Student Spotlight: The First Year in College
Being a high school senior photographer, I have an opportunity to capture students at one of the most critical points in their life - choosing a college, and getting ready to leave home for the first time. There is so much to remember, and so much to look forward to! I also work with a lot of creative and talented teens - actors, musicians, models, and dancers so I wanted to give my high school seniors (and their parents) some insights from an ACTUAL COLLEGE STUDENT!
As a former college professor, I have some unique insights to college life and the entire selection process, and I love answering questions and helping out. My senior models get a GLOWING recommendation for me that looks great on college applications! But it's not quite the same as hearing it from a student's perspective.
So I reached out to Leah Marshall, who I had met when she was in my first-ever chaperone group at Camp Electric, a worship and rock 'n roll music camp for teens held each summer in Nashville, Tennessee. Fortunately Leah and I stayed in touch on Instagram and I saw her posting about starting college, dorm life, classes, etc. I asked if she wanted to come on an interview with me and tell us what it's REALLY like being away at college for the first time, and she said yes! I will post the link to the full interview below but let's dive right in to her introduction and Q&A. Everything is in Leah's own words, and I asked her to be completely and brutally honest!
Your name: Leah Marshall
School name: University of Northern Colorado
Contact info: theleahmarshall@gmail.com
Active social media handles (FB, IG, Twitter, etc.):
Instagram: @theleahmarshall & @teachingcenterstage
Hi, my name is Leah Marshall and I am a student at the University of Northern Colorado. I started college in Fall 2020 as a double major in Music Education (classical voice and piano) and Acting! I started performing in elementary school, and choir has always been a major part of my life. My middle school choir teacher has been the most impactful person in my life and knowing him and his effect on my life made me decide that I want to be a teacher!
I had the opportunity to student teach with him my senior year of high school and he gave me so much experience and advice about life, college, auditions, and the field that I want to go into. I also student taught with my drama teacher and she was able to give me hands- on experience, connections, and knowledge about being a director. Both of them showered me with advice and wisdom and cheered me on the entire way.
I absolutely love working with students and being surrounded by music at the same time. I ALWAYS loved music and musicals have always appealed to me, so having the opportunity to be in a musical my 8th grade year was very exciting. I started college because I wanted to be able to shape my craft and artistry and learn more about the fields. In my little bit of free time I love to spend time with my adorable cat, spend time in nature, talk about weird things I find on the internet, and read.
What are some of the biggest hurdles you faced when starting out?
My biggest hurdles have been money and a lack of theatre training in high school. Unfortunately, auditioning for music and theatre college programs has become a process for families with quite a bit of money. With the emphasis on the top programs/colleges (which are CRAZY expensive) combined with travel expenses, audition expenses, clothing, and now being online microphones, cameras, ring lights, etc. it is a super expensive process. Going into the process without a ton of money definitely makes it more challenging to audition for programs and then turn down colleges that are way too expensive for me.
(Would you guys like me to write an article about finding money for college and paying for college without going into a ton of debt? If so, let me know! - Jill)
What is your course load like? How many hours in class and doing work outside of class?
My course load this semester is 19 credit hours but that translates into 8 classes, 2 seminars, 1 choir that I am getting credit for. In addition to that I am also required to take 2 lessons a week and I am a member of a BIPOC theatre student committee. At most I have 5 back to back classes and a lesson which means that I have school from 9am-4:30pm. Other days I have 2-3 classes a day and a lesson but those days I spend at least an hour in the practice rooms. Outside of class I usually spend at least at least 2-3 hours each weekday on homework and most of my weekends doing homework or music practice.
COVID-19 is the Greatest Teacher?!
Other than my choir teacher which I have mentioned before, COVID-19 has honestly been a HUGE teacher in my life. COVID-19 has taught me patience, perseverance, flexibility, and creativity. Being in a competitive field where there is a lot of disappointment and burn out, COVID has forced me to slow down but also find different opportunities. I have met some INCREDIBLE people because of COVID, people that I wouldn’t get to have met this year otherwise if things were all in person. I’ve also been able to work on other projects that stretch my creativity, for example I started a podcast with my best friend and I got to read for a movie that a friend is writing even though we aren’t in the same city. Even though many things have been disappointing and hard because of COVID it has strengthened and taught me so much.
Do you recommend working a part time or full time job while taking classes?
No, if you don’t need to have a job I don’t recommend it. If you need one I totally get it, I am in the same boat. I do not currently have a job but I have sent out a few applications so I am hoping to have a job soon. But if you don’t need one take that extra time for yourself. College is tiring and if you’re a music or theatre student you’re even busier. Being able to take time for yourself, get a full night of sleep, etc. will help you physically and mentally so much. If you’re looking for ways to fill your time join a club, volunteer at a cause you care about, take a good long walk, meet friends for coffee, or spend time finally working on a project you’ve always been meaning to get to.
What is the best advice you have been given?
I have 2 amazing pieces of advice that I have been given. One, stretch yourself and push yourself out of your comfort zone because you will find other things in your field that you are good at and love. The more you have tried and learned also helps you become a lot more marketable. Especially with the rising use of technology because of COVID the arts are going to be permanently different, which is such a good thing. It allows for artists/musicians to audition for opportunities they never could have before, get connected with new people, and create new projects with talented people around the world. Being a multi-talented and knowledgeable person you are SO much more hireable.
Additionally, the best piece of advice I have been given is finding what fills your cup outside of art. Once your art (theatre, music, dance, etc) becomes your career it no longer can be your relaxing, fun hobby which increases your chances of burning out. If you aren’t coming into your career and art fulfilled and nourished inside then you will not give your best self to your art. Find what you love outside of your art, whether that be photography, a different type of art, hiking/nature, etc. and you will be a better person and artist. Also, you never know when there will be a creative way to combine your interests! Someone I know has a professional photography business outside of the quartet that she’s in and with COVID she was able to take her technology and camera knowledge to produce some amazing music videos and online projects for their quartet.
What projects you are currently working on?
The public project I am working on is that I recently started a podcast with my best friend, it is called Virtually BFFs and you can stream it on Spotify. A personal project that I’m working on is figuring out what my brand is as an artist. I want to decide what I am passionate about and what my message is and make it clear through my social media and projects. I also want to find an audition book full of material that represents me and that shows off my abilities best.
See my full interview with Leah including Q&A submitted by our community on our Facebook page. While you're there, be sure to hit the Like Button so you can keep up with the latest news and current content!
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
You may be wondering about the images on this page. No, I did not fly out to Colorado in the middle of a pandemic to photograph Leah myself (I WISH!). Instead, I coordinated a great opportunity for her with the University of Northern Colorado University Relations department. I called the school and spoke to their staff photographer Woody Myers, and he told me that they have a new photo studio on campus and thanks to the pandemic, he had some time to do a photo shoot for her on campus. They took care of the rest and sent me these shots, which were perfect for this article! HUGE thanks to you, Woody!
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