Hey guys!!
If your kids or you could go back, what would y’all do before students’ first year? Could range from wish they trained more in dance to wish they bought so and so product! Any advice helps us newbie college actors!!!
Thanks!
I would imagine my D would say she should have had more dance. But as for surviving college she’d say she should have put more money in the bank for the late nights trips for insomnia cookies and such!
I would have purchased a full sized humidifier for my D, instead of a portable sized model. Come January the drying dorm heat gave her an epidemic of bloody noses.
Mine is on his way home, I’ll ask him in a few!
Before school: Taken music theory in high school. And piano lessons. More ballet.
First year of college: agree on the humidifier. Dorm air quality is not great! Find a local doctor (big ER Bill for a UTI).
D had music theory in high school and the first college she attended and still had to review it over the summer to take the placement test. Unless your a whiz at theory make sure your prepared! Stock up on whatever you use for sore throats and take vitamins/preventatives for colds religiously because they start going around the first week of classes. A huge water bottle, the air is so dry and it’s essential to stay well hydrated. I agree with the piano lessons/dance lessons before college. A bag of rice cuz eventually someone needs to dry out their phone at 2am.
Finding a local doctor may be a good idea, but reviewing what the campus health services provide may solve that problem to a large extent.
i would also agree that any brush up on piano, theory, dance would be a good idea. Also, some schools have either a “diagnostic” audition, or auditions for fall shows immediately upon hitting campus, so having all your material fresh and ready to go, along with head shots and resumes would be a good thing.
As a parent, I would have prepared my child to understand that there is no “perfect” program. And that even if you love it there, you will not be happy all the time. It is normal and OK. There is no shame in reaching out to your parent or school mentor or professionals if you are having a hard time!
@MT4Life – campus health services did not prove helpful after hours and weekends 
But it is the first place to look for sure!
Get a used bike (with a good lock). S didn’t want one. I got one anyway. Now he can’t imagine being on campus without it. Ten minute walk to Arts center cut to five minute bike ride = five minutes extra sleep before 8:30 ballet class. Also great for quick transport for food/coffee during rehearsal breaks.
Great point @shaun0203 !
If they don’t already know how, teach them to do laundry. Yes, they are ALL busy doing shows, classes, practicing, coaching, learning to drive, having a social life. As a college MT freshman on their own, it will be even harder to squeeze it in. Even if you teach them well, expect all white items to come home grey.
This advice is so great!!! I would have never thought about bring a bike @mom4bwayboy !!!
At one of the first college visits we attended, in one of the panel discussions we were told that our kids should know how to do two things before arriving on campus: laundry, and waking up on their own. Their roommate is not responsible for them, and they don’t want to hear you hitting the snooze for an hour when they don’t need to be up yet!
^^ @JAM113 that was my biggest fear for my daughter freshman year. She survived and is two years into her program and she has managed to figure it out
^^^
I don’t even want to hear the repeated snooze for the man I married.
On the medical front, if your kid goes to school out of state check to see whether your health insurance is valid in that state. We didn’t think about that and declined the school health insurance since our D is on our plan. When she had to go in they didn’t take our insurance. We were able to get permission for coverage from the carrier first semester but the company changed plans for 2015 and second semester was a challenge. So check if out of state or just buy the school policy (which we will likely do next year).
On the flip side of insurance - if yours is valid in-state, make sure to decline school coverage. It’s probably different for all schools, but our school automatically puts it on the student account each semester & we have to decline it in the system. Have had several friends forget to decline & it’s expensive if you don’t need it.
I recommend having a conversation about spending $$. For example- D knows that she is “allowed” to see shows as often as she chooses, with some flexibility in ticket prices. (as I have commented before student discounts sometimes make NYC theater tickets cheaper than movie tickets - but only b/c movies are so expensive there!) For our family part of the “opportunity” of going to school where she does is the chance to experience as many types of theater and shows as possible. By the time she leaves next week she will have seen the vast majority of shows nominated for an award in this year’s Tonys. (and my jealousy knows no bounds) BUT she has a strict budget for other things. (like shopping!)
Basic healthy and quick cooking skills also come in handy, since often by the time they finish rehearsals nothing is open.