Student Blog: Looking Ahead: Plans for Junior Year

Having spent the past few months working part-time, visiting friends, learning new music, and singing with my hometown choir, my summer has been delightfully busy. As July comes to a close and brings us nearer to the end of summer break, I am now looking ahead to the upcoming Fall semester. I’m beginning my third year of undergrad, and having finally achieved “upperclassman” status, I know this year will be a busy one. With that being said, I am excited to jump right into a new school year filled with performances, new milestones, and adventures with my friends.

Like last year, I will still be participating in Musical Theatre Workshop and University Chorus at my university, which means there will be a plethora of auditions, concerts, and shows to look forward to. I will also be taking courses like Music History, Contemporary Dance Technique, and Beginning Acting as part of my concentration in Musical Theatre this semester. Outside of that, I’m hoping to find other opportunities on and off campus to grow stronger in dance, whether that means taking classes at a local studio or finding a club on campus that involves movement in some capacity. Looking at my class schedule, I feel so incredibly lucky to be taking classes in all the areas I love this semester.

In addition to my music and ensemble responsibilities, I’m planning to knock out a few more gen ed requirements this semester. One class I’m both excited and nervous about is French Proficiency. I took French all four years in high school, in addition to one semester of French course my freshman year of college. Because I transferred, I still need one more credit in the foreign language for my B.A. requirements. Although I feel I have a decent amount of experience with the language, I do worry that I’ve gotten a bit rusty after almost two years without formal instruction. I’ve gotten back into my DuoLingo routine this summer to brush up on the basics, which will hopefully pay off in the end. I’ve always been interested in learning other languages, and I’m hoping taking French this semester will boost my confidence in actually using the language conversationally.

This semester, my friend and I are also planning to put together our Junior voice recital for the Spring semester. It feels unreal to me that it’s time to start planning for such a big milestone in my college career; I can’t even fathom that I’m halfway done with undergrad already. Sentimentality aside, I can’t wait to work on old and new repertoire (hopefully including a duet with my recital partner!), pick out a dress, and put together the program. There’s so much planning to do, but I’m looking forward to having it as a project to work on this Fall.

With so many exciting things ahead, I can’t help but reflect on the past two years of undergrad. There have certainly been ups and downs, but for the first time in my life, I feel like I’m able to look back and be proud of myself and the progress I’ve made, both musically and personally. I’ve learned to be kinder to myself, take every opportunity that comes my way, and not to take life too seriously. I feel ready and excited to take on another year at the school I love.