NCARB Annual Renewal Fee time, of course.

Love it or hate it, IDP is one of those things that we have to do (although I bet most people feel one of these emotions more often than the other).  Even on a good day, the entire process can be a headache: going through the old time cards, making the spreadsheets, organizing in the different categories, the new format they give you every 6 months!

Even though it is tedious, there is a sense of pride that comes after a good, long IDP session.  Not only have you documented your work into the system before it expired, you are also working toward the overall goal.  Several of us have wanted to be architects for a long time. (And one day guys, we’ll get there!) The endless questions from friends and family about what becoming an architect really entails can be frustrating. Why is it so hard? Why does it take so long?  The only answer that matters is that anything that’s worth doing is going to be hard.

So here is my suggestion for making IDP more tolerable. Make a night out of it! Grab co-workers who are in the same boat and get together once a month. Turn it into a game – whoever is the last to submit experience on e-EVR by the end of the month is buying the first round, or has to sing The 12 Days of Christmas as The Count from Sesame Street. This one really works to get people motivated, I swear.

Work with your supervisors and let them know what areas you need time in. Make a recurring lunch meeting with them so it never falls behind. Whatever it is you gotta do, do it. It can be frustrating in the meantime, but it’s worth it.

Now, I’m off to Construction Phase – Observation.

POST BY: catherinehowley