<p>I would have your child give it time unless there are specifics he or she can point to where the classes etc do not match what was in the program description. General unease is pretty common with freshman college students regardless of major. And I’d encourage he or she to speak with her department chair.</p>
<p>shellbell1 - I haven’t posted about my Freshman’s experience yet because i am waiting to see her next month when she is home on her fall break. She has had some ups and downs, and transition issues, but LOVES her MT classes. I am sure there are plenty of parents who have heard negative things from their children, but just haven’t posted the details. I am sure you are not alone. That being said, what sort of things is your child disappointed in? Are they things that can be corrected or that she can adjust to? Or are they the sort of things that would have made her avoid the program if she had known about them? Are there some upperclassmen in the program she can talk things through with?</p>
<p>Upper classman are a good resource for how the program works. My D has checked in with some to see how certain things work. I think many kids have the normal going to college adjustment especially a great deal of MT kids are far from home. The last couple posts have given you some great things to check with your freshman to see if it is the program or the adjustment to college, being away and on their own for the first time. Many of our theatre kids have gone away to camp and it is just about time now that the newness and “camp” effect has probably worn off and reality has set in that they are away from home and having to navigate the majority of stuff for themselves. </p>
<p>I am sure she has monoluges and song cuts already so unless it is a prescreen school you think might be one she would want to audition at you still have time to access what the issues really are.</p>
<p>Good Luck!</p>
<p>Thank you all for responding! It’s reassuring to know that everyone is adjusting. It’s so hard as a parent to see your kid in turmoil and not try to “fix” it somehow. The biggest issue she is having is that while the program accepted just 16 kids, only 4 of them are “true freshmen” The rest of the class is made up of upperclassman that were admitted as “program freshmen”. We were completely blinsided by this as it was not mentioned at all at on campus auditions. She is watching all her friends at other schools and they seem so tight knit as a group of incoming MTs. The university is very large, but she expected the MT program to be more personal and it just isn’t.</p>
<p>^^That’s tough, shellbell1. I can see how that can be a little intimidating for your girl. Does she at least get along well with the other three freshmen her age? I agree with others that say to try to tell her to give it more time. </p>
<p>We’ve been through this also. Sometimes it feels like the kid is drowning, but they don’t realize they are in only two feet of water. Eventually, they figure out that they need to simple stand up!!!</p>
<p>Good luck!</p>
<p>Not sure if it makes sense to merge these threads, but in any case some folks may find related information from past Freshman MTs here…</p>
<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/musical-theater-major/1067706-freshman-experience.html?highlight=freshman+experience[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/musical-theater-major/1067706-freshman-experience.html?highlight=freshman+experience</a></p>
<p>SaratogaParent you brought back fond memories. Pretty sure you will be blown away at the schools main stage performance. After witnessing our first main stage, we knew our daughter was where she belonged.</p>
<p>Good luck to all the freshman parents. Enjoy each step because it really does fly by.</p>
<p>Shellbell1, where is your D (if you don’t mind me asking)? Maybe other parents who have kids at that school can help. But I do think there is an adjustment period for all of them. I know my D had trouble sleeping at first, and it was tough to get adjusted to all the new stuff. New food, new bed, new people…it’s a big, big adjustment. I would give your D time. Do they have a mentoring program there? Where my D is, they assign each freshman to a senior (lovingly referred to as “Littles” and “Bigs”), and the Big is basically responsible for their Little’s well-being the first year. I know several schools have this type of program. The Bigs talk the Littles through problems, drive them to the drugstore, grocery store, etc., introduce them to people, etc. If your D’s school has something like that, maybe she can talk to her Big about what she is experiencing…? And, is it just the social aspect that she wasn’t expecting, or is it also the training/program? Once you pin that down, it may be easier to figure out how to proceed.</p>
<p>My D is at Ithaca, with prodesse’s son. She loves it there - loves the classes, the professors, the kids, everything. The only thing that surprised her was how much work there is…she’s had to write a bunch of papers already, and take a quiz. She knew it wasn’t going to be like camp, but she didn’t realize it would be SO academically oriented. And she has no gen ed classes, and won’t take one until her junior year! The work is in classes like Script Analysis and Voice and Movement…classes that are completely pertinent to MT, but where they really have to use their academic skills.</p>
<p>My Daughter has just finished her third week at Rider, with MTDancerMom’s daughter. Hmmm…she LOVES her roommate (who is from Texas)! If they aren’t roommates, I know they are great friends by now, as they are all in the Performing Arts dorm. </p>
<p>She was incredibly humbled to have been cast in the fall musical in the ensemble and gives me updates about her classes. She loves her voice teacher and had her first lesson with her accompanist this week, as well as her first music theory test today! It’s a great start to her college experience. We went from tears from all of us, to happy updates about classes, lessons, masterclasses and friends. She has great respect for her classmates and for the upper-class MT students.</p>
<p>shellbell, another though us whether your D has a group of kids outside her MT kids. My D has made some very good friends in her dorm so she has two groups to hang with: her MT buddies and her dorm buddies. Helps to have a group outside of theater sometimes.</p>
