For the ARE's I had a bunch of digital files at my disposal so I uploaded all of it to a cloud based storage (Dropbox, Google Drive) so I always had all of the study material at my fingertips on my phone and took any opportunity to study: lunch, commuting, after work for an hour or two.
The other source I used was there used to be a Google+ page that was dedicated for ARE 4.0. From my understanding NCARB didn't like the lack of control they had (i.e. maintenance, updates, etc.) so they created their own site (Link Below). I really only used this for the vignettes as it expanded the amount of people I had to bounce options off of for each. They also provided a section for meetup and study groups.
One of the best mindsets to be in is to always be learning and to always set goals. The hardest thing I feel about the profession is that so much of it, outside of school, is self motivated including getting licensed. I feel another benefit to networking in addition to Charles comment, is that it exposes you to different causes, committee's and issues found in this profession that may guide you in a direction you had never thought.
https://are5community.ncarb.org/hc/en-us/community/topics------------------------------
Todd Brautigam AIA
Principal Architect
Selberg Associates Inc
Lake Havasu City AZ
------------------------------
Original Message:
Sent: 03-15-2020 21:46
From: Charles Ou-Yang
Subject: Local chapter
Thank you all for the feedback!
------------------------------
Charles Ou-Yang Assoc. AIA
Partner
Ball Architecture
Irvine CA
Original Message:
Sent: 03-11-2020 18:55
From: Daniel Guich
Subject: Local chapter
Well said Charles!
------------------------------
Daniel Guich, LEED AP, CDT
S T U D I O C O N V E R G E
San Francisco, CA
Original Message:
Sent: 03-10-2020 17:32
From: Christopher Lewis
Subject: Local chapter
Charles,
Always look to build a professional network. People you meet at every event may be a future co-worker or firm partner if things go well. Focus on being a reliable person that cares about what they do, and why they do it. Value yourself and your time and others will follow suit. Be hungry to learn. Ask questions. Look for ways to help the emerging professionals coming up in the industry. We tend to eat our young, or put unrealistic hurdles in front of them because someone said we should somewhere. The profession is better with more people in it, so stop putting undue burdens on people. Do the work, put in the time when you need to, but know when to balance that with knowing you can't be perfect. Be the mentor you had, or wish you'd had. Enjoy the journey, but don't forget that friends and family are more important than almost any deadline you can face. Have fun!
------------------------------
Christopher Lewis Assoc. AIA
Ankrom Moisan Architects, Inc.
Portland OR
Original Message:
Sent: 03-07-2020 17:01
From: Charles Ou-Yang
Subject: Local chapter
Some of us are pursuing the ARE. Some of us are trying to handle the overtime. What are some of your life hacks or rituals?
And if we were attending an event with the AIA national or local events, what should be the mindset and focus to help make us better architects?
It's Spring cleaning and I am simply seeing how I can 80/20 my life to more achievements($) and fulfillment(joy).
Cheers,
Charles
------------------------------
Charles Ou-Yang Assoc. AIA
Partner
Ball Architecture
Irvine CA
------------------------------