Introduction: For those who don’t know me, my name is Sadiyah. I am a Part 2 Architecture graduate from Manneh and have been documenting my journey across my social platforms. Now, I want to create a community of creatives, aspiring architects, engineers, project managers, and artists. My goal is to share our experiences and help each other grow, especially since many of us come from backgrounds where our elders have no experience in these industries.
Journey: Graduation for me has been like a race. I would wake up each morning with a list of drawings and visuals already in my head. By 7 AM, I was either working or heading to uni, pushing towards the final deadline. At this point, I was running. Then came the end of the race: I submitted my work, and it was done. The pressure of time and production was over. I had finished. Graduation was that moment after crossing the finish line, taking in the success and joy.
I hadn’t been that excited about graduation day, maybe because I’d done it before at undergrad or because there was a larger pressure to think about the future. But as I sat there and listened to Selasi Setufe, a fellow Ghanaian, registered architect, and inspiring industry professional, I felt proud. It took me three years to complete my master’s, and it wasn’t easy. I was able to appreciate the fact that I’d achieved something difficult.
My academic journey has been full of ups and downs. In my first and second year, my biggest challenge was understanding scale, drawing floor plans, and executing different spaces. The headache of trying to draw the same thing in my uni accommodation room late at night while my flatmates had movie nights and went out was hard. I just couldn’t grasp the basic concepts. But then I started reading about architecture—how architects come up with concepts, how to use software, and how to improve my line weights. It was like creativity and ideas just started flowing. Although executing them remained a challenge, things started to click, and completing my projects became more natural, thanks in part to late-night study sessions with friends.
This video is from 2020, taken in my flat! I wonder if you guys have friends that just can't hack all-nighters too.
Do you stay up late to work?
I'm a night owl
I hate all nighters
Post-Graduation Plans: Post-graduation, my head knows what I need to do, but my heart has other ideas. I know applying for Part 2 roles in a practice that can support me towards my Part 3 is the logical and smart thing to do. But I want to explore more. I’m attached to that idea since I’ve dedicated so much time to architecture and I want to complete it, as well as use my license to design and build. However, I also want to look into construction, property management, and working in urban development at the UN. There are so many avenues. My plan is to explore everything, put myself out there for opportunities, and see where that takes me. I have a goal, but getting there is something I’m trying not to over-plan or control.
Thanks reading my lil blog. If you’ve just graduated, make sure to get your work out there, attend some events, network with industry folks, and keep honing your skills. Being flexible can open so many doors for growth and is how I landed my first graduate role in practice.
For those of you starting university, I’ve put together a University Essentials Checklist with everything you need—from hot combs to bathroom bleach—to make your transition a bit easier.
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