‘Give time a little time’, a philosophy which I implement in order to stay calm, poised and patient, also helps me train my mind and soul to be uncomplaining and tolerant. This reasoning guided me in my pursuit of the Master of Architecture degree at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in the USA.
Vibrant campus
The university is spread across vast acres of land in the border of Urbana and Champaign, in Illinois. Students from different parts of the world come here to pursue their dreams. ‘The Quad’ is the most beautiful and peaceful green space on the campus, acting as a haven for students to carry out their leisure and studies. The activity and recreation centre on campus is the ideal zone for students to develop their interests as it has multiple sports activities and a physical development curriculum.
Inspiration
The class of education in the U.S. has made me realise that whatever results I produce should be according to my own method with references cited. The system of education here motivates students to go in depth and discover something of their own. The faculty members are inspiring, as I have gathered wide knowledge and have got trained diligently.
The university has a number of courses to offer. The architecture course in itself has multiple dual degree opportunities. Through Theory of Architecture, I have gathered knowledge on the evolution of architecture in the world and more closely in the U.S. Two of my favourite courses were Design, Building and Technology, and Architecture, Cinema, Environment and Behaviour, as I learnt from them how technology can be incorporated in architecture and how architecture can inspire the way films are made.
Sustainability with respect to Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) in architecture was an interesting course as I got to learn in depth about the green materials to be used for construction to make the world a better place. The design studio was the most important of all as it made me understand how a selfless design should be implemented from brain to paper.
Life in the U.S., far away from home, has definitely made me realise how important family and luxury is. Adapting to the city is easy but when something amazing happens around you, you will not have your near and dear ones to share with. They say that rules and regulations are meant to be broken, but people in this country hardly do so. Everybody cares about society, safety and security. The importance of discipline and punctuality in the U.S. is a great day-to-day learning experience. In the long run, I will definitely cherish the years I spend here.
Dikshit Mahaveer Chand is a student of Master of Architecture at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, USA.
