Sherilyn is in the final stretch of her 1-year Foundation in Natural & Built Environments course, with plans to begin her degree studies in September. As the end of the foundation year approaches, the workload has become increasingly intense, leaving her with little to no time for herself. The relentless projects and assignments have taken a toll on her sleep, leaving her exhausted and overwhelmed. On top of her studies, she is very much involved in dancing, rehearsals, and video shooting. Dancing is her first love and will always be.
The demands of the foundation course have been relentless. Sherilyn has been working tirelessly on back-to-back assignments, barely catching a moment to rest. The past two weeks have been particularly challenging, with little to no sleep as she races against deadlines. A few nights ago, she was still at college at 3:30 a.m., working on a project with her course mates. Despite my worries, I knew she was dedicated to completing her work. Whenever she or Alycia are not back home yet, I won’t be able to sleep well too. So I am also battling sleep deprivation.
After submitting one assignment (drawing of floor plans and site layout), another challenging project awaited Sherilyn. This time, her task involved creating something out of a big bunch of matches, air-dry clay, red papers, fire lighters and sharp cutting tools. For two days, our apartment was transformed into a makeshift workshop, filled with the smell of smoke and ashes from burning matches and papers. The air was thick with fumes, and our air purifier was working overtime to clear the air, with numbers in air quality rising to three digits. As someone with OCD, the mess and chaos drove me to my limits, and I found myself nagging non-stop and yet helping Sherilyn clean up the aftermath despite dealing with a painful right tennis elbow and a post-surgery left foot.
While I was frustrated with the mess and the strain it placed on my own health, I understood the pressure Sherilyn was under. I am still asking her if an architectural course is truly her passion, given the relentless workload and sacrifices it demands.
After pulling two all-nighters, Sherilyn is finally submitting her assignment in college today. I hope she can get some much-needed rest and sleep before the next round of assignments begins. It’s been a grueling journey, but her hard work and perseverance are commendable. As her mother, I am incredibly proud of her dedication and resilience, even if it means enduring sleepless nights and a chaotic home environment.
As Sherilyn prepares to transition from her foundation year to her degree studies, I hope she finds a better balance between her academic responsibilities and personal well-being. The road ahead in an architectural course will undoubtedly be challenging, but I believe in her ability to navigate it with the same determination and strength she has shown so far. Even if she decided to drop architectural and pursue another degree course after the Foundation course, I will support her decision.
Here’s to hoping for more organized projects and less smoke-filled rooms, messy dining table, and dirty floors in our house in the future!
Now I know why many students gave up the architectural course mid way as it’s not easy. I don’t think it’s easy.
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You are absolutely right. One of the toughest course. My son gave up after Foundation even though he got very good results. He is pursuing Creative Media now.
Hi Jenny
Yes, indeed one of the toughest courses out there. Glad that your son decided to drop it after Foundation instead of continuing and later decided to drop it. All the best to your son in his new course of choice. Which uni is he in?