<p>For those of you who have completed your first year in a theater program (or if you’re older, if you can remember back then!!), what would you have done differently if you had the opportunity do do it all over again? </p>
<p>My s will start this fall and theater programs are really different (Esp BFA’s) than the regular college experience.</p>
<p>Can we also say what to do the same freshman year? </p>
<p>My older D went to “regular” college, and I have noticed a lot of differences. Here is some of what I have learned about freshman year in a BFA, from my D and from observing her peers:</p>
<p>1) Be patient. You are now a freshman, back at the starting gate. Take your time, don’t worry about being the best or the most popular. Try not to jump to conclusions - just take the experience one step at a time.</p>
<p>2) Understand that especially in BFAs, the grading can be brutal. These profs will grade just as hard as any academic professor. Stop and listen. Theatre in college is real coursework - lots of reading, papers, and the expectation that you will do a lot of thinking. Don’t expect a high GPA right off the bat. And treat your assignments seriously; do your prep and your exercises just like you would do academic homework and reading. This is what you are paying tuition for.</p>
<p>3) Take every opportunity to SEE performances, of any kind. You are developing a critical eye, and you need to watch as well as participate, to be educated in this field. Start paying attention to what is happening in the business. You’re going to be out there before you know it.</p>
<p>4) Be diligent and good-natured in your tech assignments. You would want this from anyone who is doing tech for plays where you are performing. Also, these jobs may end up being your bread and butter some day. Take them seriously.</p>
<p>5) Treat your classmates respectfully. You never know what situation you’ll be in with them in coming years, or what you will need from them sometime. Be supportive and caring, even if occasionally you have to grit your teeth to do this. Especially during freshman year, you do not know people well, so try to reserve judgment on their talent, their character, or their intentions. Remember they are learning, too.</p>
<p>6) Have fun, participate, enjoy the social side. Most people in theatre thrive on that, so indulge yourself (without ill side-effects!). Build a family; connect with people. Talk to everyone - people in the costume shop, the electricians, alumni who stop by to visit - everyone. Take advantage of what you can learn from these people with more experience than you have.</p>
<p>7) If you do not feel your program suits you, or if you are gravely unhappy, consider a transfer. You can love theatre, learn about theatre, and work in theatre from many educational experiences. As with any college situation, if you find it is not a good fit for you, explore transferring. Even if you decide to stay, allow yourself the option and take charge of your own future. Talk to people if you have problems, and take whatever steps you need to deal with them. A BFA is too intense, too emotional, and moves too fast for you to waste time and hurt yourself being unhappy.</p>
<p>These two comments are REALLY applicable to my own alma mater, Columbia College Chicago, but might apply to other schools as well. I wasn’t a freshman there (I transferred in) but this is what I noticed about other freshmen:</p>
<p>I would advise to jump right in to the auditions. About half the shows for the term will have their auditions the first week of class, make you sure you start auditioning and getting involved so that people start seeing you at auditions and eventually on stage. Don’t say “I’ll take it easy for the first two or three weeks, find my feet, THEN start auditioning.” You will miss an incredible amount of auditions, and the freshmen who already started auditioning will have “established themselves” and you will feel like you are behind.</p>
<p>Try to get your tech assignments out of the way as soon as you can. You don’t want that looming over your head so you have to tell a director “I have to take two weeks off of rehearsal, because I still have a tech assignment I need to fulfil”.</p>
<p>KEVP</p>
<p>Great suggestions–especially about the grading and seeing productions!</p>