Hello All,
I gathered various pieces of advice from recent, current, and former K-State Theatre students. Please see what they have shared. As with all advice, YOU have to determine what to take – and what to leave. Thank you to all who shared their insight! – Shannon
ADVICE FROM RECENT STUDENTS
TIPS FOR SUCCESS
- Please, if you don’t get cast the first semester or even the first year, just keep pushing. Get involved in a different way! You may find a hidden interest.
- Check your K-State email at least once a day! It’s how most people on campus will communicate with you.
- Check the MTD blog regularly! (kstatemtd.com)
- Take advantage of the Writing Center and tutoring.
- Try a little bit of everything in Theatre, even if you don’t know if you’ll be good at it or like it.
- Be kind to each other. We’re all going through the same stuff, and everyone will be stressed and busy at some point.
- Say yes to everything you can, but don’t overwhelm yourself. Just because it’s physically possible doesn’t mean it’s healthy.
- Learn how to say no when you need to.
- Use a planner or a calendar; anything that means that you’re not just trying to keep you need to remember in your head.
- Do some things that AREN’T Theatre; sometimes it’s nice to have a place where you can take a break.
- Set a time every night to be a cut off for working on homework, answering emails, etc. You’ll burn out quickly if you don’t set aside some time to unwind.
- Plan out papers and projects, even just regular reading assignments and homework. Especially because we’re busy at night, when most people do homework, it’s important to know what you’re doing and when . . . it wasn’t until my junior year that I really started planning out my assignments, and I regret waiting so long because I could have saved myself so much headache and stress.
- GET INVOLVED!!!!
- Don’t be afraid to talk to people and ask questions.
- Get your foot in the door in any way that you can. If you don’t get cast then get on a crew or shadow the director.
- Go to your classes, complete homework .
- Go to the KSTO events. That is where you will make connections.
- Apply for things that excite you. Don’t just do it because it looks good on a resume. If it makes you come alive, feel happy, and you want it to be a part of your life, do it.
- Be open to criticism and get out of your comfort zone and you will grow immensely.
- College is hard. And scary. But you’re stronger than you know. As artists, we haven’t chosen the easiest path, and it can be easy to doubt yourself. But your time here is special. This program will show you that you can make a living in the arts, and teach you how to pursue your goals. That’s why you have to be kind, and do good work, and you’ll get where you need to be.
- Do not stick yourself into a corner. You may identify as an actor, but you should absolutely learn everything you can about every specific field. There are tons of theatre jobs, but only a handful are acting gigs. Make yourself hirable.
- There’s nothing wrong with taking your time through college. Don’t waste time, but there’s nothing wrong with taking more than 4 years to get your degree. Have fun and enjoy it because it goes by way too fast!
BIG LESSONS LEARNED
- Try everything once.
- A ‘no’ doesn’t mean you should stop trying.
- Life will be a lot better if you were positive toward your peers.
- Be open to change. I’m in a completely different place now than I was four years ago. I never would have expected my life to be the way it is, but I’m ultimately happy with it.
- Don’t just force your way through college; if you’re not learning something that you enjoy or at least find useful, find a way to do the things you actually want to be doing. We’re not in theater because we think we’re going to be hugely successful (for the most part), we’re here because we love what we do.
- Stay on top of your homework. When you are in a show things can really start to pile up, don’t let yourself be overwhelmed. When you get an assignment, just sit down and do it.
- I learned just how much I care about Theatre. I learned to be brave and that I’m stronger than I know.
- I learned just how important kindness is to the artistic process.
- It’s tough to work and do Theatre at the time. Find a job that respects your time and interest and go to KSTO events and talk to new people. A board game is a good way to bond with new folks.
PEER INTERACTIONS
- Draw a line between personal and professional. This manifests in several ways. If you need to talk about something with a director or designer or stage manager, send an email or set up a meeting instead of stopping them in the hall or the atrium.
- Understand that your peers who are in leadership roles need to be treated with respect and understand that they can’t (or shouldn’t) give you special treatment even if your relationship is really casual outside of rehearsal.
- Go to KSTO events! They’re a great way to hang out with theater friends and unwind.
- We are all here to learn. Give your peers the benefit of the doubt and try to work with them before getting angry with them.
- Be honest and sincere. If you have and idea that excites you, tell people!!!
- Take care of each other. You’re all in the same boat and college is hard. Everyone is busy but make time for the ones you care about. You’ll be happier in the long run.
- Having good relationships with the people you work with is so important. It allows for creativity to flourish. Leave any drama at the door and come ready to work!
- Hang out in Nichols lobby, go get lunch with someone in one of your classes. Find little bits of time to really get to know the people that you will be working very closely with for the next 4(+) years.
WORKING/LEARNING WITH FACULTY/STAFF
- Don’t try too hard to impress them. They know this is a learning environment. So ask questions.
- Don’t be scared of faculty.
- Communicate! If you’re having trouble with an assignment, communicate with your professor. If you might need to turn something in late, communicate. If you’re sick, let them know and stay home and rest.
- People can do so much more with “I need help” than they can with silence and unexplained absence.
- Understand that your professors have lives too. Give them time to respond to emails.
- Most professors are friendly and happy to make time for you if you need it. All you have to do is ask.
- Be respectful to your professors, they decide your future in the department. If you make a bad first impression by either being lazy or rude the professors are less likely to want to work with you in a show later on.
- Don’t be scared of asking questions or asking for help! Theatre is a hard life and if you don’t ask for help it will be even harder.
- The professors are there to teach and help you, use them and their knowledge!
