my American friend slowly and I know the time management is quite important because we always have so many difficult readings, other dues and daily chores. I’m so glad to meet my colleagues here since I learn a lot from them. And thank you very much, Debbie and Sara. I appreciate a lot for you company since this summer. I’m gonna miss you both.

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FINALLY

There is nothing else more exciting than completing a semester.

Well, I would like to reflect on my studio.

In the beginning of the semester, I could not agree with my professor’s idea, which sounded so weird but funny for others. I did not like his idea of making comic books of our projects which was compulsory for our studio. And most people in my studio would say “ What? How? And Why should I?” And when he gave instruction on our projects, he always tried to make them weird, crazy and terrifying, which is the theme of our studio – Horror in Architecture. ( In fact, it is a name of a book.)

I mean, everything looks brand new for me. His teaching method, his instruction, the idea generated from a book, and also the concept – stereotomy. But when I have learned more and more from my professor Robinson, I have got his point now. I have found his purpose on asking us to challenge ourselves. Since we worked so carefully and logically before, he wants to push us to have a totally different exercise. So, I have got new model techniques, I have got new ways of developing my concept. And I have got fresh ideas of drawing now. All of these make up my progress. Considering the next semester, I would like to devote to working on the exploration on materials. And I select a elective course playing with plaster next semester. I think it will help me a lot in my future career, either research or work.

Most importantly, thank you very much, Debbie and Sara! I am really grateful for you help : )

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Reflection

How time flies! We have completed almost a semester and are now preparing for the final review. After studying in studio for a few months, my biggest feeling is that the professors here usually attach great importance to encouraging students and helping students to find their own ideas.

Architecture, is a subject somehow related to art and creativity. Perhaps because of the urgent need for urban development, my undergraduate architecture education was more oriented towards program rather than design itself. Sometimes, I popped out a really novel idea of design, but the professor would probably, to some extent, strike you down from cost and construction difficulties. That was just too practical for an architecture student, even though I know it was good.

However, here in Taubman College, my studio professor would help me on how to continue my proposal and deepen my thoughts. In other words, they help me to implement those ethereal concepts into a viable project, rather than criticize my naive fantasy. Thanks to my super nice professor in studio, I rekindled my interest in architecture.

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Reflections

It’s a fulfilling and tired semester. As for the improvement during this term, I think it is the presentation in front of the native English speakers. Since we have had many reviews during the semester in the studio, I need to make preparation every time, so I have become more and more fluent using the English to convey my concept and ideas. The one thing that changed in my mind is the understanding of the representation. I think I ignored the importance of representation in the design and lack of selecting references of different styles. 

I will continue working on the improvement of representation skills in the following term, and I even have representation course in the next semester, I hope I can improve my computer skills and learn some drawing techniques to better show my design.