I remember being 15 or so and buying a landscape program where you could design your own gardens for houses, and I had so much fun with it. I then also got a job working for a lady down the street doing her gardening and small landscape projects (mostly me digging a trench in summer). It seemed I had quite an interest in gardening, uhh I mean landscaping, especially the design. Actually, it seemed I had a keen interest in just design, as for about a week when I was 16/17, I wanted to be a graphics designer, then there was the trial as a sign writer. Anyway, not part of the main story.
While I was living in Melbourne working at Safeway, I was browsing Seek.com.au hoping to find a way out, then I stumbled across a job ad. "Landscape Design Apprenticeship" I don't have the ad in front of me anymore, but basically it was an apprenticeship to become a landscape designer (not an architect) and this was exactly the thing I've always wanted to do. So I applied for the job, sadly, I did not get it. While the outcome was heartbreaking, it did spark something, so I researched landscape architecture courses, landscape design courses and the like, emailed landscape architects and went on this mad spree about this field.
I spoke to a landscape architect who informed me it was very difficult to get a job, and maybe I should consider architecture. This got me thinking, so I looked up architecture courses and saw the UAI required and my heart sunk. You needed something like a 93 or something crazy like that, and I did not come anywhere near that in my UAI. Then again, I'd be applying as Mature-Aged Student (ha! far from mature but) so the UAI was not a big factor, then I read about portfolio, work history and all that relating to architecture. The closest I had was some landscape work as a 15 year old kid, and some very, VERY, minor labouring hours with my dad.
While I was looking up architecture jobs on seek, and there was heaps out there, I saw some for building designer. Putting all my faith into Google, it popped up! Not legally an architect, but allowed to design buildings. Perfect! Requirements was a TAFE qualification which ran for 3 years, and there were a few places that offered it, including two campus' close to where I was living at the time, and Wodonga.
When I was able to, I changed my uni preferences (which were up until that point all health/fitness related) and chucked the two nearby campus, which was NMIT, as 1st and 2nd, Wodonga as 3rd, RMIT 4th, and a couple architecture courses for the rest.
So after countless emails between both NMIT and Wodonga, a interview with Wodonga was set-up and I was very exciting. I got all dressed up, in a shirt, vest, suit pants, my sexy black shoes, and I think I even had a tie, not sure, jumped in my car and head down to Wodonga. Now I'm not sure exactly the date, but basing it on my work roster, it had to have been a Wednesday, because I spent all day down in the Donga. I remember leaving at a beautiful 4am, as my interview was at 11am, and I like to be early, punctual is very important. I made such good time I got there a bit too early, and with it only being 9am, not many places were open to kill time, so I just went down to the river and sat on the bench, sipping on a Red Bull.
That time rolled around and I headed to the campus, where I met a old, but very nice fellow, Tim O'Keefe. Little did I know this man would become the greatest teacher I've ever had, but that's a whole different blog. Most interviews I've heard is that you need work, or a portfolio or something, but I didn't have that, all I had was me and my personality. So he asked me a bunch of questions, including why I wanted to study the course, any exposure to building design at all, and my skill level of computers. There was some extended truths, but all-in-all I think it went well, and he informed me looking over my answers, I'd get a place in the course. This was such great news to hear, but then it forced me to decide where I would study, live, work.......
After catching up with a friend, and the family, I made the trip back to Melbourne, returning at like 11pm or 12am or something like that. A couple days later I was emailing NMIT, trying to organise a interview, but there was a lack of communication, even when I tried ringing. Then a week later I got a letter from Wodonga TAFE saying I got an offer into the Advanced Diploma of Building Design (Architectural) and if I wanted a spot, I had to ring an attend orientation day. At this moment I wanted to stay in Melbourne, so I sent NMIT an email saying that they were my top preference in my VTAC, and that I got an offer from Wodonga, and I wanted to know if I had a chance of getting a spot because I couldn't get a interview in. I got a email back the next day saying that if I didn't get a offer, give them a ring and they would work it out.
A week or so passed and I made the decision to go to Wodonga, as Melbourne was expensive, my lease was running out, housemates were ditching me (can't blame them but!) and needed to find somewhere to stay. All of these con's made me decide to move back home, which had lots of positives.
When the offers came out, I wasn't in a mad rush to check as I already had a place in the course I wanted, but was interesting to see what I got. Turns out I got my first preference of Advanced Diploma of Building Design & Technology (pretty much exactly the same course I think) at NMIT Preston Campus. I had instructions of attending their orientation day and enrol, however, I declined the offer and did the exact same with Wodonga.
Looking back, you can't help but wonder what my life would have been like if I took the NMIT offer. At the start of the year when I was jobless, broke and the like, Melbourne looked so much better. But if I go to imagine now, it is scary because I've made some very good friends, the teachers have been great, and I even met the girl of my dreams until she crushed my heart! Ha, not really, I was just friend-zoned, hope she doesn't read this, oh well. So if I took the NMIT, I wouldn't have met her (and we are now very close friends), BUT, I would of had my job at Safeway still, continuing to earn an income, I had a couple close friends from work but I'm sure I would have made heaps at TAFE. If I just had a offer accepted for a room in Melbourne, everything would be different, apparently it's like some movie where a butterfly flaps it's wings and everything ca change.
It has been a bumpy path, council should really look at filling in the potholes, but am I happy where I am right now? Well, I just completed my first year of TAFE, and even though it's just TAFE, it's actually a huge accomplishment because I have been so use to quitting right near the end of completing things. I now live in town with a bunch of nice homies, and it sure beats travelling 200km a day, or sleeping on a couch, or sleeping in my car. I've made some awesome friends where I believe lots of beverages will be consumed between us all. Downsides? After working all year, well, since May, work has been so kind and given me a lovely holiday, which is a pain being a casual employee, they can do that.
Right now I am imagining my life if I took the NMIT offer, and here is what I can gather. I would of had low money troubles because I had a contract with work, so I had set hours every week, all I would have done was either switch some shifts around, or lose 1 or 2, but then apply for Centrelink and get some back. I know for a fact, if I'm in the same environment, whether it's work, school or sport, everyone ends up loving me, so I would have made plenty of friends at TAFE. That's about all I can see, which means my year would have been fairly cruisey, which would have been great compared to the year I've had, but again, that's a whole new blog.
So do I regret my decision? Not at all! I've had a very up-and-down year, I've shared some good times with great people, and look forward to continuing it in the new year. I kind of went of track a bit from my main point, which was, I started out wanting to do landscape design, then landscape architecture, then architecture, but ended up doing building design, then looking to do architecture in a couple years. Wow, my whole blog summed up in 28 words, hope you enjoyed reading all the crap I just spilled! Til next time....
From The One They Call Anthony, This Is The Life & Times
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