Not what I signed up for

[Daniel Jackson]

I can understand how you must feel. I remember being frustrated with my MLA programme at times because I felt they were not providing enough instruction on graphics and technical software. What they did do and what I’ve come to greatly appreciate now in my professional career is that they taught me a different way of thinking. Design cannot be taught and the approach one takes towards design is unique to the designer. This is where I appreciate the MLA when compared to the BLA. With the MLA there is more freedom for you to explore and develop the skillset you desire. The technical and graphic skills I found were more adequately developed during my internships then during my class instructions. However, my time in school allowed me to explore different styles, mediums, processes and different ways to express my designs. In the professional world, you often don’t have this luxury as time is a premium. Enjoy your time in the MLA and explore as much as you can on your own terms. My interest when entering the MLA was golf development, and while I did not receive a single hour of instruction on it, I used my thesis to research ecological golf design and I ended up publishing and presenting my work to academic and professional audiences. You get what you want to get out of an education. Don’t wait for your professors to tell you how to design. Lastly, learn how to not take criticism personally. You will need a thick skin in this profession as we all face criticism from clients, employees and other consultants.  

[Tonie C.]

7 weeks is a pretty short prep period for an MLA program. The programs I know that take non-LAs require a year of prep. There are books that you can buy to demystify things a bit. The old, really old, standard for non designers entering design was; Design and Form: The Basic Course at the Bauhaus and Later. I think it’s pretty easy to find used copies. For your time frame this might be a good book to introduce you to design thinking. Design basics by David Lauer is more thorough but also far more expensive. The library at your school should have copies of both.

That said, a lot of people go into LA thinking it’s about plants or ecology, etc. it can be, but you have to make it that. It really is a design profession first. It sounds like you may be in the wrong program for your long-term goals. Maybe you should sit the next semester out to either prepare for design school or find an ecology program.

For the next few weeks I wouldn’t worry so much about final results. Get into the process of seeing and focus on how you think through problems. You won’t be able to present a perfect drawing but you’ll be able to present your creative process. It’s ok if your drawings are more like diagrams than fine art.

[Thomas Jump]

Your description brought back some memories and feelings that I had my first year in OSU’s BSLA program “way back when”. I had very little artistic, technical or horticultural background and after a single, non-intensive “Intro to LA” course the previous spring, I was thrown into the curriculum in a way similar your current experience. There was a lot of drawing and abstract design with (physical) model building along with technical drafting, beginning construction and woody plants classes. It was very intense and a real “sink or swim” time for me. I managed to keep my head above water and muddle through but really the whole first year was like that- perserverance with sleep deprivation thrown in for good measure. Best of luck to you however it turns out!

[Michael Lynskey]

You could probably get an Ecological Engineering degree in about the same time it takes to earn an MLA.  That might be a little more valuable in the current job market.  Just an idea…

[Jordan Lockman]

Much of the computer programs and graphic techniques that I learned in school where on my own, but were inspired by a class project. I think that is the norm for a University Design Education. You are generally taught the abstract theory behind design and then are expected to apply these things to your projects. Most Autocad classes do not teach you to be a cad master they get your feet wet so you can discover the program as you work on projects. Your time in school is there for you to experiment and discover how you draw, not how to draw.

We are all different people with different perspectives and with design there is not one right answer, most of the time. So if you want to learn design, sounds like you are on a good start, but if you want to be an environmental engineer or more technical person you should find that profession.

Landscape Architecture overlaps other professions and is often confused with them so, make sure you do research and make sure this is what you truly want to do. Civil Engineering, Art, Architecture, Biology, Botany, Horticulture, etc. are all fields we bump into. 

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