Math came easy, and drawing just as well. Architecture made sense—but what do you actually know at age 18?
College
I wasn’t sure about my decision, so instead of leaving my state to find an accredited program, I completed a two-year program at my local technical school and earned an Associates Degree in Architectural Engineering Technologies. I’ll be honest—those two years were intense and demanding, but they gave me a solid foundation in the technical side of the industry.
Graduating in 2009 was challenging—the economy was still reeling from the Great Recession, and jobs were scarce. To keep moving forward, I returned to college and focused on building my skills. Over the next five years in Boston, I earned both my Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Architecture.
It was an incredible experience—the studios were dynamic and gave me the freedom to be creative. There were plenty of late nights and endless deadlines, but I loved the challenge. During school, I applied for an internship and sent applications to 95 firms in my home state while commuting to Boston. Only one firm responded—and that was all I needed. I had my foot in the door!
Internship + First Job
While at my internship, people treated me like a student—and that was perfectly fine with me! I mean, I was a student… with a boatload on my plate: things to learn, decent grades to earn, and rent and car payments to make!
But the real surprise came after my proud graduation day—feeling like I was on top of the world—DONE WITH SCHOOL FOREVER! I moved on to a different firm, negotiated a fat raise in salary, and expected to just create some nice drawings, maybe send a bunch of emails, right?
No. My drawings weren’t great—and they certainly weren’t creative. I kept asking myself, How should I be drawing these details my bosses wanted? I didn’t understand how a full set of drawings came together or how to make sure nothing important was missing. I also struggled to grasp how materials fit together and what contractors would see as a solid solution versus a poor one.
And every email I sent I proofread 3 million times over because my confidence was down. Did I choose the right profession? Did I make a huge mistake?
Office Dynamic
I often felt isolated in the small firm where I worked—my supervisors were out at meetings all day, and I was left spinning my wheels, second-guessing whether I was completing the tasks they’d assigned correctly. I was embarrassed to ask my coworkers for help. After all, I was supposed to know this stuff. I had three degrees, for goodness’ sake!
After years of feeling inadequate and endlessly Googling questions—only to find irrelevant (or, somewhat relevant) answers—I stumbled through and gained just enough experience to look like I knew what I was doing.
…which somehow made things worse in some cases—because the more I appeared to know what I was doing, the more responsibilities were piled on, meaning even MORE things I didn’t actually know how to do. I was thrown into the deep end again and again, without a mentor I could rely on for real answers. In the end, there was no one coming to rescue me—I had to figure things out on my own.
Why this is good for you.
Today, I finally have the experience to truly understand what I’m doing—and more importantly, the how and why behind it.
This path was mine, and it’s what led me here—but I wouldn’t wish the same experience on other young professionals in architecture. School is hard enough as it is, and when it doesn’t prepare you for the actual work you’re expected to do every day, it’s easy to start wondering why you invested so much time, energy, and money in the first place.
So why Check the Drawings?
Because as architects, the drawings—and the specifications that go with them—are the product. They aren’t just lines on a page or PDFs issued to satisfy a deadline. They are a carefully organized collection of decisions, assumptions, coordination, and intent. They are how ideas become buildings. And whether we’re deep in construction administration or still in design development, everything we do keeps circling back to them.
We check the drawings to make sure the information is right. We check them to see what’s missing. We check them to answer questions, resolve conflicts, and communicate clearly with consultants, contractors, and each other. And sometimes, we check them because something feels off—even if we can’t quite explain why yet. Learning how to read drawings, how to build them, and how to trust them is one of the most important (and least formally taught) skills in this profession.
This business exists because I don’t believe you should have to stumble through years of uncertainty, self‑doubt, and late‑night Googling just to feel competent at your job.
You deserve context.
You deserve explanations that connect the “why” to the “how.”
And you deserve to feel confident opening a set of drawings and knowing what you’re looking at—and what to do next.
So welcome. Pull up a chair. And whatever phase you’re in, whatever question you’re afraid to ask out loud—let’s start by checking the drawings.
P.S. This space is for you, so I want to make sure I’m addressing the things you actually need help with. I’ve linked a quick 10‑question survey below to learn more about where you’re getting stuck. Or, if you’d rather, email me anytime at caroline@checkthedrawings.com—I genuinely want to hear from you.
