As I near the end of the semester and quickly approach my last semester at Pitt, I’m reflecting on my experiences and the tools that have helped me to get through college. It certainly hasn’t been the easiest experience given the global pandemic thing, but I think it has definitely made me a better person.

It's a Sunday night, I just got off work, I have an extensive amount of homework due, and I have dinner plans to attend, and I’m feeling drained and overwhelmed. ARGH! Being a college student and trying to manage a very busy schedule is an ongoing learning curve. And no, unfortunately there isn’t a set path or right answer to lead you to success. It varies from week to week and person to person.

Finding a balance of everything going on in just a week, let alone a whole semester can be so challenging and draining. Finding ways/tools to cope with my busy schedule was vital for my physical and mental health.

I've always been a pretty organized person. Ever since I had to switch out of advanced math in the 6th-grade mid-semester I've made sure to keep track of my homework, test schedule, and extracurricular activities. After this math class incident, I started to write my homework to-do list on my hand so I would not forget it. However, this wasn't the most efficient way of doing things since yesterday's homework may not wash away enough to make room for today's.

In my own life, I have worked day in and day out to try and find a balance and rhythm in handling my responsibilities and relationships. I still don’t have all the answers, but with the help of a few simple things, I have been able to regain control of my life and lead myself with certainty and organization.

It’s about that time of the semester where you start to plan for the next semester. Where will you live? What classes will you take? What will your schedule look like? Personally, I think it’s all very exciting. I love to plan and start to figure out what my life will look like when I come back to school in the Fall.

Without a doubt, March is always the busiest month. And smack dab in the middle of March is Spring Break, every college student's favorite holiday. But for some of us, Spring Break isn't really a break. So the question remains: what are some of the ways I find moments of calm amidst the chaos?

When I look back at the chaotic first half of the semester, I am proud of myself for managing to balance such a busy schedule full of rehearsals, weekend work shifts, and a heavy course load full of countless class projects. Here are some tips and tools that have helped me get through the year so far!

We’ve all heard it: the claims from friends and relatives of how easy we must have it “just singing and dancing” for schoolwork. But, as any performance, tech, or dance major will tell you– it’s not as simple as it sounds. There’s a lot that goes into being a theatre arts student that people often miss while not walking in our shoes– tap, jazz, or character.

This week marks that of my spring break which has been, in the simplest terms, a real curveball. Maybe this is an unexpected description for a break from school. They are more commonly seen as relaxing, restful, fun. While I would agree that my break has been all of these things, it has also felt very odd.

I had the opportunity to be an assistant stage manager for a community theater’s production of Miracle on South Division Street. Stage management was something that had interested me for a while as a job in the world of theater. Stage managers really make shows happen, and I was honored to take part in a production as a valued asset.

In my Notes app, I plan out my weekly schedule, marking down which assignments are due when, any meals that I’m getting with friends, and any other important upcoming events. Each day, I sit down and create a list for that specific day, outlining both immediate goals and projects that might not be due for a while.

We are just around midterm of the Spring semester at BU and things are going pretty swimmingly for me. I'm only taking 16 credits this semester-compared to my normal 18-20 I've been taking since my Junior year of high school-with my classes meeting only one to two times per week. A lot of my classwork is challenging but done in class with a lot of hands-on experiences and data collection.

I took a trip down to the costume shop today to begin working on my costume for “Get Down”. I love the director’s vision for the number, which is to create costumes inspired by each character, but in the style of the performer. We don’t have to create our own, but as an amateur costume designer and cosplayer, I jumped at the chance.

Happy March everyone! It’s so hard to believe that we are already three months into the year and halfway through the semester. March marks one of the busiest times of spring semester and I’m counting down the days until spring break.

Dealing with burnout is not enjoyable. You want to have enough energy to do what you are passionate about.

As spring break approaches for the University of Evansville, one annual event that brings forth a host of both UE and UET perspective students is Road Trip. Road Trip is a weekend where current seniors in high school that are either looking into UE or are committed to UE may come visit, take mock classes, live in a dorm with a current student host, and get a feel for what campus life is like!

Auditioning is an integral part of being an actor. Some even say that auditioning is the job. While this statement seems like a stretch, it emphasizes the importance of being able to audition well, in order to get a callback and hopefully a role and even a job. In a college setting, auditions are an important aspect of an aspiring actor’s educational experience, enabling them to practice the art of auditioning while providing possible opportunities to act in front of others. Given that most college and university semesters are underway, theatre departments and student theatre organizations are preparing for or are in the process of conducting auditions for this semester’s productions. With so many exciting shows to be a part of yet limited casting space, it is easy to become overwhelmed while transitioning from one audition to the next. To help your future auditions be successful, below are some tips and tricks that I have learned from auditioning throughout the past few years.

With a new semester already underway, college students are taking time to settle into their new routine and familiarize themselves with their courses. While trying to get a sense of the workload and expectations for a course, students will always comb through the course syllabus. In addition to workload and structure, at the end of every syllabus, students typically see a section that they know all too well, the academic integrity section. While many overlook this section, believing it to be unimportant and self-explanatory, it becomes clear that academic integrity is not always easy to discern despite being still critical to a college student’s success.

 From business classes to costume design to French film, this semester started out as quite the whirlwind! Read up on the beginning of a *fingers crossed* successful spring semester at Wagner.

You inspire me everyday with your bursting creativity, your wide array of talents and skills, and your insightful knowledge and appreciation of all areas of theatrical production and performance.

Last few years, I had the experience of watching some musicals in Korea. While watching many musicals in Korea, I became curious about the musicals in other cultures. So I started to find some musicals in other countries on the internet. And I found out that there was so many original version of musicals in the US.

Having Jewish stories and Jewish artists shine in the theater and in other works of art is just one of many ways to combat antisemitism, as well as teach the world about what it means to be Jewish now.

From the Dance Department assembly in The Great Hall of Marymount Manhattan College to the intimate stage of The Joyce Theatre, my last “first day” of the semester will go down in history.

Finding new ways to appreciate life is something everyone should do, especially if you are so wrapped up in one thing for such strenuous periods of time.