As the semester draws to a close, for theater kids in high school or college this means one of three things: you're either currently in a show, cast in a show that doesn't rehearse till next semester or planning to audition for a show in the spring.

Whichever way you look at it, theater kids tend to think from show to show, and a lot of this thought relates to the anxiety that comes with auditioning for a play or musical. Over my many years of auditioning for shows, I've noticed many routines that I, and many others, adhere to religiously during "audition season."

1. You're constantly asking your friends what song/monologue they're auditioning with, secretly to make sure your choices are unique.

The last thing you want is to be singing the same song as your friend, knowing that they can sing it better than you can. However, you don't want to bother people too much about their audition materials, because they may want to keep it a secret or will just think you're being nosy.

2. You tell yourself you're not going to use Sharpay's vocal warmups when practicing, but you do anyway.

Even though you're not sure that Sharpay's warmups from High School Musical actually do anything to give you energy or warm up your voice, you try to channel some of her star power and find yourself emulating her warmup style before every audition. Just make sure you let Ryan take the lead on the jazz squares.

3. You find yourself practicing your audition song whenever you're alone, to maximize your free time.

Whether you're brave enough to sing while walking around, or would rather confine your practicing to the privacy of your car or your room, it's important to make sure that you squeeze in as much practicing time as you can. Especially in college, it can be hard to find time to practice for auditions on your own, so you may have to get creative.

4. If you haven't done a show in a while, you make a big deal about ceremoniously dusting off your character shoes for the dance audition.

I always feel a sharp twinge of nostalgia whenever I open my bottom drawer to retrieve my dance shoes that I haven't used in a while. It's a special feeling for a theater kid to return to performing after not being in a show for a while, so milk every moment you can of the all-too-familiar audition process.

5. If the director asks, "Do you have any special dance skills?" you immediately attempt a split even though you're not sure you actually have any.

The rule of thumb when auditioning is, if you're asked to do something, never say "I can't do it," but always attempt it to some degree to at least show you're willing to take chances. You may not deliver the perfect split or British accent, but you gave a valiant effort, and sometimes that's all that matters.

6. When waiting to audition, you can inevitably hear the person before you audition, and of course, they're always amazing, but you still try to stay positive.

It can be torturous to be right outside the audition room and hear a future Broadway star belting out "The Wizard and I" right before you're scheduled to go, but don't let that shake you. Every performer has different strengths and skills, and your job is just to show the director everything YOU can do best.

7. You wait in agony for the callbacks list to come out as soon as your audition ends, and you can barely focus on anything else.

Every theater kid knows the pain of waiting for a callbacks list to come out. I never feel more impatient then when I'm in this particular limbo. The best thing to do in this situation is to totally distract yourself from the audition process if you can, especially if you'll be waiting more than a day for the list to come out.

8. You compare audition sign-ups and callback lists to see exactly how many people auditioned and didn't get called back, but it doesn't make your rejection sting any less.

This is a meticulous process in an attempt to make yourself feel better after not getting called back, but it doesn't always help to know that you're one of only a few people that didn't get a callback. Instead, if this happens, just hold your head high and convince yourself that the show wasn't right for you anyway.

9. When you walk into callbacks, you strut in with everything you've got to make the director notice you.

Walking into callbacks can feel like walking into battle, but here the goal is to show as much personality and character as you can. You may only get a chance to sing and act once throughout the callback, so make every second count.

10. If you're lucky enough to be cast in a role that you didn't expect to get, no matter how many times you re-read the cast list, it doesn't seem real.

There is nothing quite like the jubilation of getting exactly the role you wanted or even just being cast in a show that you expected to be cut from.

If you're one of the lucky ones, tell your family as soon as you can, and celebrate your success without offending those who auditioned but weren't cast. Auditions can be cutthroat, but they shouldn't sever any meaningful relationships.

Regardless of the outcome, the audition process for a play or musical can be a lot of fun. You may make new friends, learn a new song or monologue that you can add to your future repertoire, or discover that you can, in fact, do a split.

At the very least, you practiced putting yourself out there in front of people, which takes a ton of courage that many non-theater kids may never have. That deserves a pat on the back all on its own.