RACHEL
MAGEE
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College... Year Four
Welp... I graduated.... definitely not how I pictured it happening with the pandemic, but I officially have my Bachelors of Science in Architecture from the University of Cincinnati. I did graduate from one of my favorite places, Dale Hollow Lake, and I got to surf moments after I graduated.... which was pretty awesome. I also decided to return to get my M. Arch degree and should finally be done with college in 2022.
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My senior was full of adventure to say the least. I travelled abroad in the fall, which was AMAZING!!! It definitely was a rollercoaster, but the further I am from that experience - and especially since traveling is so limited during the pandemic - I have a special appreciation for my study abroad experience. I wanted 2019 to be my year of travel, and I think I did just that, and just in time. I visited 10 countries in 2019, which is insane to think about. I loved seeing all of the architecture, experiencing the culture, tasting the food, and meeting so many great people along the way.
One of my biggest lessons of 2019 was how I like to travel. I enjoyed seeing so much but prefer to travel SLOW. I spent a week in Istanbul, which was incredible compared to the day or two that I spent most other places. After all of the travel, I was greeted at the airport by my family and friends dressed in Christmas onesies and a Buddy the Elf costume... could not ask for a better Christmas welcome home.
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In addition, traveling so much has made me appreciate my little hometown of Lawrenceburg, Indiana and especially my family and friends so much more. There's nothing like speaking my native language, long hugs from my family, and being in my parents home again.
Cheers to 2020 - the year of being at home.
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College... Year Three
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Wow!... Time is flying by. I was in school over the summer, then another city, and I finished with a school semester. I co-oped in St. Louis, MO, where I learned about a whole new world... lighting design. There was definitely a learning curve, but I enjoyed the knowledge I gained from it.
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My time in St. Louis revealed to me how much God really does have a plan. During the couple months, I realized how different places, different people, and different mindsets foster areas of growth. In Seattle, I was blessed with the gorgeous landscape of the Pacific Northwest. In Cincinnati, I reconnect with family and friends, while stretching my mind in school. In Missouri, I felt a tremendous amount of spiritual growth. I was able to use my gifts and helped lead others in worship, which was a transformative experience. I am more confident in my ability to lead others by tapping into the gifts that God has given each of us.
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I finished my junior year of school, learning more about architecture and my place in this crazy world. I had a rollercoaster of emotions over the semester, which was honestly needed. In school, I acquired a lot of confidence this spring. I felt very encouraged in my work and was extremely happy with my final project... which is definitely not always the case.
After the semester ended, I went on a mission trip to Guatemala. This was my first time to a developing country. It was an eye opening experience that I will cherish forever. I gained new relationships and grew in discipleship with both people from my home church and with the local people of Coyolate. I have a new interest growing in me after my trip - community development and being a citizen architect. I had a great semester and cannot believe that I am transitioning to my senior year of college.
During the summer, I finished my last co-op in Portland, Oregon. Overall I had a great experience - loving Portland, as a city, its people, and all of the beauty outside the city. My time in Portland taught me to appreciate the small things, laugh at yourself, and how important community is to me. I fell in love with biking (this is how I got to work every day) and hope to spend a period of my life in Portland at some point . Until next time Oregon.....
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College... Year Two
My second year of college is still in full swing.... actually I just returned to school in May after my first co-op. I have learned SO much in the past year. I had last summer off, school in the fall, co-op in Seattle this spring, and now I am back at DAAP in Cincinnati. Through my summer and co-op, I had more time to reflect and explore what I want to make of life. I asked myself WHY a lot and really tried to understand how to live my best life and continue to grow into the person that I aspire to be.
Rest is what I discovered. Saying no to opportunities. Doing less.
This is counterintuitive for me. For most of my life, I have said yes to anyone who asked for help. I kept a tightly packed schedule and a long, constant to-do list. I was often a big ball of stress running around trying to get everything done.
I never felt truly fulfilled by doing all of this stuff that I put on my plate. Now, I have realized that I cannot do everything.
I am okay with this though. Through rest and saying no. I have been able to do things more whole-heartedly. I find meaning in my relationships and the work that I take on. I actually have free time. I do not count the days until my next vacation constantly.
