Student Blog: Two Tips for a Totally Awesome College Experience

“What’s your major?”

“Musical Theatre”

“Oh fun! That must be so easy to just sing and dance all day.”

I’ve had this conversation more times than I can count, and I wholeheartedly believe most other theatre majors could say the same.

Although studying theatre at a collegiate level sounds like fun and games on the surface, the reality of it all is pretty harsh: 6 hours of daily class, 2 hours of individual practice, 4-6 hours of rehearsal each night, homework, outside extracurriculars, sending in auditions and callbacks for summer work, and trying to maintain a social life. It can get overwhelming faster than Sutton Foster can do a timestep. 

From my perspective, there is one crucial way to stay afloat - organization and planning. It took me a while to get to where I am today, but as a second semester senior, I feel confident that I can navigate whatever chaos gets thrown my way. Using trial and error, I was able to find a few specific tools to assist me in my crazy everyday life. Full disclosure - just because I utilize these tools doesn’t mean I don't experience stress or frazzled moments, but because I am comfortable with these resources, I am able to significantly lower my stress. Here are two things I would suggest all theatre majors get in the habit of doing as they navigate their time in school:

1. Get Comfortable With Your Calendar

Whether you enjoy a paper planner like my mom or are a Google Calendar girl like me, having a physical format of your day is crucial to your success in college. I was introduced to Google Calendar my sophomore year and I haven’t looked back since. By using different shades of pink, I can easily see which events are tied to which category: classes, rehearsals, extra-curriculars, doctors appointments, etc. I also have reminders on my phone to send me an alert 30 minutes before each event which ensures that I don’t accidentally miss something important because I’m caught up doing something else. 

Often before I go to bed, I open my calendar and scroll through the next day ahead. In any of the free blocks, I add new events like “eat lunch”, “study in library”, or “sit with friends” so that my day is scheduled out hour by hour. Although it might seem uptight, this practice allows my brain to relax. I love knowing my day is planned out; my brain can let go of any deadlines, assignments, or meeting times because I can easily pull it up on my computer for a refresher.

Calendars may seem overwhelming at first, but start small! You don’t have to automatically leap into color coding and planning out each and every hour of the day. Download the app or purchase a physical planner and start by writing in your class schedule, then slowly add other commitments. Before you know it, you’ll be a scheduling pro!

2. Tackle A Tangible To-Do list

Freshman year of college, I kept a running note in my phone of all the things I had to do. Once I would accomplish a task, I would delete it and add something new to the list. Although in theory this is helpful, the virtual format left me feeling as if I never got anything done. My list of tasks would just continue to grow; I never got the satisfaction of seeing that things were completed. 

Because my virtual to-do list was leaving me unsatisfied, I made the transition to a physical one. I carry around a physical sticky note pad and write all the things I need to accomplish. I begin a new sticky note for each day. As I work through the tasks on the list, I cross them out. That way at the end of the day, I am able to reflect on all of the things I was to accomplish. I’ve found that this practice has made a positive difference in my mental health because it gives me time to reflect on all the things I was able to do that day, rather than being frustrated with the amount of things that still need done. 

Both a physical to-do list and an organized calendar/planner have contributed greatly to my sanity during my time in school. If you’re looking to make your life easier in the long run, I highly recommend adding them to your daily routine. 

Plus, now when someone tells me my major looks “so easy”, I can just pull up my color-coded calendar or mile-long to-do list and show them how “easy” it really is!

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