I think it’s really important for A/E students to be exposed and be trained on how the real world works. I’ve been on several projects where the project manager thinks as long as the drawings are out on time and the project is under budget, he/she did a good job. Project management isn’t as simple as that and neither is running a business. Your typical project manager probably learned the ropes from the guy before him and that guy learned the ropes from another guy before him…I see a lot of management styles that are outdated and lack some of the progressive thinking that B-schools are teaching to their students. Unless you have the drive to go to B-school or happens to be a naturally enlighten leader or happens to work for one, you will not be exposed to those ideas or how to run a business/how to manage a project/how to be a leader. The vicious cycle will continue.
Design is great and knowing the process and having all these layers of thinking is wonderful, but so much happens beyond the design. Students get sucked into what I like to call “design fantasy-land” where everything is about the design and the process and….yada…yada…yada…and that’s wonderful and all, but schools should better prepare their students for what is out there. Tell them straight up: “You will have to work with other people”, “You will have to deal with budgets”, “It’s not always about the landscape”, “You will have to work with people you don’t like”…the list goes on. Design schools should do a better job at balancing theory with practice.
