It's finals time for college kids everywhere, so let me take this moment to address a common misconception that is a real good way to make me even more angry than I already am right now: A degree in Theatre isn't a "real degree."

Agh I'm mad just typing it! If you have ever once in your life thought that this isn't a valid field of study or that somehow it's easy or not as challenging as other majors SIT YOUR BUTT DOWN AND READ THIS BECAUSE I'M ABOUT TO BLOW YOU ALL AWAY.

Here are 5 massive struggles of being a theatre major that you better recognize and be proud of us for, because being a theatre major is hard and most certainly not all song and dance.

1.) The Social Stigma We're Still Dealing With

First of all you would think in a modern world obsessed with celebrities, that we would look at performers at the ground level in a different way. Nnnnnope. Try telling your Uncle Jim that you're a theatre major. See what fun that is at Thanksgiving. Or maybe just telling the nosy customers at work who ask if you're in school, they're always so supportive. It's the same questions nearly every time: "What do you plan to do with your life?" or the far less subtle, "So you must really like waiting tables for a living huh?" and then the all time favorite of every major, "So you want to be a teacher?" AGH. No I promise that being a theatre major is not my cry for help way of saying that I want to do [insert anything else in the world]. I want to do this! This is what I'm spending years and years and dollars and dollars of my life to do! You're right though, it's definitely just for the hobby.

2.) THIS IS A JOB AND SCHOOL ROLLED UP IN ONE AND THEN I ALSO HAVE TO HAVE A JOB THAT PAYS ME SO I CAN STAY ALIVE

I am at school constantly. If I respond to you before you've even finished your question with "I can't, I have rehearsal" I mean it. It doesn't matter how many different times you tell me we could go get lunch, dude I have had 6 rehearsals a day for 6 entirely different things for the last 2 weeks. I start classes at 9 and rehearsal isn't over until 11, and that's just in the beginning stages of a show, WAIT until it hits tech week. Or better yet just wait until the semester is over and then please make plans with me and don't be mad because there is no time at any other time. School work from other classes outside of the department, on top of massive projects for design and performance courses, on top of social obligations we have as majors such as attending every show or being part of other peoples' presentations and directing scenes, on top of rehearsals for actual shows we're cast in, on top of actual performances. When on earth do I find time to work so I can eat between all that?? When do I even find time to eat!? Mom, help! I need enough Tupperware full of potato soup to sustain me for the next 4 months!

3.) There is so much more to being a Theatre Major than just musicals and makeup, you know that right?

OK, so let me just say that being a performer is exhausting, like you cannot understand unless you know, but that's not all we have going on here. Have you ever seen an architect ruler? Did you know how many sides are on that thing!? Are you power-saw certified? Do you know the names of every bone in your face? Have you ever worked a fly system? Do you know how to put together a portfolio of lighting designs? DO YOU KNOW WHAT A CROSS STITCH IS AND WHAT ITS USED FOR? These are all things that I literally had no idea about until I was in college in this field and let. me. tell. you. none of this is even remotely easy. There are all forms of craft and hard, bloody work in the arts. There is math like crazy, technology, analysis of texts, lists that go on for days, and time management I don't think any human being should actually be capable of! There are endless different fields within our field!

4.) Yes there is tap dancing and fart jokes but this is also extremely serious stuff.

Performing Arts is a dog eat dog world, I mean it! You will get left behind if you don't actively pursue a place in your department, and with so many dreaming the dream, you don't want to be the one with wasted time gone by. Yes, there is and always will be that loyal and semi-dorky camaraderie of Theatre Kids: that's what kept so many of us here on into college. But there are also only so many roles in a play and only one Maria in West Side, ya feel me? This is a major in which you have already begun your job. You've gotta work for it, and there is a really serious atmosphere about that among Theatre Majors.

5.) We Are A Tight Knit Community That Doesn't Deserve One Bit Of Your Criticism

Look, man, I get that theatre isn't for everyone. It doesn't have to be. But that doesn't mean it's not a beautiful, valid, challenging career field. The people of this community, the Theatre Majors working their butts off to earn a degree, are no different than the law students or the business majors. We are determined, hard working students doing our very best to thrive in a world doing something that we love. And that something just happens to be an art form that we can give back to our world too. So next time you think it'd be funny to make a "failure" joke of some sort at a theatre major you come across, know that we are being educated and going into a thriving field, and that there is nothing easy about our road there. No matter the scrutiny or difficulties of it though, we remain a strong and connected community working constantly towards the outpouring of our arts, and we'll keep dancing through.