Student Blog: Lights Up on Freshman Year - My First Semester in New York City

Up at 7:30 to leave at 8:00 to take a 30-minute subway ride to dance class. One transfer and a five-minute walk to Ballet Hispánico for a 9:00 ballet class with Lori. Another 40-minute subway ride from Ballet Hispánico to campus for an 11:30 Entertainment Marketing lecture. Sitting in the Commons with my friends Jackson, Ella, and Chloe, waiting to walk across the terrace and one flight of stairs to Jason Marr’s Acting: Process and Technique class. One more elevator ride, six blocks, and one bumpy bus ride finishes my day.

Shared Challenges of College Life

As a freshman musical theatre major at Marymount Manhattan College, I share a similar course load and schedule to my other 100 odd-some peers. Most of us are taking Acting: Process and Technique twice a week, along with Script Analysis and fundamental classes on theory and history once a week. We all also share the daily struggle of hauling ourselves out of bed to make our daily dance classes in studios on the West side of Manhattan. Due to holding a second major in media and arts management, I also have the unique aspect of entertainment marketing embedded into my NYC seminar, a course all first-year students take to better acclimate to the hustle and bustle of the city. I round out my week with my beloved Advanced Writing Seminar, themed after “Writing Selves.” It looks pretty clean-cut on paper, but I’ve learned in my few weeks in college that even though the hard part of applying and committing to college is over, the effort and hard work that comes with it is anything but.

The Blessings of a Busy Schedule

I understood going into school that I’m the sole person responsible for my attendance and commitment to school, but having to be my own parent can be both freeing and complicated, a sentiment many college students likely share with me. Remembering to feed myself, clean my room, hold a social life, keep up with my school work, and soak up everything New York offers is EXHAUSTING! I feel blessed to have such a robust support system behind me both on my campus and with my friends and family here and at home. I hail from a suburb of Sacramento, California, and some days are harder than others to beat the homesickness that fills my heart. I am thankful that my days are mainly busy and take up most of my brainpower, making it easier not to ache for home. I’m very grateful to have lined up a job as a Patron Services Representative at TKTS (if you see me at the Red Steps, say hi!), and having a mountain of research and reading constantly awaiting me at home keeps me working and discovering more. My Fundamentals of Musical Theatre course has made me rethink how much of a theatre nerd I am, as I’ve been introduced to so many revolutionary musicals I would have never given a second glance had it not been assigned to me; the historical context behind how musical theatre has evolved and grown alone is enough to keep me interested for hours at a time.

Theatre Nerd Revelations

I am also very grateful I get to learn so much about my craft in the city known for producing high-caliber, world-famous theatre productions. Instead of just reading about historic theaters and what occurred in them back in the day, I can catch a show at said theater and live it myself in the 21st century! I walk the streets and see the faces of legends I used to idolize and ogle at my laptop screen because the world is so small and everyone is so connected; it just takes a bit of effort to notice. New York has also exposed me to how important everyone is to creating theatre, both on and off-stage, and has made me feel more secure in my second major. I have experience backstage as a director, stage manager, light technician, stagehand, construction crewmember, and more, and being able to learn more about arts management and how intriguing a producer’s, event manager’s, and even marketer’s job is within the arts is comforting, as it further reinforces the idea that a successful career in the arts doesn’t have to mean your name stands in big lights.

A Journey of Self-Discovery

New York is a very diverse city, and most of my peers have moved from all over the country to learn about musical theatre. Most of my discussions with classmates, both in and out of school, are full of disagreement, which is okay! It’s refreshing to learn not only about NYC and theatre but about everyone else’s stories, opinions, and how their upbringing and environment fostered their unique perspectives on life. The world doesn’t have to all have the same idea, and not all of us have to agree to concede to the other’s opinion. Something that I’ve really connected and found solace in over the past few weeks is that college isn’t necessarily about following set guidelines to a degree (although it totally is partially about that) but also in discovering interests and what works in life for me and trusting that sticking with it will get me to where I need to be.

Trust Your Path!

It is crucial to remember that no matter your circumstances, you are always meant to be where you’re at, and what you want to get out of the world will come to you with enough effort, patience, and a little luck (which we all most certainly have). I’m so excited to continue seizing the opportunities I gain while still in the safety net of college and build experiences that make for unique stories to tell in the future.