Student Blog: 8 Organization Tips for the Messy Musical Theatre Student

I may be the most organized disorganized person ever. I definitely have unconventional systems, and they've become even stranger since going to school for musical theatre. Now that school is starting to creep up on us once again, I wanted to share some organization tips to keep everyone sharp for the new semester!

1. Keep everything important visible.

This goes for your dance shoes or dance bag, your music binders, your headshots and resumes for auditions, and your schoolwork. You may be asking: hey, Aingea, isn't that a little cluttered? Not if you do it the right way! Use a magazine organizer for your music binders and headshots to keep them visible yet tucked away, and get a hook for your dance bag or dance shoes!

2. Keep a "go bag" for most situations

I think most of my stress leaves my body when I know that I have most of my essentials packed. For this reason, I usually have specific items in different bags for different scenarios. For my school backpack, I have a water bottle (empty and dry to fill at school, we don't want to grow bacteria!), my notebooks and binders, and any other materials I need during the day. In the evening, when I begin working, I pull any materials I need from the bag, and after I'm done, they go right back in. This way, I never leave anything at home.

For dance, I have a simpler bag - another water bottle, dance shoes, and other small items like deodorant. This way, I can have it hanging on a hook, and I can simply grab it when it's time to run out the door.

3. Meal prepping

If you're able to meal prep, I highly recommend it. Even if it just means cooking your lunch the night before to bring with you, meal prepping reduces my stress greatly. Currently, I simply make myself a sandwich and pack veggies and fruit and a simple snack for work the next day, and I put it in the refrigerator. For school, if I'm not going to the dining hall that day, I may leave my prepped meals at home. Either way, prepping or having a plan helps to avoid wasting time, ingredients, and dishes. And even if you have food issues like ARFID, emetophobia, general nausea, or texture issues, you can keep around your safe foods, especially if they are quick and easy - mine are ham and cheese Hot Pockets!

4. Setting a separate alarm for medication

This may be one of the best things I've ever done for myself when it comes to remembering medication, especially with such a strict schedule. I set an alarm an hour before my actual wake-up time that reminds me to take my meds. I take them, and then I go back to sleep. This ensures that I actually take my medication, it keeps me on a stricter schedule, and there's almost no way I can forget! Some medications, like ADHD meds, actually benefit from this type of routine!

5. Spreadsheets!

I learned the importance of spreadsheets during college auditions - I had one with several columns, comparing school types, degree types, audition and prescreen requirements, and more. Now that I am actually in school, I LOVE spreadsheets, and I continue to use them. From budgeting to song lists, spreadsheets are so versatile and can be used for anything! I use them to create assignment timelines to visualize and keep me on track, a song masterlist to keep track of all the songs in my book, and an audition listing spreadsheet to track auditions and submissions. These are great for keeping you organized and on track with any goals you may have, and spreadsheets are MUCH more versatile than you think - you can always look up tutorials on certain spreadsheet types!

6. Rewarding yourself

If you're like me, you need a reward as a motivation, not a punishment. Instead of focusing on the negative ("If you don't do this, you'll get a bad grade"), focus on the positive. Give yourself a small reward in small intervals. This can come in the form of breaks - using the Pomodoro Technique, you get a 5 minute break every 25 minutes. This is strict, and allows for no time extension. You can always alter the times, but 25/5 is the one that works the best and allows for the most efficiency. You can also reward yourself with larger rewards - maybe if you do well for half of the semester, you'll get yourself tickets to the show you've always wanted to see. Or maybe when you finish a big paper, you'll get yourself a Lego set or a big bag of candy. Any way you want to do it, rewards can be instrumental in making sure all of your work gets done and your attendance stays optimal.

7. Reminding yourself of why you're here

There were periods of time when I was in school that I would lose focus of what I wanted to do - even though I was doing it every day. Theatre started to feel like a chore instead of an actual passion. In this case, listen to an album! See a show! Do something that reminds you that there is a reason you went to school for this - and it certainly wasn't for it to feel like school.

8. Be kind to yourself

Now, even though it looks similar, this is not the same as rewarding yourself. Being kind to yourself comes in many forms, and one way to be kind to yourself is CERTAINLY rewarding your efforts. But, in essence, being kind to oneself means to put things into perspective. Whether you do a self-care day, go out with friends, bake yourself your favorite dessert, or take a mini vacation, you NEED to be kind to yourself. As performers, we enter rooms every day to be vulnerable with others. Oftentimes we don't even recognize the toll this takes on our bodies, minds, and spirits. So, every once in a while, take time for yourself. Go to the gym, go to the park, go to the beach - do whatever you need to remind yourself of your own human experience, and how it is supposed to be pleasant, fulfilling, and vibrant.

In conclusion, I've done a LOT of things to try to make my life easier - some better, some worse. This either has worked for me, or has worked for other people! A good amount of these tips have reduced my school stress level to a minimum, and have allowed me to focus on why I am truly there. Take care this summer, and remember to be kind to yourself this school year!

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