<p>My D is a MT Freshman at Ithaca and absolutely loves it. We had never been to New York State before we arrived there this August to take her to school (we are from the West Coast) and we all loved the city and the college immediately. It was just a feeling of “this is where she is meant to be right now”, so when it came to leave her there it wasn’t the heart-wrenching experience I thought it might be. Of course we all cried a little, but my heart was so happy for her that she is living the dream in such as awesome place. She has a great roommate (a film major) so that has been great for her to make friends in the non-MT realm, and has made many new friends in the MT group as well. As Monkey13 mentioned, they have the Bigs and Littles at Ithaca and my D loves her Big who has been so helpful in guiding the littles through the process of adjusting to college life and even driving them to get stuff at the store, etc. She was also extremely humbled to be cast in the fall mainstage production of Into the Woods, which was more than she expected. She was just hoping for a callback at best. Freshmen have the choice to audition or not for the fall show of their Freshman year and there were quite a few that chose not to from what I understand. We can’t wait to go back to see the show and just to be in Ithaca again (thank goodness it is over the long weekend in November so my husband and I can both go without missing too much work). It is not very convenient or cheap to get from Seattle to Ithaca, so we are really cutting the extras to make this happen. It was a stretch to send her to IC in the first place, but don’t we all do what we can to make things happen for our kids???!!! Hoping that all the MT freshmen out there are adjusting well and having fun living the dream too :)</p>
<p>Seconding what jeffandann said in post #30. One of my BFFs has a son in MT, and a high school daughter also following this path.</p>
<p>It’s very good to have friends outside the high stress bubble of MT especially because there is a lot of competition within and among MT students–just the nature of the beast, unfortunately. And given the zero sum nature of the world these students live in, with only one person getting any part that however many go out for…it’s nice to have uninvolved friends on whom one can unload, or who can provide complete distraction, with conversation on a night out not centering on gossip/speculation/discussion of what’s going on in the MT world/productions/auditions etc.</p>
<p>Something else for shellfell and some others to think about with their students is the fact that for the first time a lot of these talented kids are in a much bigger and deeper and more competitive and talented pool. All of these kids in the MT programs have been the big talent/stars in their local high schools/community theaters/camps. It can be a big shock to the self confidence to suddenly be the minnow in a great, big ocean fill of all kinds of bigger fish. The students just have to remember that they were selected because they, too, are talented, and that they just have to put their heads down and get to work.</p>
<p>shellbell-- to echo the others, give it time. I expect the whole MT class will bond no matter where they came from. D’s program had many transfers too, so she is younger than others but they work together so intensely that they became a family very quickly-- I expect this will be true for your D too. </p>
<p>Also-- tell her to consider transferring. The likelihood is that just considering other schools will remind her what she loves about her own. And (as she sees by the number of ‘program freshmen’ at her school), it’s not uncommon to transfer. (Though somehow I think that by a few months from now she’ll be deeply and happily involved and a transfer will be far from her mind.)</p>
<p>Our daughter is currently a freshman at OCU as a musical theater major and has been there since the beginning of August. It is proving to be everything she wanted and more. Although concerned about it being a Bachelor of Music and not a BFA at first, any reservations about the type of training she would get are now a thing of the past. It is an amazing and wonderful program.
MTs hit the ground running. The day she moved in she had a choral placement audition (the MT major is part of the music school and all MTs are required to be in a choir all 4 years they are there); the rest of that week included placement auditions for tap, jazz and ballet, music theory and piano. The school is very integrated. Dance classes are with dance majors in the same level. You may find instrumentalists or voice performance majors in your music theory classes, etc…
The following week began classes and sorority recruitment. One of the great things for students who wish to have a Greek experience is s that because there are so many performing arts students at OCU, the fraternities and sororities understand their demanding schedules and students are able to work around those time demands and still be part of one of these groups if they wish. Our daughter loved every single sorority on campus and is having a ball with the sorority she chose to be a part of. The Greek community is very supportive of each other and is not cliquey in the least. And there are plenty of student who choose not to be a part of the Greek system as well. You would not feel strange whichever way you decided to go.
Our daughter is taking 19 hours this semester which is more than typical but just the way her schedule worked out. She has an 8 am class every day. And they have music theory boot camp on Saturdays. She has two voice lessons per week with an incredible voice teacher. (Students are assigned a voice studio based on their audition for the college. There is much anticipation in late summer waiting to find out in which studio you have been placed. The older students in her studio definitely take the younger ones under their wing and help them whenever needed. ) In addition to voice lessons she has a studio master class, choir, she has two dance classes this semester, piano, music theory, aural skills, acting and an MT performers lab along with a leadership class and English.
