BWW Blog: Back to School - The Need-to-Know Before You Need-to-Go

My first year at Northwestern University started my fast-forward to adulthood. I met challenges I didn't know how to conquer, situations I didn't know how to get through, and feelings I didn't know how to understand. But throughout my first year I learned valuable advice and lessons that I will take with me throughout my next three years that I want to share with you before you begin, or continue, your journey.

1. There are tools and resources around you every moment, so never be afraid to use them.

The instructors that you're fortunate to learn from not only have experience in the field or career you want to pursue, but more often than not we forget that not only do they have specific vocational knowledge, but they were our age not so long ago! They have faced much, if not all of what we as young adults face today, and with that acquired the knowledge and wisdom to help and lend advice to someone, such as us students, when we face similar struggles.

One faculty member last year who became a great example of this is my advisor. While his vast knowledge of the Northwestern Theatre program and campus as a whole contributed greatly to the course of my first year, his life experience and the lessons that he's learned from growing up, which he very graciously shared with me, provided a blanket of comfort and surety that I would be able to conquer whatever it is I'm facing, and even if the victory wasn't immediate, the tools to be able to pick myself up and continue on towards the finish line. And remember, they want to help you! Theatre professionals working on the university level want to teach the next generation of artists and scientists, and they want you to ask questions, to be inquisitive, and to absorb everything they have to give you.

2. You are unique, and don't forget it!

I remember one thing I struggled with this past year is that I started losing sight of what I know makes me special. As you may have heard before, it is incredibly easy to forget how much your own light shines when you're standing around people whose lights also shine bright, and because of that you begin to dim yours. One piece of advice I can give to you in regards to this is to never dim that light. There is no one else like you; no one else has your voice, your personality, your niche, and when you feel yourself falling into darkness, remember that. You are you! Also, don't let anyone make you feel like you don't belong. You were accepted just like them, and you did the work and you got in. You don't have to prove anything. You Are Enough! You belong there.

3. Fight the urge to do EVERYTHING

The productivity culture at my school is extremely high, so when comparing what I do to what other theatre majors, or non-theatre majors do, it feels as if I am not doing "enough." Because of this feeling I add more activities, clubs, organizations, onto an already filled list and I set myself up for failure. As many people have told me this year, "don't do all the things." Not only is it incredibly detrimental, but the more you spread yourself across a plethora of different activities, ask yourself, are you getting better at any one of them? As my advisor puts it, "it's better to whole-ass one thing than half-ass two things," and he has a wonderful point. Time is a college student's greatest asset, and we don't have enough of it! Not only will you be happy with having time to be involved with a couple of things on campus and having self-care time, such as sleeping and eating, but by spending time with a couple areas of craft and focusing on them you will get better.

4. Rejection will be your greatest friend

I know this one might be difficult to really understand, and it was for me as well and still is, but one of the greatest things in life to build resilience is to receive rejection after rejection after rejection. So far up till this point, I imagine that due to your immense hard work you may have gotten lead roles, or landed the jobs or positions you wanted in high school. As you get older you will find that even with your devotion and passion to land that role or job or internship, you will not get it. It's all a part of life. You will be disappointed, you will be crushed, and you will be hurt. With that, sometimes you'll feel that you were the right person for a particular project, and may feel jealous, but remember that you are on your path and they are on theirs. No two paths are alike, and above all else cheer and root for your friends while continuing to root for yourself. What is yours is yours, so whenever you are faced with rejection just think "it wasn't for me at the time." One day it will be, and until then allow that resilience to build up.

Where you are now won't be where you'll be by the time you finish college. As a matter of fact, where you are now most likely won't be where you are by the end of your first year. Remember that college is all about growth, about finding who you are not only within theatre and performing, but also within the world. While academics are important, it's not the most important.

One thing said to me by my advisor is that you have to be a whole person. That means doing the things outside of class and not just focus on the coursework. Go on dates, spend time with friends (who will be your greatest support system apart from family), make art, do something crazy (but safe, and legal). When you get out of school who's to say you'll have the time to do what you missed it college? These four years are about discovering yourself, which, in turn, allows you to create even greater art.

But for now, instead of focusing long-term, just focus on what this year will bring to you, and what you will allow it to bring you. Remember, college is as much your willingness to grow and learn as it is an environment that wants you to grow and learn. You know what they say about leading a horse to water? Keep that in mind.