Month: March 2016 (2)

Tips to Studying for the ARE’s

  The road to becoming a licensed architect is no easy feat. Juggling your job, studying, and life in general can be a challenge; however, preparation and planning can help the process. The intense 7-headed monster known as the Architectural Registration Exam (ARE) can be a lengthy battle, which currently requires the test taker to demonstrate competency in 7 specific realms. The ARE examination is comprised of the following areas: Construction Documents & Services, Programming, Planning, & Practice, Site Planning & Design, Building Design & Construction Systems, Structural Systems, Building Systems, and Schematic Design. Yikes..I know, right?! But don’t worry, there is light at the beautifully designed architectural tunnel, and hopefully these tips for approaching the exams will benefit you! Set a date I realize it’s not an easy thing to do but I believe in you, you can do it! Plan ahead and look hard at your schedule to make sure it works for you but be sure to allow yourself at least 4 weeks to study for the test. Once you have successfully scheduled your test with a local registered testing site then you’re ready to put your plan into action. Don’t put it off; stick to the study plan you’ve created as this will help in avoiding a last minute cram session. Quick Tip: Schedule your test in the morning so you can get up and get after it, this will avoid any overthinking and added anxiety to build up the day of the test. Make a plan It seems like a lot…and well honestly it is, but you need to “plan your work and work your plan”, “just do the proverbial ‘it’”, “be all that one can be”, or whatever motivational mantra you deem appropriate for your newfound testing endeavor, but the fact of the matter is […]

ACE Mentor Program

Earlier this month dozens of people gathered in a University of Minnesota auditorium to see the Architecture, Construction, & Engineering efforts of 8 local high school teams in a friendly but fierce competition. The ACE Mentor Program helps high school students and inspires them to pursue careers in design and construction. With a mission to engage, excite, and enlighten high school students in our industry, Kodet’s own Mandi Tauferner, mentored at Edison High School this school year. The goal of the ACE mentor program is to expose students to real-life architectural experiences, and this event was the culmination of an 18-week, nationwide program. The presenting students had committed themselves in an after-school program that completely immersed them into the construction world. They were exposed to everything from design and feasibility, structural systems, construction scheduling and estimating, and working as a team. Teams competing this year came from Como Park, Washburn, Harding, Humboldt, St. Louis Park, Irondale,  Edison, and Shakopee. This year’s competition focused on Historic Revitalization, students were given the choice of directing their attention to 2 familiar locations, Minneapolis Armory or the Ford Plant site. Students presented their project ideas and the team from Shakopee High School was selected the winner and will go on to compete in the National competition. Other winners include 8 scholarship recipients but most importantly all of the students as they begin paving their way into the profession. Edison High School More info: http://www.acementor.org/index.php/affiliates/minnesota/twin-cities/about-us/