- It can be very intimidating at first. But always remember that they are here for your success. They have professional experience and are fantastic resources in and out of class.
- They are people too! They make mistakes too. They don’t always have the one perfect answer and that’s okay. Sometimes you can provide an idea that they never thought of. Don’t be afraid to have an opinion when working with the faculty.
- What you have with this program is special. Everyone wants to see you succeed and elevate you. Invest in your time with the teachers and your work and you will not regret it.
Advice From Theatre Alumni
- Take advice. Don’t brush it off as cliché. Everyone is learning. You, too. It will help, trust me. I wish I would have listened. My first few years would have been easier and more rewarding.
- Introduce yourself to everyone.
- Eat well. Skip the fast food. Skip the sodas and vending machines. Your health and grades will suffer.
- Ask questions to anyone whenever you have them. Teachers, students, etc.
- Go to shows, meetings, events, CLASSES, KSTO meetings, Ebony events, showcase, go to everything that is happening because all of those events need your participation.
- Talk to your teachers, it saves a lot of stress and pointless work. Communication may be the most important aspect for success. If I could go back I could have saved a lot of time by doing so.
- Know your limits. If you’re sick (physically or mentally), don’t sweat missing class once and tell the teacher, but after that seek help.
- SEEK HELP: theatre professors, advisors, counseling services, LGBTQ services, women’s center, clinic, etc. are there to help. The Counseling does wonders on campus. It doesn’t make you a failure to ask for help. (https://www.k-state.edu/counseling/)
- Everyone here is learning. So you don’t get to be a big shot, and when other people act like big shots, they aren’t really big shots. You aren’t going to win any awards for your acting or designing here, so just do the work and act professionally while studying this thing we all love.
- Make sure that you get everything organized, not just your room, but your life.
- Buy some dark curtains/coverings so you can take naps during the day. Take naps. You really need sleep.
- Try to read a new play every week or so.
- Usher for shows that you aren’t a part of.
- Don’t wait for opportunities. Make opportunities. Put together an event, a show, a showcase. Do a scene at Showcase. Want to learn more about something? Talk to the profs and shadow them or assist them. They love this stuff and they genuinely like students. That’s why they are here.
- Don’t be afraid to throw yourself in, because that’s the only way it will get better. Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Professors, upperclassmen, advisors, we genuinely are more than happy to help.
- Stay ahead of your classwork and don’t fall behind. Lastly, have fun and stay motivated. Try new things and get involved with different organizations and groups on campus.
- If you don’t do the work, you will fail and you will be dismissed. This isn’t high school.
- You have just as much of a right to be there as everyone else, and we all are just as confused as you are.
- Develop a circle of friends and an identity outside of Nichols. It helps to have a different circle of friends if everything becomes too dramatic!
- You do not have to be anything but yourself and you will fit in fine. Are you high energy and funny? There will be a place for you. Are you quiet and shy? There are many others who will enjoy sitting beside you as you both read. Let yourself change and evolve as you grow in the department, don’t let it change you. Don’t worry about it: Every actor has dropped a line. Every stage manager has missed a cue. Every designer has underestimated their schedule. Live theatre is so exciting because mistakes can happen – college is the same way. You’re dealing with a lot in a short amount of time and you’ll bury yourself if you obsess over the little things. Did a mistake happen? Treat it like you would on stage and brush yourself off, keep moving.
Advice From Current Students
Do not underestimate yourself and take advantage of what is front of you.
If you are struggling at something keep working hard at it – but ask for help!
One piece of advice I would give to students is to make sure you have your school email set up on your phone! And a digital calendar! Having my email and my calendar on my phone is super handy for reminders about due dates, checking my email on the go, and inputting rehearsal times with reminders attached to them. For me, if it’s not in my Google calendar, I will probably miss it, so I make sure to input everything.
Don’t overwork yourself. Make time for yourself and your mental well-being.
I would tell other students to open their interests up to trying new things and taking new classes to see other opportunities similar to theatre outside of just acting and crew
You have to focus on building an individual life outside of school, and theatre/school activities. That way when things are not going great, or you don’t get the part, your whole life doesn’t revolve around it, and you can look at the bigger picture.
Get involved, meet new people, and don’t stay in your dorm at all times.
Some advice I would give is quitting or (letting something go) is not the worst thing you can do sometimes it can help you realize what is good for you.
My biggest piece of advice for other students would be to get yourself out there in any way you can. So much of what made my transition into college easier was getting involved, and I have made so many lovely friends because of it.
Focus on yourself before anything. Having a healthy relationship with yourself will allow you to have a healthy relationship with every other aspect of your life. Don’t feel guilty to take breaks or ask for help. You’d be surprised how many people are willing to be there for you
Put yourself out there and you won’t regret choosing theatre as a major – you will work with a lot of good friends, people, and professors.
The advice I would give to other students would be to take time and enjoy yourself because once you are done here you have to be a real adult and do adult things so do things that would make you happy
Talk! If you are struggling with something or have questions, reach out to someone! Im still working on this 🙂
I would say to you CAN do it all – it might not be easy but don’t NOT participate and get involved because you are afraid it might be hard.
The beginning is always hard but don’t let that fool you in your decision, relax and trust look back at how far you’ve come and accomplished.
It can be a lot sometimes to keep up with everything in your life- make a detailed calendar, set aside time for homework, and be kind to yourself!
To other students I would probably say concern yourself more about what’s happening right now than what happened in high school or what’s going to happen after graduation.
Be patient with others – and yourself. We are ALL learning and developing.