<p>I have 11 days until I take off for Fredonia. All of the sudden I've gotten very nervous... I'm not nervous about making friends or being independent or adapting well... but I keep thinking about what my advisor told me at orientation back in June. After he finished telling me what my classes were, he went on to tell me: "You have to work your ass off. Your audition wasn't up to par and you have to prove it to all of us that you can do it or you won't last in the program." It's not like I wasn't going to work hard in the first place, but it just increased the pressure tenfold. It doesn't help that I was accepted off the waiting list, which makes me feel like I wasn't good enough for the program in the first place. Maybe I'm just overreacting. But still, it sort of scares me. I want to do musical theatre more than ANYTHING!!!</p>
<p>blah.</p>
<p>BroadwayJen, it's natural for you to feel nervous. Most normal people feel nervous before going to college (or starting a new job, getting married, etc. etc.) for the first time. The way I see it, however, the key for you is to realize that, even though you were on the waitlist, and even though your advisor said what he said, in the end, YOU were one of the people chosen for this school. A heck of a lot of other kids were not selected/did not measure up and did not even get on the waitlist! The fact that YOU were picked to come off the wait list shows me that the adjudicators DO see that you have what it takes to enroll in -- and thrive at -- their program. If they didn't think so, they wouldn't have waitlisted -- and eventually accepted -- you in the first place. Does that make sense? So take with pride the place that you were offered and know that, if you work hard, you can do it. Good luck, honey.</p>
<p>Nice advisor you have there. Being able to work on your skills requires relaxation, not a Type A cavalry charge. Why any teacher would want to put that kind of pressure on someone right up front ...</p>
<p>I sure don't get it.</p>
<p>I have seen a number of people make quantum leaps in their performances when they suddenly "got it." Generally, you can recognize talent in these people before it happens, but that talent has been locked up; usually by nerves but sometimes by indolence. I believe talent is a combination of three factors:</p>
<ol>
<li> Energy</li>
<li> Concentration</li>
<li> Empathy</li>
</ol>
<p>Anyone with those three things can become a good, and even great, actor if they work hard and, more importantly, know HOW to work.</p>
<p>I suppose you do have one thing going for you: You KNOW you need to work. I'm sure you will find others in your program who believe that acting skills are something you either have or you don't, and will slouch their way through the program. You have a good chance of catching and passing them if you work hard and work appropriately.</p>
<p>Good luck to you.</p>
<p>BroadwayJen,</p>
<pre><code> Teachers/Advisors come in all shapes, sizes and skill sets. This advisor has an unusual "style." If you don't connect w/ him or her after a few visits, request a new one. No one will be offended. It's quite common for students to change advisors once they get settled.
Good luck!
</code></pre>
<p>Indeed! It would be disingenous of their process to have accepted someone they did not think would make it. You may not have been at the top of their list based on the auditions (and we all have had great and not very good auditions, depending on the day), and most schools want the talent and development to be as advanced as possible. However, none of this has any implications for what you can accomplish through hard work and determination. You are the only one who can judge what led to this comment from him....perhaps you had expressed concerns about the waitlist admit, but let him know what kind of support you require to shine. Good luck!</p>
<p>Thank so much to everyone for their advice :)</p>