I am a couple of weeks away from being done with my first year of grad school. One year down one more to go! I surely did not know what to expect coming into grad school, and now that I am almost done with my first year I can say I have learned tons! Again how my program works: I take one class for 6 weeks, 4-5 days a week, for 6-8 hours a day. So this year I have taken 4 courses: Shakespeare, Film, Collaboration, and Artistic Director. Next year I will take 4 more courses starting with British Contemporary Theatre, and hopefully take a study broad course in Bali studying movement and masks (we'll see if that can happen financially).
At the start of the year I had a hard time. I didn't know what was expected of me as a student, as a social person, and as a roommate living with three strangers. I knew there would be an adjustment period but I didn't want to wait to be comfortable. I wanted to fit in instantly and not have to struggle through the awkward times. Never before have I experienced struggling making friends, so that was a new struggle. I am glad I went through that and I have recently learned that I was not the only one who struggled. (If anyone is still feeling that way I am extending my hand of friendship to you.) Part of the struggle was due to being in a class that had over 30 of us in the room. And there always seemed to be tension of some sort. Luckily the second course of the year we all had a choice between two classes, so our class size was half.
After Christmas break, and half way through my second course, film, things finally started to click. I found a group opeople I really enjoyed working with, and had a great time with them. I finally felt comfortable being my natural self. Everyone else seemed to be coming out of their shells too. As great as it was to finally be able to call my classmates my friends, I had a new struggle come upon me. I am a big advocate for speaking out about mental health, and this Winter I struggled with not only being home sick, but also with S.A.D. (Seasonal affective disorder: meaning being depressed during certain times of the year). The weather was colder then anything I've ever lived in, it got dark early, and was always rainy and gloomy. Yes, I know where I moved to, and yes I knew the weather would be like this before I even got here. But logically knowing what is coming and actually living through it are two different things. I slept a lot, watched a lot of the media Dane sent me with, and watched lots of netflix too. Let me tell you, now that the sun comes out more and it doesn't get dark until around 8:30pm I am much happier!!
During my third class, Collaboration, I still struggled with being depressed and home sick but School was busy and I traveled more for class. We got to work with design students from Wimbledon school of art on designing a play (we all worked on the same play named Liliom). I got lucky and had a fantastic partner who was great to work with. It was nice working with someone who was on the same page as myself in terms of the play and what we both liked visually. At the end of the course it was really cool to see all the group's different designs.
Now with two weeks left of my final course (Artistic Director) for the school year, I am looking back and am reflecting on everything ive learned, both in my courses and the whole experience living so far away from my family and friends. I've constantly been learning new things about theatre, England, and myself over this time. The course I currently am in is all about the many roles an artistic director does in professional theatres. How to start/run a company, marketing, and how to create a season for a theatre company. This course is a lot of sitting around and discussion, which can be mentally draining, but my group of friends from film are in this course and a few others who all make it fun and enlightening. I am truly lucky to be here and getting to learn and discuss theatre every day. Everyone has such different opinions and come from different back grounds that all of our conversations are interesting. The last two weeks the BA first year actors have been doing a living history project. During school hours Monday-Friday for two weeks they were transported back to 2008-2009 in Chechen when Russia invaded. So yesterday was their final day, and we had class on campus with our windows facing their main action field. It was really hard to pay attention in class while the actors very realistically reenacted drowning, beating, crucifying, whipping, and other horrible acts on each other. After lunch we witnessed a shooting, and the mass murder of the Chechen people. I can't imagine what it was like for the actors, but it was rough on us watching it. Surely an interesting way to learn history. And I look forward to the next two living history projects on campus next year.
The start of the year was rough, and then our head of course decided to leave after the first term. Now we have a new head of the program who is amazing. I absolutly love his style and way of teaching. I feel bad that this is the third head of course for the second year students. I hope he stays with the school through the end of my second year if not longer. This first year really has flown by and I'm looking forward to the new opportunities that are ahead of me. Next year I'm going to to live in a new house closer to campus with one of my current roommates and another actress that's in her course. We all get along really well and the new roomie and I love a lot of the same tv shows and Batman! We may get a projector from the guys who live there now and if so we'll have some awesome movie nights.
Also on a random note I love having my groceries delivered. They even bring them upstairs! Such a fantastic service I don't want to give up.
Anywho, thanks for reading this, I hope to catch up with most of you over Summer. Love ya guys!! :-)
~Kellie
