Student Blog: Making Time For Responsibilities AND What You Enjoy

 Hello BroadwayWorld! Hi, my name is Maica Nesmith, and I am 19 years old and from    Pennsauken, New Jersey. I began performing at a young age, in my family's gospel group entitled James Nesmith and the Original Gospel Helpers. My love for creating has continued to grow throughout my life, as I grew up a competitive dancer training in multiple commercial styles, as well as learning in a musical theater setting. I am a sophomore at Rowan University, where I am a double major in Public Relations and Sports Communication and Media, with a Dance minor. I am so excited to be a BroadwayWorld Student Blogger!

As a college student, schoolwork and extracurricular activities can take up a lot of time. Between  maintaining good grades, building a resume, and preparing for a career, finding a balance can be challenging. As a double major, I spend a lot of time planning my course schedule to ensure I am fulfilling the requirements for both degrees. Despite a heavy courseload, I serve as a senator for Rowan's Public Relations Student Society of America, the Task Force Chair of the External Relations Committee Newsletter Task Force, teach dance, participate on the Dance Team, work as a Community Assistant, and am a host on Rowan Radio. While balancing all of these commitments can be overwhelming at times, I have found that I thrive off of a full schedule. It allows me to plan my days ahead of time, find structure, and use time between activities to complete assignments and other responsibilities.

Planning is one of the most important parts of maintaining a routine, especially when you have committed to multiple activities. For me, that means utilizing an in-depth calendar. I used to underestimate how helpful calendars could be, thinking I could remember everything on my own. However, once I started writing down my assignments, meetings, activities, and other responsibilities in a safe place, I found it much easier to stay organized. My family uses Cozi, which allows us to keep track of our own schedules, and each other’s. I make it a point to check it every morning to stay on top of my schedule. Finding a system that works for you, whether it's a digital calendar or to-do list, can make a difference in your routine. 

With so many commitments, it can sometimes become difficult to make time for the things you enjoy. Since I am not actively involved in a theater production, it's easy to feel disconnected from my passion for the arts. Being on the Dance Team allows me to still experience the rush of performing for an audience. However, I make an effort to keep theater in my life in other ways. I listen to musical theater soundtracks, create new choreography, look for audition opportunities in summer productions, and, most importantly, attend as many live performances as possible. Whether it's at my university or a show at a regional theater, experiencing live performances reminds me why I fell in love with theater in the first place.

Following the same schedule every day can feel redundant, or like a chore. That’s why it's important to leave room for what brings you joy. Maintaining a routine truly means finding a balance between what you need to do and what you love to do–even during the busiest of times.