When people hear that I studied Architecture for my BSc, they’re always surprised when I introduce myself today as a Software Engineer.
To many, the two fields feel worlds apart, one deals with buildings, the other with code.
But in reality, the transition wasn’t as strange as it sounds.
My Background: From Buildings to Code
I spent years learning architectural design, drawings, modelling, building science and how to bring concepts to life. Architecture teaches structure, logic, precision and the importance of breaking big ideas into small, buildable units.
Funny enough…
that’s exactly what software engineering requires too.
The Moment I Realized Architecture Wasn’t My Final Destination
At some point during my degree, I realized I enjoyed creating, but not just buildings. I wanted something more dynamic, something that allowed me to build faster, explore ideas quickly and bring solutions to life without waiting months or years.
I discovered programming accidentally.
The first time I saw a simple “Hello World,” it felt like magic — instant creation.
The Early Struggles
Transitioning wasn’t smooth:
- I had to learn to think like a developer.
- Debugging made me question all my life choices.
- JavaScript humbled me more times than I can count.
- I felt behind because others started earlier.
But one thing architecture taught me was discipline.
You don’t survive architecture school without resilience, and that helped me survive learning to code.
How Architecture Secretly Prepared Me for Software Engineering
Looking back, I realized Architecture gave me several advantages:
1. Design Thinking
In architecture, you learn to understand user flow, space usage and human behavior.
In software, it became intuitive for me to:
- structure UI layouts,
- think about user experience,
- and design clean, logical systems.
2. Breaking Down Complex Projects
Architectural projects are huge.
You learn to break things into drawings, layers, components and stages.
This made it easier to understand:
- components in React
- modular code
- large software systems
- project management
3. Attention to Detail
Architecture forces you to think in precision, one small mistake affects the whole building.
That mindset helped me write cleaner, more readable code.
The Turning Point
The moment everything clicked was when I finally built my first functional project, something small but it worked.
And that feeling of bringing something to life through code was addictive.
From there:
- I studied consistently
- built projects
- improved my portfolio
- and slowly grew into the engineer I am today
What I Learned (That I Wish I Knew Sooner)
1. Consistency beats intensity
You don’t need 10 hours a day, just 3–4 focused hours done consistently.
2. You don’t need to know everything before building
Start building early. Projects teach more than tutorials.
3. Google, StackOverflow and documentation are your best friends
Real engineers search every day.
4. Impostor syndrome is normal
If you feel like you don’t know enough, congratulations — you’re a developer.
5. Your background is a strength, not a disadvantage
Architecture didn’t hold me back, it made me unique.
Conclusion
Switching careers isn’t easy, but it’s possible.
My journey from Architecture to Software Engineering taught me that your degree doesn’t define your future, your willingness to learn does.
If you’re transitioning from a completely different field too, remember:
You don’t start from zero. You start from experience.
Top comments (4)
This is a really good one Increase. I recall our lecturers telling us that studying architecture gives you a higher advantage in all career paths. You just proved that.
Well-done 🤗
Very correct! Thank you Tolulope.
This was a really good read. Wishing you the best in your career!
Thank you so much Oluwatitofunmi!