September 23rd marks one complete month of classes starting. Honestly, I can't believe it's only been a month. 

First year seemed like a breeze compared to this year. 2 reviews, a quiz, an exam, 2 labs, and more just within 31 days. I'm overwhelmed to say the least.
I wasn't expecting this type of workload. Honestly, it hit me like a truck. 

The worst thing I've noticed with myself, and also one of the most valuable lessons I've learned in architecture school already, is that it will never hurt to go the extra step. There are so many things I have to get done, so I get them done quickly to have time to do other things before their deadline. But unlike any other major, where 2+2=4 and the mitochondria is the powerhouse of the cell, architecture isn't so black and white. It's subjective, it's most-of-the-time led by opinion, and it's all "how do you feel about that?". Getting it done and getting it done well are on opposite sides of the spectrum.

When I look at models that I've spent "hours and hours" building it, I see something that is a little depressing. Whether I spent "hours" or not, one more hour wouldn't hurt me, and could possibly make a better model in the end. I'm not sure if I'm being too hard on myself, but I see my work as "mediocre" or average. In my mind I say "why didn't I do that?" "why didn't I think of that?", on and on.

Sometimes it's not a matter of taking more time, but sometimes it's a lack of an idea. There's this one professor I have that's very abstract. The only way I can simply understand his work or what he "likes", is to imagine that I'm tripping on LSD or something. The work is amazing, but it's hard for me to come up with ideas as such. This same professor, during pin ups, gives students stickers for them to pick their favorite, with TAs with different stickers, and the professor with a string of stickers of the "highest honor". The projects that look awesome and certainly abstract are the ones that are covered in stickers. Me, on the other hand, get about 2 stickers. I know it's a stupid concept, and it doesn't affect my overall grade, but it's kinda a sad feeling. Yeah, I follow the rules, yeah I get A's and B's on my projects, but is my project all that interesting? Does it make people look twice and really think about my project? Not exactly.
I realize that this problem is one of 2 things, my low quality skills in adobe photoshop and illustrator to make cool looking drawings, and my lack to take that extra step.
What if I took some time to watch a lynda video once in awhile to learn about a new tool?
What if I took some time to look at some art to inspire me instead of scrolling on instagram?

Architecture is a major heavily reliant on the student's dedication. The further I get into my education, the more I realize this lesson. 
For anything, it's always worth it to take the extra step. Good grades are one thing, beautiful work is another.
Stand out instead of just passing by, because you'll thank yourself in the end.
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Welcome! I am beyond excited to announce the official launch of my website!! For the past couple months I've been working so hard to perfect everything, and it feels good to finally open it for the world to see!

If you haven't noticed, my name is Mary Beth Robbins, and I am currently in my 2nd year of 5 earning towards my Bachelor of Architecture degree from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. And goodness, I never thought architecture school would be so intensive (and a few other select vocabulary), but so far it's been such a rewarding experience. I couldn't imagine doing anything else, honestly.

A back story about me - I come from a small town by the name of Harrington, Delaware. I grew up on a family farm where I would sell vegetables on the side of the road and show animals in the state fair. I have to credit most of my childhood to being a 4-H kid. As much as I appreciate and value the agriculture world, I discovered that it wasn't for me. In high school I was blessed to be apart of the Technology Student Association where I was able to travel to cool places, campaign to be a national student officer, and find my love for architecture. That led to me applying for college and then falling in love with the Vols. Being 9 hours away from home is tough, but I wouldn't be anywhere else but Rocky Top. 

So why the website? Why an online portfolio? Why a blog?
Simple, I love to write. I wanted a place where I can write and express myself, and showcase my other works in my portfolio, all in one place. My senior year in high school I kept a blog called "Living with Senioritis", where I talked about my feelings as high school ended. I loved it, I felt like it gave me a space to breathe when my life got crazy. It was something I could call my own and have pride in. 
But I need it again. Living with Senioritis served it's purpose, and it's a pretty cool blog to check out. I need something more to write about. Somewhere where my brain can reach out to new ideas and explore new ways of thinking. That's why I've created my personal design space. I guess you could say it's more for me than for you (selfish, right?), but like I said, I needed it. My first year of architecture school was successful, I made all A's and B's, but I knew I could do better. Instead of encountering a "Writer's Block", I found myself at a "Designer's Block". I know I could've envisioned a project better, or have been stuck on something that I couldn't quite overcome. I tried a plethora of things that might help me jump the obstacle, but still found myself in the same place. I remembered blogging, I remembered how I felt being able to write about literally anything and the satisfaction of opening it up for others to read. So I wanna do it again, and do it better. 

So in short, welcome to my design space,
& welcome to my brain.