When I read my theater class syllabus and saw we had to perform as a ghoulish character around Halloween, my first thought was to go onto the registration website and see what other classes were available during the same time slot. After a quick look through the course catalog and a little bit more thought, I decided I would give the theater class a shot, at least for the first class.

I am not an actress. My time in theaters has been spent in the seats, not on the stage. If someone had told me at the beginning of my senior year that I would be taking a theater class during my first semester of college, I would not have believed it. Some people just have the talent to perform, and others do not, or so I thought.

Theater is one of those things I've always thought was interesting, and acting was a skill I really admired in other people, but it was never something I saw my self even remotely participating in. When I was registering for classes, though, I decided to try something new. I signed up for a theater class to fulfill my communications requirement, instead of the traditional communications class that most of my peers are taking.

I've only had three classes so far, but it has been a refreshing experience and an eye-opener (literally) when it comes to communicating. On the second day of class, we had to stare straight into our partner's eyes for a full minute. It might sound easy, but it definitely isn't especially when you don't know much about your partner beyond their first name. Doing that exercise definitely made me feel a little awkward, but it taught me something about communicating effectively that I probably won't get in any of my other classes. Am I still nervous about performing and acting? Absolutely. But so far, I've realized that the skills that come from theater can be brought into everyday life through storytelling and communication. More importantly, I am getting to explore something I never thought I would do.

If there is something you want to try and they have a college class for it, take it. Branch out and do something you normally wouldn't do if you have the opportunity to do because you might not have the chance again. College, especially freshman year, gives you a chance to explore different things, especially when it comes to fulfilling gen ed requirements. So even if you think theater isn't your thing, give it (or any other interesting class) a try while you can.