Part 1 - Primary Resources
Part 2 - Collaborative Study Sessions
Part 3 - Spaced Repetition and Active Recall
We believe in Collaborative Study Sessions as a tool for success.
We believe that so much potential learning can happen in a collaborative setting.
You've read the study guides
I am a decent reader. I am not a speed reader, but if I devote time to reading and do it in the right mind frame, I can get through a good chunk of pages in a certain time. I bring this up because for the AREs I had read most of the resources. I had read as much of every study guide as I possibly could take. I skimmed plenty of sections looking for the valuable meat through all the required descriptive fluff. I read the primary resources. But personally, when it comes to things like structural systems or methods of bookkeeping, reading a description of the subject just does not make it real to me. And that means I will have trouble understanding it deep enough to confidently answer exam questions regarding those subjects.
But the Study Guides do not answer MY questions!?
Do you ever wish you could ask a person who might know the answer to your question? Ben and I worked together, so fortunately I had him. But he did not always know the answer to what I was confused about. So I tried the ARE Community Forum. This was a mildly helpful resource. However, I found it is mostly people telling you the way they studied and the order they took their exams in, rather than many actual answers to questions I had.
So, Where do I go for Help?
I got the idea for a group study session from the ARE Community Forum. I actually commented on multiple study group want ads in an effort to find people to study with. I thought how about get together with a couple of people local to my area to and review our studying, resources, progress, and methods. Perhaps other people knew where I could find that information on elevator systems or site draining options that I just kept missing in my resources. Plus, as a bonus, I looked at this as cheap tutoring and a way to have another person explain difficult concepts to me (since I could never afford Amber Books.)
The benefits of Collaborative Study Sessions.
1. It makes a HUGE difference when someone who KNOWS things about a topic, imparts their wisdom onto you, and helps you understand a subject.
2. When you compare answers to a certain question or solution methods to a problem, you make real physical brain connections to the subject, which can be looked back on later.
3. You will find yourself exposed to topics that you did not know about or answers to concepts you just could not figure out.
4. You can meet people and make professional connections while learning!
We at ARCHIZAM now offer individual and group study consultations.
We all know time is valuable, and the point of ARCHIZAM is AFFORDABLE ARE 5.0 practice.
We want to offer you a 1 Hour consultation for $100. This can be a super valuable 1 on 1 meeting, or a broader group session with the cost split amongst you. (We taking names for a list if you would like to be part of a group session). We can have a chat to help you get over your testing anxiety or help you determine your exam attack strategy, Or we can have a conversation about resources and where to look for the answers to your questions. A consultation could focus specifically on one exam or bounce around concepts from multiple exams. You send your questions to us, and we prepare to assist you in the best way we can.
The agenda is always to help you find solutions to the problems you are encountering.
If you would like an individual consultation or to be a part of a group study session, please COMMENT below or CONTACT US HERE.
Here is the DISCLAIMER - Ben and I are not natural born architectural geniuses. We studied hard and studied long hours to pass the exams. We both have a strong passion for learning everything we can about architecture. We both have experience in the actual practice of architecture at a firm level. We DO NOT know everything there is to know about architecture. We will assist you in your learning experience. We passed the exams through hard work and focus on our goal.
The ARE is ever-changing, with new exam formats every year. As you all should know, not everything you study will be on the exam. And something you did not study WILL be on the exam. We could never foresee the future, or know any exact question that will appear on your exam.
We do not intend to GIVE OUT the answers to your questions. We will help you FIND and WORK THROUGH the potential answers to your questions.
PLEASE NOTE: we will not answer specific questions you did not know the answer to on your last exam. This violates general ethics and the agreement we all "sign" when we start the exam. Not even Ben and I (working in the same office) would tell each other our specific questions. We have to be strict about this, and if specific ARE test questions are asked the session will be ended and no refund will be provided.