As an architect, a long time ago I asked myself, “can I teach myself AutoCAD?”
I didn’t wait long for an answer, and instead, I bought AutoCAD immediately, installed the beautiful software on my computer, and got started tinkering.
The essence of AutoCAD is that the more you use AutoCAD, the better you will get at AutoCAD.
I want to let you know that I taught myself AutoCAD. Buy AutoCAD now.
So to the question, “can I teach myself AutoCAD”, the answer is Yes!
It worked for me beautifully, and AutoCAD will be good for you too.
How long does it take to learn AutoCAD?
I’m not going to lie, learning AutoCAD takes some time.
The question is, how do you learn?
If you are willing to be really hands-on, then you will learn best by doing.
In other words, you will get to proficiency faster by taking on more challenging projects in the early phase.
We’re all architects here (or engineers, or construction).
Of course, some of you reading might be interior designers or industrial designers as well.
If you are an architect, then a good way to learn AutoCAD is to make an effort to design a house, on one.
There are so many things to factor in, but with the internet as your guide, you can take things to construction if you’re lucky.
Every project you start, you should finish.
So be careful to start projects that you would enjoy taking to their completion.
At the same time, there are so many tutorials about AutoCAD on YouTube, as well as on Autodesk.com.
Not to mention great blogs all through the internet.
Should I hire a tutor to teach me AutoCAD?
This is a great question, and the answer may surprise you.
Yes, hiring a tutor is an immediate shortcut to success on AutoCAD, and you will be very happy with the results.
When I was studying Architecture at Harvard, I enlisted the support of some architectural grad students on campus.
I asked them to tutor me, and I paid them an hourly wage for their tutelage.
I learned much more quickly than the standard young architect.
With the help of my tutors, I advanced from designing a small object (good to do this first), to designing a room, and then later, to designing an entire house.
I got really good at AutoCAD, because these graduates had all these shortcuts, and nifty techniques that really upped my game.
So how can I buy AutoCAD to get started?
The only place I would buy AutoCAD is at Autodesk.com, which is the software manufacturer.
AutoCAD has a monthly price of $220, or a yearly price of $1775. Buy now.
There is a 3 year version that costs less per year and saves you $500 over the 3 year period, and that also increases your connection to AutoCAD and the fields of architecture, engineering, and construction.
What if I can’t find a tutor?
If you can’t find a tutor, there are several ways to get started with AutoCAD and gain proficiency.
Some people prefer the education route, and look in the direction of online courses.
Those online courses are good, and if there are a lot of good reviews, I would consider them.
At the same time, the YouTube tutorials are immediately the more important teachings for you.
Whatever you want to know how to do, chances are that somebody has made a YouTube tutorial about that technique, and with all the info on the internet, watching a 10 minute video could teach you that step.
There are a thousand steps in your journey to learning AutoCAD.
Thankfully, the more you use the software, the more learned things get.
Get started by buying AutoCAD now.
I have learned more than a few pieces of software over the years.
After a year, you have proficiency if you work on the software regularly.
But you get really good after two more years of work.
And after 5-10 years of using a software, you are able to create works as professional as it gets.
The key is to stick with it, because learning anything takes time, effort, and consistency.
At the end of the day, learning AutoCAD is often about consistency.
Can I teach myself AutoCAD?
Yes.
Doable.
But do you have the consistency within to work on AutoCAD every day for a year?
If you can work on AutoCAD every day for a year, then chances are that you are going to have success with AutoCAD after a few months, and then by the end of the year, you will be impressive.
Being impressive with AutoCAD is standard for the Millennials, Gen Z, and the younger architects.
These guys are absolute wizards with the AutoCAD. Buy AutoCAD.
I have seen new architects contribute impressive designs in a short amount of time, and the question then is, do these designs get used?
You see, as important as learning AutoCAD is learning about the business of architecture.
The difference between a senior or junior architect is that senior architects have designs that get used all the time, where junior architects (who do interesting work) don’t always get their work into the world.
Part of being in the design community is knowing how to persuade your colleagues that your work has the value needed to publish your work.
Part of being in the design community is defining your work’s relevance to the project in a way that gets the work included in the project.
That’s not politics, but it’s good communication.
You can teach yourself AutoCAD, but the day you buy AutoCAD is the day you become an architect.
Conclusion
Can I teach myself AutoCAD? Yes, absolutely. Does it help to have a tutor? A lot. Do YouTube tutorials work? They’re basically mandatory at this point. Do younger architects need to learn how to get their work accepted? It’s as important as doing the work in the first place. So many young architects, and architectural firms as well, have dreams of greatness. It’s the ones willing to both perfect their work and reach the market of the architecture business that will achieve their dreams. Step one is learning AutoCAD, but success reaches you when your good work reaches the world. Be as good at communicating the value of your work as possible, and you will achieve your greatness. Thank you for reading.
Why buy AutoCAD? AutoCAD is the #1 CAD software for architects. You can buy AutoCAD at Autodesk.com. Buy AutoCAD any time of year, or during the holiday season when there are great Black Friday and Christmas deals. AutoCAD is made for architects. Alternatives to AutoCAD include Revit, a 3D building modeling software from Autodesk.com, where there are great resources. AutoCAD is a great deal at $1,775 / year. This web site does contain affiliate links. Buy AutoCAD. Buy the Architecture, Engineering & Construction Collection.
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