College can either be the best or worst times of a person’s life, but what constantly weighs on every student’s mind is what he or she is going to do when they have to enter the “adult” world. Figuring out what to do with the rest of your life all starts with choosing a major. For the lucky few of us, we have chosen Theatre and obviously we did not make that choice for the financial stability that it offers. However, it is difficult to feel good about your decision when the media and every other social outlet is telling you that you are wasting your time with an impractical and unimportant major. Every major has its ups and downs, but here are a few questions Theatre majors hear on the daily that make feeling secure about the decision a little shaky.

1.“But what are you going to do with a Theatre degree?”

There are a million and one-career paths that a Theatre major can go on, and the typical idea of getting on Broadway is not the only place a performer can go. Broadway does not mean success; success means doing what you love, and producing things you are proud of. Whether that means touring the Midwest with a children’s show or performing at a 700-seat theater in New York, good work and strong passion are what matters. Most of the time, auditioning and seeing where life turns out is the best answer a major can give, and that’s just “showbiz.”

2. “Well it is okay you are taking 19 hours. They are just theatre classes, so they are easy, right?”

A Theatre major’s 4.0 is worth just as much as the next major’s, even if the classes were not what you would see on a typical student’s schedule. No, Physics 1211 is not on the agenda, but Ballet I is and our calves are going to pay for it tomorrow. If Theatre majors wanted to major in Biology, they probably could, but it is not the passion that is inside of them, and their workload is just as hard as the next person’s. Besides, taking classes plus juggling hectic rehearsal schedules can take a toll on anyone. Maybe there are distinct difficulty levels, but that does not mean a Theatre degree is worth any less. These are just different career paths each student wants to pursue with varied requirements.

3. “How do your parents feel about your major?”

Personally, I have been blessed with the most supportive parents a girl could ask for. When I went to my freshman orientation, I was feeling embarrassed that I was the only Musical Theatre major present that day. I asked my mom if it would be better if I changed my major to something more practical like the students majoring in Biology or Business. My mother looked at me dead in the eyes and reassured me that 9/10 of the people who wanted to become doctors or lawyers would end up changing their majors anyways and that it was honorable to pursue something you are passionate about. Not all parents are as supportive as mine, but hopefully, if an aspiring performer has a gut feeling, most parents will encourage and help them out in this bumpy and demanding field.

4. “Oh…that is interesting.” *note: said with a glazed over deer in the headlights look.

It is common that most people do not understand exactly what Theatre majors do. They spend hours memorizing lines, blocking, and lyrics while also figuring out the mechanics of the character they are creating. On top of classes, they spend every night rehearsing from 6:30pm until 11:00 or later depending what needs to get done. These majors are doing something that not just anyone has the courage to do. They get up on stage and have the ability to be someone or something else for an hour or two. It gives them pleasure knowing that they have the potential to brighten someone’s day and hopefully take them away from their current situation. This type of major takes plenty of dedication, hard work, and skill. Telling people a story and doing it well is part of the job description and it is something majors pray they do to the best of their ability.

5. "Will you be able to start a family? Settle down?”

In all honestly, starting a family is not something of concern right now. At this point in life, it is more important to sharpen your skills and do what you were called to do. Things like starting a family and having kids are probably not something that most college students are thinking about and most of the time those types of things will figure themselves out. Our path to a family may be rougher than others, but usually in life, what is supposed to happen, will.

When it all boils down to it, every major has its ups and downs and it is not just Theatre majors that have an existential crisis about if they have made the right choice at least once a day. It is essential for any student, no matter what path they have chosen, to understand that as long as they are doing what they love, all they need to worry about is how to do it to the best of their abilities.

A special thank you to Larren Woodward (VSU Musical Theatre Class of 2016) and James Burch (VSU Musical Theatre Class of 2017) for sharing some thoughts with me and giving some insight for this article.