BWW Blog: Back to School - The Key to Surviving a Theatre Program

Here we go! It's the first week of school and things are about to get hectic. When entering college, you don't get to wade into the pool. You're thrown directly into the deep end head first. How do you keep from drowning? How do you stay afloat? With so much to juggle, it may be overwhelming at first when trying to figure how to make your next move. I know a lot of theatre majors think creatively, but this is the time to consider a more logical, and organized point of view. Emphasis on organized.

Get yourself to a Staples, and purchase a planner. This is going to be your bible throughout college. You have classes, homework, rehearsals for classes, rehearsals for shows, rehearsals for yourself, etc. How on Earth do you keep track of when you need to be where and for what? Write. It. Down. I'm serious. Write it down immediately. It is impossible you'll remember every detail you need to. A planner is an absolutely magical device in which you can write down any detail you need to about upcoming events and things you need to remember.

There are several different options when it comes to getting a planner. You can get one that is a week-by-week set up. This is great because you can see what's coming up in the week ahead. There is also a decent amount of room to make specific notes. It's great for jotting down a note to remember the crutch prop for your Cat on a Hot Tin Roof scene in acting class. The drawback is that there is limited space, so if you have a bunch of rehearsals on one particular day, you might not be able to get all of the information down.

Another format is the day-to-day planner. This is amazing because you have a ton of space since a full page is dedicated to one day. These are harder to find, though. You have almost no limitation on how specific you can get with your entries! You can write a list for every prop you need to bring, where exactly you're meeting with your scene partner, and where you're coming from. It's great for the forgetful actor!

My personal favorite is perfect for those who want a little more personalization and creativity to play into their planning. Ever heard of a bullet journal? It is a magnificent concept created by Ryder Carroll that lets you fully design your own planner. On each page, there are lightly colored dots that let you draw the lines and create spreads, or different formats for organizational purposes. There are seriously endless possibilities for how to set yours up. The best part? If you don't like the spread you created one week, you can create a completely different design the next! You get to discover what works for you and how to design it. Look up "bullet journal" on Pinterest and you'll find thousands of different ideas and inspirations! You can do everything including logging your daily water intake, adding to a list of shows you want to see, journaling your feelings, and, of course, keeping track of your schedule any way you want to! I highly recommend this to anyone who hasn't yet found a style of planner that suits them.

BONUS: if you're extra forgetful and need help remembering to check your schedule, drug stores sell whiteboard calendars you can stick on your wall and change every month! This is fantastic for a quick glance as you're passing by. Put it right next to your door so you see it every time you leave or come home. I promise it's an absolute lifesaver. I have the unfortunate traits of being both unorganized and forgetful, so having something I don't have to remember to look at makes life so much easier. With the whiteboard, there might not be a lot of room for details, but it's just enough of a boost to check your planner and see if there is anything you need to remember.

I know how hard it is to try and get yourself organized. (No really, it's SO hard.) But it's absolutely necessary if you want to do your best in school. It's impossible to remember everything off the top of your head. Writing it down has also been proven to help your memory (rather than typing it into a phone or laptop). Do yourself a favor and go get a super cute bullet journal or planner with a fun motivational saying and a bunch of colorful gel pens. Your schedule will thank you later.