It’s a lot more difficult to reblog a bunch of different links, so I thought that I’d just put them all on one big post! Here is some advice that I’ve been posting on my blog, Caffeinated Confidence, in hopes of helping out those of you who are entering, planning on entering or have just entered grad school! If you want to know more about me or the blog, click here!
Semester begins, for me at least, in about two weeks. Academic stuff
is already beginning to fill my plate, with graduate school applications
starting to be due in MID OCTOBER, jeegus. This means that it’s time
for my first STUDY MOOD post of the new school year! These are all ways I
like to study - they keep me focused and grounded in what I’m trying to
do. Pick your favorite, or try one a day all week!
The Gardener: Drinking mint tea, drawing mind maps in a nature-filled space, listening to birdsong.
This is a fresh way to connect ideas! It also leaves you feeling refreshed, which is a great bonus.
The Knitter: Drinking cider, rewriting notes in a warm sweater, listening to jazz.
Knitting
makes me feel cozy. Feeling cozy makes me feel grounded. Feeling
grounded helps me stay focused, instead of getting distracted every five
minutes. Just don’t fall asleep!
The Baker: Drinking
hot cocoa, writing down your though process for working through
problems, listening to the sounds of the cafe around you.
When
I bake, it’s very much so a process of following directions and
thinking through each step beforehand. Harness that process and that
atmosphere to write down your though processes.
The Runner: Drinking lemon water, drilling flashcards in a sunlit room, listening to pump-up music.
Running
(while something I suck at) is GREAT at clearing your mind. It’s a
process of endurance. Get through that stack of flashcards the way Bolt
gets through the 100 meter.
The Blogger: Drinking coffee, writing essays at Starbucks, listening to a band no one else has heard of.
Hey, if it’s pretentious, but it works, it’s not pretentious! Just don’t spend $4 every day on a latte, that’s how you go broke.
The Scrapbooker: Drinking lemonade, working on a project at a big table, listening to folk music.
Some
projects are practically works of art, especially if you need to use
poster board for them. Think of the project as a fun thing, and it will
get done quicker!
The Mess: Drinking something from a vending machine, reading a textbook in your bed late a night, listening to the sound of Your Regrets.
Hey, did you know it’s good for you to be friends with your fellow students? I’m always surprised when people are shocked about this. It may be something about the majors I’m in, but many people I know were genuinely surprised at how many career musicians got to where they are today based on the people they know. It’s something business majors have pounded into their skulls, but music majors are never really taught. That, combined with the innate competitiveness (and therefore Drama) of the music field, leads a lot of musicians to burning bridges in college without realizing it. So here are four reasons why you should be friendly to all of your classmates!
Having a kind reputation is an advantage! If you’re auditioning for something at your school, or if someone is looking for potential small group members, being known as someone who’s nice is a huuuuge advantage. If there’s a tie between you and someone else, the tiebreaker more often than not ends up being “who would the auditioner like to see on a regular basis.” That is usually the person who’s nicer. That means the person who doesn’t gossip, who doesn’t rag on people behind their backs, and doesn’t complain (much) about what they think is unfair. So being friendly will help you out while you’re still in school!
It sets up habits for the long term. If you’re already in the habit of being friendly with those around you, and not going with the back-stabbing flow, then you’re not going to have to retrain yourself for the professional world. Meanwhile, if you think “whatever, I can talk about how awful Megan’s high note was, this isn’t the real world,” well, don’t. There’s nothing that will kill a career faster than shit-talking behind someone’s back in the professional sphere. The musical world is tiiiiiiny. It will eventually get back to the person you were talking about, and they will have some connection with the next group of people you try to audition for, or the ones after that. It’s gonna happen. And then you will be SOL, just because you couldn’t follow advice from Bambi. If you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all.
Friendly people are more likely to help you out. When was the last time a sworn enemy of yours sent you a job listing? Unless it was for something along the lines of “sewer maintenance worker,” I’m gonna bet never. People you’re friends with will be way more likely to tell you about cool stuff you can apply for, or give you advice if you need it. People you feuded with? Less likely.
Friendly people are more likely to hire you. This is honestly the most important point on the list. If you’ve pissed off that one classmate of yours who goes on to make it big? You’re not getting to use that connection. That is, in fact, an anti-connection. That’s a connection that will actively make it harder for you to get yourself hired anywhere. As a musician, the last thing you need is anything to make it harder for you to find work. Don’t burn bridges. Don’t treat people poorly in your undergrad, or ever. Make friends now, and they’ll help you out in the long term - trust me.
Long story short: make friends. Keep them. Don’t be a meanie-butt. Take those lessons you learned in kindergarten, and put them to good use. I swear it will be worth it in the long run. Plus, you know, you get friends out of the deal, which I think is worth it on its own.
You are now 18, standing on the precipice, trembling before your own greatness. who say you are too young and delicate to make anything happen for yourself. They don’t see the part of you that smolders. Don’t let their doubting drown out the sound of your own heartbeat. Your bravery builds beyond you. You are needed by all the little girls still living in secret, writing oceans made of monsters and
throwing like lightening.
You are stronger than the world has ever believed you to be.
The world laid out before you to set on fire.
All you have to do
is burn. This is your call to leap. There will always being those You are the first drop of a
hurricane. You
don’t need to grow up to find greatness. ― Clementine von Radics
