BWW Blog: Bright Lights, Big... Country? Theatre At a Non-City College

When I was a wee senior in high school, I wanted to go to college in New York. I had crazy dreams of living in a penthouse apartment, taking classes right in the heart of Manhattan, then gallivanting around Broadway every night. Lots of younger friends of mine have expressed their concerns that going to a non-city school worries them. Never fear, theatre kids of tomorrow-I'm here to assuage your fears.

One of the major benefits to going to a non-city school is the diversity you'll get in your education. I go to school in rural Connecticut, so we're surrounded by farmland, fields, fresh air, and not much else. Looking for an alternative to acting? Why not try Horse Science! Feeling a little trapped in your stage management classes? Give Dairy Herd Management a shot! Trade set design for Livestock and Carcass Evaluation! Yes, these are all real classes my university offers. Unfortunately all of these are only available to junior-level students or above. Now, I know how disappointing this must be for all of you, so I present an alternative- multivariable calculus!

In the same vein, there's nothing quite like going to school on an actual campus compared to in a city. For one, you'll be able to stay in shape as you'll get your steps in walking from class to class. Side effects may include random bouts of sweat in the middle of the winter due to hiking twenty minutes across campus. We also have beautiful lawns and spacious hills to study on when it's not cold outside. There, you can experience the beautiful outdoors and wildlife you'd miss in a city: birds, squirrels, deer... oh, wait. Well, we've got COWS! Why have the smell of cigarettes and taxis when you've got manure? Take that, city schools!

If academics or outdoors aren't really your thing, consider school spirit. There isn't a day that goes by where I don't see at least twenty people on campus wearing hoodies or t-shirts emblazoned with our logo. We also have sports! Us theatre kids have it made when it comes to that. It's okay that you probably will only go to the tailgate for the football games- so does the rest of the school! If you don't particularly care about sports, that's also totally fine. Who needs to go watch our champion women's basketball team when you can be doing more important things, like rehearsing? Or eating? Or scrolling through TikTok instead of doing your drafting homework?

All jokes aside, there are some days I sit back and wonder what life would have been like if I went to a city school. Sure, there are moments when I miss the hustle and bustle of New York, but I wanted a blend of theatrical and multidisciplinary education. I ended up finding that perfect blend outside of a city. In reality, it's not about where you go to college- it's about how you use your education. So choose what's right for you. But just in case you're still on the fence... did I mention our cows make insane ice cream? What more could you ask for!

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