Student Blog: Senior Year and What I'm Doing Differently

Happy first week of classes! This week, thousands of students head back to their campuses to endure a new academic year. And for me, this week is the start of my senior year as an acting major. Time has certainly flown by and I am having trouble wrapping my brain around the fact that this is the last year of my program. I’m heading into this year feeling strong, carrying a different mindset than I have had in years prior. Here are a couple of things I am changing this time around to ensure my senior year is lively and successful.

Take time to jot down your thoughts and goals - This is something I have been doing since my first-year, but recently I have dedicated more time to it. Set a designated time to jot down your thoughts, goals, or even manifestations. At night is always a great time to do it! It is something that I like to do for myself, and I don’t share what I write with anyone else. By putting your goals and manifestation down on paper, you are actively putting them out into the universe. Bonus points if you start journaling your first year and keep up with it throughout your college years! I have been doing this since my first-year, and being able to read back and see how far I have come is something that pushes me even further. I would recommend getting an actual notebook/journal, as you are more prone to keep up with it if it is actually written down. I have attached a picture of my personal journal. My parents gave it to me as a gift, and it's from The Drama Book Shop in Manhattan!

Reset your sleep schedule - I started working on this in August in preparation for the school year, but you can still start now! As the school year continues your workload will begin to challenge your sleep schedule. Sure, the occasional all-nighter study session might come in handy for that big exam coming up, but when it becomes more of a trend issues start to arise. You’ll feel like you are always behind no matter how much sleep you got the night before, and soon enough the build up of exhaustion will come crashing down mid semester. (Remember when we talked about burnout?) I never thought I would be the one saying this, but challenge yourself to get up early before class! In previous years, I used to sleep until forty-five minutes before class. I was never giving myself time to settle into the day. I have since changed this and what I have found is a new sense of excitement for what I have to accomplish that day. If I might add, oversleeping is also a very real thing. I was most likely a victim of this as well. So, reevaluate your current sleep schedule and see what changes you can make!

Don’t psych yourself out - I am still getting used to the word ‘senior’ when describing myself, but that is totally okay! I know many incoming seniors feel the same way. The idea of senior year is indeed quite daunting; It’s the last year of school for most people, and you are expected to have a good idea of what you are going to do post graduation. So yes, senior year comes with a lot of expectations, but remember that you are still a student! You are still learning and growing more into yourself as a human. So embrace it. Soak in every minute while making sure that you maintain a calm attitude. You have a whole year ahead of you. So if you can, take it easy in the beginning. You have worked so hard to get to where you are, don’t lose it!

Have a great start to classes everyone. Make sure you take care of yourself, and as always challenge yourself to create something new!