On Oct. 25th, Interior Design II in Practicum students traveled with other schools from the district to the University of Texas at Austin (UT) Campus to tour the School of Architecture, offering an inside look at the school they could potentially attend the next year.
“We took the trip to get used to the school and see what they have to offer,” senior Ashley Starling said. “We got to see their 3D printers, showrooms, and photo-taking equipment while getting accustomed to the campus and meeting with some of the students.”
The tour was guided by both students at the School of Architecture and a professor, allowing Interior Design II students the opportunity to ask questions to people who had experienced UT’s interior design study track firsthand. There was also a panel, offering a designated time for students to share their questions and receive answers.
“It got me excited for the college experience,” senior Brooke Boykin said. “We got to hear some students’ experiences, what they do during the school day, and how their projects worked, so that was really interesting.”
According to Boykin, UT has one of the highest ranked Interior Design and Architecture programs in the state, meaning the application process is highly competitive. For both Boykin and junior Zya Momin, UT is their top choice school, however, both understand the level of dedication they must have in order to be accepted and have taken steps to achieve this goal.
“Over the summer I began an interior design internship,” Boykin said. “It’s really helped me see what it’s like to actually be an interior designer in the real world while also exposing me to so many aspects of the industry that I wouldn’t have been able to see before.”
Momin, on the other hand, has experimented with her passion for interior design in other ways, assisting her family friends in decorating their new house.
“First I had them send me pictures of their entire house, and then asked them what type of design they wanted,” Momin said. “Based on that, I began picking out elements such as sofas that would look good in a living room, and then I would present my work to them and then based on whether they liked it or not, I’d change it.”
For Momin, this experience allowed her to break out of the box that traditional interior design class set for her and experiment with her passion in a setting more similar to that of the real world.
“I feel like doing interior design work outside of school will help me improve my skills and give me an experience of working outside of doing simply what the teacher says,” Momin said.
According to Momin, the most impactful part of the tour was the chance to interact with students who were already in college. Momin learned from the questions of other attendees, such as how Apple computers are not strong enough to support the computer programs that are used in the Interior Design major.
“It was nice to hear from someone that was already in college,” Momin said. “They already know everything about the program and how it works, so it was just nice to see how they do interior design and how their process is different from ours in high school.”
