Student Blog: Hard Work Becomes Habit!

Academic integrity was a huge part of my high school experience. I was on the Honor Council and my school had a very effective “honor code” in place to make campus a comfortable and safe place to learn. As I am starting my freshman year in a BFA musical theater program, it is becoming clear that academic integrity is more important than ever. 

Musical theater is a challenging thing to “grade”. There aren’t many classes with essays that could be plagiarized or tests where you could choose to cheat. However, if your homework is to do the exercises your voice teacher assigned to you, it is easy to view the assignment as one that can be skipped over. There isn't a test, and it's easy to tell your teacher that you did the exercises. 

In the end, it's a matter of cheating yourself. In one of the most competitive careers out there, putting in honest work is the only way to get ahead. While you may not have piles and piles of assigned homework, you are going to get out of a program what you put into it. At the end of my four years in my BFA program, I want to be as educated in my field as possible. I want to be prepared for anything that comes my way, and I know I can’t do this without academic integrity. There may not be a punishment for not practicing my materials in college, but in the real world, would you ever go to an audition unprepared? 

It is becoming apparent, as I am starting off my college process, that academic integrity may be the most important thing to me these next 4 years. 

I truly believe that hard work becomes a habit. So… start the hard work now, and it will be second nature in the professional world. You’ll be grateful to yourself! 

2026 Theater Fans' Choice Awards - Live Stats

Best New Musical - Top 3

1. The Lost Boys

32.3% of votes

2. Schmigadoon!

24.4% of votes

3. Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York)

21.2% of votes

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