In the past few weeks, a wave of “Looking Back to 2016” posts have been popping up on Instagram, and it got me curious enough to scroll through my own archives. I didn’t find many photos, but what I did find was a reminder of just how transformative that year truly was. 2016 was the year I took most of my Architect Registration Exams (AREs). It was a year defined by long workdays, weekend study marathons, running commutes, and the slow but steady realization that achieving my goals meant finally prioritizing myself.
This post takes a look back at 2016 and my lessons learned from taking the AREs 10 years ago.
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Process of Becoming a Licensed Architect
First, I should explain the process of becoming a licensed architect. After graduating college with an architecture degree, there is a period of logging work experience hours, and then passing exams that are required to call yourself an architect. The exams are the Architectural Registration Exams, or AREs. They are difficult, and most people take a few years to complete the testing process. I joined a pact through the San Francisco AIA chapter and took all of my exams that year at a similar time to the others in my study group. For me, the pact was a good way to stay on track and keep a schedule. After all, the business of architecture is deadline driven.
My Overall Memories of the AREs
Generally, I look back on the process of studying with fond memories. It seems odd to write that, but it’s true. Don’t get me wrong, I have no desire to repeat any of the exams, but I look back at that period of my life with appreciation.
I remember feeling like I studied hard for every exam. Despite the studying, I walked out of most exams feeling like I had no idea if I passed or thinking I almost certainly failed.
I look back at studying and remember my study group helping each other understand concepts that were difficult for us, or sharing helpful resources. Mostly, I look back and think I liked the feeling of accomplishment of learning something new. Like understanding how air conditioning works, names of brick patterns, and understanding contracts. The actual process of learning and testing was not fun, but gaining the knowledge that came from that hard work was valuable.
It feels important to mention that failing an exam was common. Our study group agreed that if someone failed, we would text “beer me” and the others would buy a beer for that member to help after an exam.
My Life was Different in 2016
Let’s dive into what my life was like back then. I was working for an architecture firm in San Francisco and living in a studio apartment in the Marina. Before committing to the year of taking the AREs, I spent my free time with friends or working out.
Once I committed to the ARE pact, I spent most of my free time studying. I was working full-time, plus overtime. After a full day of work, I started attending evening study groups, and studying on my own. My brain does not function as well after a full day of work, and I was having trouble studying some of the heavy reading material (like contracts, A201 General Conditions I remember you!) in the evenings. For me, the only time that I could have multiple hours dedicated to studying with a fresh brain was on the weekends.
This shift in my personal schedule forced me to make some changes in my life and reconsider my priorities.
Life Changes for Studying for the AREs
Looking back at this year of studying, here are some ways my life changed.
Prioritizing Myself Over My Job
At that point in my career, I was consistently working overtime. It felt like it was necessary to keep up with the amount of work. Here’s the thing, there will always be more work. Especially in design, you can keep going forever.
I started to think of taking the AREs as something that was for me, not for my job. Now I know becoming a licensed architect is beneficial to my employer and was directly related to my job. Here’s the thing, completing the milestone of becoming an architect is something that was going to stay with me wherever I chose to go in my career, and wasn’t attached to my current employer. It was work-related, but ultimately it was for mer. I knew if I ever wanted to work for myself as an architect, I needed to become licensed. And that was my greatest motivation, to work for myself.
I started prioritizing leaving work on time to make it to a study group, or getting home at a reasonable time to still be able to study that evening. If I didn’t prioritize my goals, I wasn’t going to achieve them.
Finding Creative Ways to Squeeze in Workouts
When you have less time, you have to prioritize what is important. Working out was non-negotiable for me. Running was how I managed stress, and I knew I needed to find a way to squeeze it in.
I started running home from work. I know this isn’t an option for everyone, but the point is that I found a creative way to squeeze in a workout. In 2016, I was working in an office every day. I started changing into workout clothes after work and running home. At the time, I lived in the Marina and took a 4.5-mile route from SOMA to the Embarcadero and then ran all along the Embarcadero to get home. For those that aren’t familiar with San Francisco, this is a perfect running route along the water! The end of the run was a big hill at Fort Mason, but then I was home.
I turned my commute into my workout and found a way to be home in less time than it took to take the bus. The dirty 30 Muni line isn’t exactly known for its speed. This allowed me to squeeze in my workout and still have time to study after work.
I Found Out Who My Real Friends Were
I spent most of my weekends in 2016 studying. Yes, studying. You can imagine this changed my social life a bit. I still went out at night, I just wasn’t day-drinking or going to boozy brunch. And I wasn’t staying out so late that I couldn’t get up and study in the morning. Basically, anything that prevented me from having weekend days with long consecutive hours of studying with a morning workout was out.
Looking back, it was interesting to see my friends’ reactions. When I let friends know I wasn’t going to be joining for day-drinking at Fort Mason on a Saturday, some said, “Good luck, girl! Let us know when you’re done with your tests!” Little did they know it would take over a year. I did not see those friends much that year, or after that.
On the other hand, I had some friends that would hear I wasn’t coming to a boozy brunch because I was planning to spend my Saturday studying and they asked when I could hang out. The friends that asked when I could hang out and supported my studying met me for a morning walk or bike ride before I started studying for the day. Some friends met me for low-key dinner and drinks in the evening.
I wasn’t expecting studying for exams to provide clarity in which friends were actually interested in spending time with me vs. the friends that were just interested in a drinking buddy, but that is what happened. I found out who my real friends were.
I Decided I Needed a Sabbatical
After all the years of working overtime, and the year of studying, I needed a break. Not just a 2-week vacation, I needed a BREAK!
I knew I wanted time away from my job to reevaluate what I wanted. Since I started working, I hadn’t taken more than a 2-week vacation. Actually, I had only taken ONE 2-week vacation in 10 years of working. Most of my vacation time was taken up by long weekends away for weddings, bachelorette parties, and visiting family. Even when I switched jobs, all I took off was a long weekend. I had taken very little time for myself, and I desperately wanted to step away to find out what I would do when I didn’t have to do anything.
That decision ultimately led me to take a four-month sabbatical in 2018. I spent the time travelling solo throughout Europe and it was the best gift I have ever given myself.
Looking Back 10 Years…
Looking back now, I can see that 2016 wasn’t just about passing exams — it was the start of learning how to choose myself. It was the year I began prioritizing my goals, finding creativity in how I cared for my health, discovering who my real friends were, and eventually realizing I needed a true break after years of pushing nonstop.
A decade later, the lessons from that year still shape my decisions. Becoming a licensed architect was meaningful, but becoming someone who knows how to protect her priorities has mattered even more. And that journey started with study guides, a pair of running shoes, and the decision to prioritize myself.
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