I believe all students are required to audition for all shows including musicals and operas. This semester that included the musicals/operas 9 to 5, Violet and Street Scene. There is also OCU Stripped which is doing Spelling Bee. And there is something called OPERAtions which is doing several operas on a smaller scale. So there are many productions in which you have a chance to be cast. OCU Theatre is also doing 5-6 productions this semester for which most students also auditioned. Although I don’t think MTs are required to audition for the straight shows – I think most of them do. Some freshman were called back for one or more of these productions, a few were cast – but I would say the majority of freshman were not cast this semester.
The students hail from all over the US and Canada and I think one or two from other countries as well. There are approximately 25 -30 MTs I believe. These include students from performing arts boarding schools, Jimmy Award winners and some who already have professional credits on their resume. Most have done quite a bit of performing. My daughter constantly raves about the level of talent that is there.
As far as the social side of school, there are plenty of parties to go to if that is your thing. They have also already attended everything from a touring production of Wicked to a local Shakespeare in the Park to the Oklahoma State Fair and Disney on Ice and the zoo! The entire school got together to cheer on one of their own as she competed in Miss America (finishing 2nd runner up!). All that to say – they are definitely not lacking for things to do which had also been a concern going to a school in middle America and not in a big city.
The biggest thing I continue to hear is how happy and how nice all of the students seem to be. There are some adjustments that come with going away to school, learning about dorm living, figuring out what to eat, and starting from the beginning as a new freshman etc…but our daughter feels she has landed in the very best place for her and can’t imagine going to school anywhere else. Everytime we speak to her she sounds excited and inspired. If you have questions about OCU and its program, I’ll do my best to try to answer them. It is definitely a program that you may want to consider!</p>
<p>Thank you to everyone for the replies. It helps just to have a sounding board. She is already doing better and yes, realizing she both has a lot to offer and has a lot to learn. The school has a different approach to teaching than she is used to but I think she’s starting to catch the vision. Hopefully by Thanksgiving all her initial misgivings will be water under the bridge.</p>
<p>A common theme is how busy the students all are but loving the programs. My son is in his first year at Urdang Academy, the conservatory program of the University of East London. It is rigorous, exciting and challenging. They have very strict dress codes for everything even his regular non-dance classes. Students have to arrive at 8:20am every morning whether or not they have class then. He is now a master at navigating the busses and the London tube to get to and from his classes which are in various parts of London. He loves his private voice class and his tap, jazz, ballet and “street” courses. As an experienced dancer, he is continually challenged. He is learning so much in his acting and articulation classes. He is in the degree program which has a rigorous academic component which is different than the kids in the diploma program although the performance classes are the same. His days are long and he has 30-45 minute commute each way.
He resides in the International Student House (not affiliated with the school) with students from around the world attending dozens of different universities in London. It is highly diverse and exactly what we were looking for in an experience. He does not eat in a dining hall and he has to budget his money for food, transportation, essentials and fun as well as shop and prepare his own meals.<br>
He has grown up a lot just in the past three weeks and is loving every moment of it. He will complete the program in three years and will have already learned the ins and outs of living in a big city. Such a great experience.</p>
<p>My daughter is a freshman MT at Coastal Carolina and loving it! She has bonded with other students in the dept., loves her classes and professors in the dept., and really loves her voice teacher! We were there last weekend for family weekend and saw “The Sweetest Swing In Baseball” and it was fantastic. CCU also did a concert type version of “Sweeney Todd” a few weeks ago and she texted me after that she was blown away and so proud to be part of the theatre dept. at CCU. It is a bit of an adjustment for her being far from home since most of her high school friends are going to school in-state and are able to come home more, but I know she would not have been happy at any of the schools in our state.</p>
<p>mtgirl2013-I think a lot of the MT kids realize that. It’s just all part of the adjustment. Even though they love it they have those moments of missing home since many of them are so far from home. Many of my D’s friends from HS have been home at least once if not more and their parents go out and meet them for dinner or lunch. Unfortunately some of ours are so far away that it isnt possible for a visit. I’m counting down these last 11 days until I go see my D in her show. She also has decided even though it is close together she is coming home on her fall break because we were able to find a megabus trip that is not expensive and she doesn’t mind buses. My D has also had the same experiences of loving the first two shows she has gotten to see with her classmates in it. It is great that so many are having good experiences while they are adjusting to living so far away.</p>
<p>One interesting but somewhat difficult thing I’ve heard from my D is that some of what she has learned in HS about acting and singing is being changed. She’s being taught new acting techniques, and sometimes gets critiques, and then she worries that other kids aren’t getting as many (although I am sure they do). Her voice professor is teaching her new methods and while she says her voice is already better it wears out quicker which concerns her. So while she knows intuitively this is part of the process in developing her as a performer, it does get stressful.</p>
<p>I am enjoying this thread.</p>