By doing less, I can do more.
I can enjoy my daily life. Whatever each day brings, I am ready for it.
BE PRESENT. BE PASSIONATE. BE PURPOSEFUL.
That is my new mantra. I want to spend my time doing what I am passionate about. In order to do this, I have to be self-aware and intentional to ensure that my daily actions reflect my longer-term goals in all areas of my life.
Through meditation and prayer, I have been able to keep a clearer mindset.
I am no longer a stress ball.
I am content.
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A little more about my Seattle experience....
The Pacific Northwest is GORGEOUS!!!......... I have never been somewhere so green... and I loved that! The landscape is just beautiful. Even from the city, you can see the Olympic Mountains across Puget Sound (on a clear day). It is rainy... a lot, but I was also there during their rainy season. The people were not as friendly as the Midwest, so it was lonely sometimes.... but I figured myself out a little more because of that. Overall, Seattle was a great experience. It was great to explore a new place on my own. In my free time, I loved to make a cup of tea, take my yoga mat and sketch book, and wander around to a new part of the city.
Lastly...Life truly is about the journey. I have always heard this quote tossed around, but now I truly understand and believe this. With my new perspective on life, I am excited to make my journey a memorable one. Let's do this!
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College... Year One
The past year has been a roller-coaster, but overall I am happy with where I am today. I have struggled a LOT... honestly more than I anticipated... BUT I have learned a tremendous amount about myself on a personal, academic, and social level.
WHY THE STRUGGLE?
It was work that I was not prepared for, hours that were ridiculous, and sacrifices that were unexpected. I learned about myself in many different aspects.
I already knew that I was a slow worker, but it became more apparent with project-based work instead of book work that high school trained me to do. Second semester, I hit a breaking point. I had stayed up all night and still was not even close to being done by my 8:00 a.m. studio.
Also along the lines of sleep, this year definitely taught me the importance of sleep and how to function/be relatively productive with no sleep... for three days. I never hope to be up for that long again! Sleep is more important than a project... well at least sometimes.
With sleep and my change in eating habits at DAAP, I discovered the importance of prioritizing my health in general. I entered UC and DAAP being in the best shape of my life. I felt great, ate very healthy, and worked out at least five days a week. All of that slowly faded to the background as my work became my priority. The more time projects took up because of being a slow worker, the less sleep I got, and overall the more exhausted I felt... constantly. I am not in horrible shape by any means right now, but I am in the worst shape I have ever been in. My eating habits went out the window as nights became later. It is my goal to improve my health before my second year of DAAP begins. In addition, I plan to prioritize my health more in the future semesters.
WHAT I HAVE LEARNED
-Designing is is an infinite process. There has to be a "good enough" point that you are okay with presenting the project and being happy with that product.
- You have to believe in yourself. No one is going to give you self-belief, so you are the only one who can do it.
-Trust your gut. You just have to go with it and figure the details out as you go.
-Design is a work of passion. You do it because you love it. I would definitely not spend my life doing this if it wasn't a passion of mine.
-WORK ETHIC. This can make the world of difference. Talent is useless unless it is paired with motivation and purpose.
-"You can do whatever you want as long as it's DAMN GOOD." This is from my studio professor first semester, Vincent Sansalone. As long as you love what you produce and can defend it, do it.
-It is better to take risks and analyze, than to regret not doing something after your presentation. Thank you Meghan Minton.
-Quality matters. This makes work so much better, whether it is a good idea or not.
-Time management... I am still working on this...and probably always will be.
- Hammock (n.) - my bed away from home and a great place to nap; a place of sleep that is vital to a DAAP student
Lastly, I learned an immense amount of skills to put in my design tool belt... from drawing, to computer software, to spatial understanding. I still have a lot to learn, but I cannot believe how much I have improved thus far. Thank you to everyone who has been a part of my DAAP first-year experience. I appreciate all of my friends that pushed me along the way and kept me sane. Thank you for making me sleep and helping me get through this year. It was a huge learning experience from an academic and personal standpoint. And always, thank you to my family: I would not be here without you.
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I am ready to see what the coming DAAP adventures entail....