6 Things No One Tells You About Transitioning from Uni to Practice in Architecture

What to Consider Early On in Your Design

After years spent buried in studio culture, all-nighters, and portfolio submissions, stepping into a professional practice for the first time can feel like culture shock. I’ve made this transition twice — once after my Part 1, and again after my Part 2, and each time brought lessons no one quite prepared me for.

Architecture school is its own unique ecosystem. Practice is another world entirely — one that’s fast-paced, technical, and driven by very real budgets, clients, and constraints.

Whether you're preparing for your first placement or looking back on the shift yourself, here are 6 things I wish someone had told me.

1. You Won’t Use Half of What You Learned —

But It Still Matters

Let’s start with a hard truth: most architectural graduates use only a fraction of their university design skills in day-to-day practice. A 2021 survey by the Architects' Journal found that over 60% of graduates felt underprepared for practice, especially in technical and construction-related areas.

At university, we spend months developing a concept narrative, crafting idealised community spaces, and producing photorealistic visuals. Then, in practice, your first tasks might include setting up drawing sheets, updating door schedules, or correcting line weights on a PDF.

Why it still matters: That conceptual training develops critical thinking, problem-solving, and spatial awareness — all of which shape your decisions later, especially as you progress toward design stages.

My experience: After Part 1, I was disheartened when my first job involved little ‘design’ work. But later, I realised those early experiences taught me how projects really come together — a foundation I leaned on heavily after Part 2.

2. The Pace Is Both Slower and Faster Than You Expect

Projects in university follow academic calendars — 12 weeks, 16 weeks, done. In contrast, real-world projects can span 6 months to 6 years. You might work on a single package for weeks or jump between five jobs in a week depending on deadlines.

But here’s the twist: while the overall pace is slower, your daily workload moves fast. Meetings pop up unexpectedly. Markups need turning around quickly. Client feedback can redirect days of work in minutes.

Stat to note: According to the ARB 2023 Professional Experience Report, over 45% of new Part 1s reported struggling with managing time and deadlines in practice compared to their expectations set by uni.

My experience: After Part 1, I found the slower project pace disorienting — I kept expecting rapid change. After Part 2, I understood that real progress is gradual, and that helped me stay calm under pressure.

3. You Might Feel Useless — And That’s Totally Normal

I can’t overstate this: the first few weeks in practice can be incredibly humbling. You may have a 100-page portfolio and still not know where the printer toner is, or what “RIBA Stage 4” actually means in detail.

In uni, you’re often the creative lead on your own project. In practice, you might be assisting a team or doing tasks you don’t fully understand yet. That shift in autonomy can knock your confidence.

Fact check: The RIBA Future Trends Survey 2022 notes that early career burnout and imposter syndrome are rising issues, with 1 in 3 new grads feeling unsure about their role or contribution.

My experience: After Part 1, I remember spending an entire week just reviewing and relabelling elevations — and questioning if I’d ever do “real architecture.” By Part 2, I’d learned that being reliable, detail-oriented, and collaborative earns trust — and more complex work follows.

4. Software Is King — Even If You Didn’t Learn It in School

Architecture school gives you design tools. But practice has its own language, and it’s often written in Revit, AutoCAD, and Excel. If you’re not familiar with these, the learning curve can be steep.

Survey data: In a 2020 UK Architecture Skills Survey, over 55% of practices said the top skill gap in new graduates was lack of software proficiency, especially in BIM platforms like Revit.

Tip: Even a basic knowledge of these tools can set you apart. Learn how to navigate a Revit file, understand families, and know what a sheet setup looks like. You don’t need to be an expert — just familiar.

My experience: After my Part 1, I relied heavily on SketchUp and Photoshop — which were great for concepts, but not useful in the office. After my Part 2, I invested time in Revit training during my job search. That one move helped me land a better role and made me feel capable much sooner.

5. Office Culture Can Make or Break Your Transition

This is something university never prepares you for. Your practice environment — your team, your mentor, even where you sit in the office — has a massive impact on how supported (or isolated) you feel.

Some practices have formal mentoring and check-ins. Others might throw you in the deep end. The key is finding people who are willing to teach and support you — even informally.

Stat insight: According to the 2023 AJ Employment Survey, only 38% of new architectural staff had access to structured mentoring or training programs in their first year.

My experience: After Part 1, my first practice was well-meaning but unstructured. I had to figure out a lot on my own. After Part 2, I joined a firm that held weekly team reviews and paired me with a mentor and that support made a huge difference in my confidence and development.

6. You’ll Learn More in 6 Months Than You Did in 3 Years

No joke — the first six months in practice feel like a crash course in everything university left out: detailing, regulations, site coordination, consultant management, construction sequencing… the list goes on.

You begin to understand not just how buildings look, but how they’re actually made — and why it matters. And this learning doesn’t stop.

Architecture is a profession of lifelong learning, but those early months are critical. They’ll shape your understanding of the profession far more than studio ever could.

My experience: I’ve learned more about risk, responsibility, and design practicality in my first project post-Part 2 than in three years of uni. It’s made me more confident in the decisions I make — and more respectful of how many people it takes to bring a building to life.

Final Thoughts: You’re Not Alone

No one truly feels ready to start practice — not after Part 1, and often not even after Part 2. But the truth is: everyone starts somewhere.

It’s okay to feel overwhelmed. It’s okay to ask questions. It’s okay to make mistakes.

What matters most is that you stay open, curious, and humble — because that’s what turns a graduate into a great architect over time.

One last stat: According to the RIBA, over 80% of architects surveyed said their early years in practice were the most formative of their careers. That’s both comforting — and empowering.

6 Takeaways:

1. Design training isn’t wasted — it just adapts.

2. Projects move slow, but daily work is fast-paced.

3. Feeling lost is normal — keep showing up.

4. Learn the software your practice uses.

5. Good mentors and culture make all the difference.

6. The steepest learning curve leads to the biggest growth.