An architectural internship is a harsh transformation. Upon graduation, a student is unleashed into a world that seems bounded by codes, clients and capitalism. Her images of grandeur are clouded by her role as a drafting primate. And her desires to make a significant contribution in a crowded profession are halted by meaningless proposals. Who is to blame for this young intern’s disappointment? Is it the institution for its incomplete curriculum? Is it the employee for his poor performance as a mentor? Or is it her own misguided expectations that lead to her despair?

Not every intern needs to share the same fate. To begin with, schools will need to continually challenge their own educational practices. It is imperative that each student is given the opportunity to compose a balanced foundation including history, theory and design, as well as more practical issues often left to the employer to provide. Studios should remain a place where innovation is encouraged, imagination is personified and current trends are challenged, but it is the skills needed to apply these concepts that are lacking.

Secondly, the employer must serve as a mentor. A graduate possesses abilities well beyond stamina and diligence. The requirements for licensure may not fulfill the appetite of a young mind. It is the mentor’s responsibility to continue an intern’s education, encouraging her to discover the significance of architecture and understand her own role in shaping the future. Passion deserves attention; unguided beginnings can often lead to extinguished hopes. Foresee a promising architect and treat each intern as a future colleague.

Above all, it is with the intern where the fate of tomorrow’s architects lie. She ought to illustrate potential. Take what may seem insignificant and create an opportunity to disprove unfair presuppositions. Meet passivity with ambition and demand more from mentors. And if intended audiences offer no response, seek other sources of inspiration. The realm of architecture extends further than the boundaries of the cubicle. Sculpture, painting and music can offer secrets of architecture’s influences and can certainly broaden any education. Consider competitions, workshops and volunteering as additional outlets for creativity. Do not be discouraged by the mundane or monotonous; there are always lessons to be learned. The journey to professionalism may at times seem impassable but patience and determination will lead to a rewarding internship.

An architect must never cease to be a student. Interns and professionals alike must continually study the environment, its inhabitants and how architecture can support an ever changing world. Architects carry the knowledge, strength and desire to create a better of way of living. And remember, every successful architect begins with an anxious intern.