Futurizing the Flock

    Let me tell you about some of my experiences during my first year at Converse College. One thing that surprised me when I arrived at Converse to move in, after deciding that this school was a perfect fit for me, was how polite the people were and how eager they were to help. So many people said to me, "If there's ever anything you need or want to talk about, you can come see me." The knowledge that a lot of folks would be there for me if I ever had trouble or needed help made me feel right at home. I found myself thinking that "people really are good at heart," as Anne Frank stated in her famous diary. Thinking along those lines was a great source of encouragement for me. Another thing that was surprising for me was the fact that it really was very easy to make friends. I was home schooled for thirteen years and had not had much contact with other people my age. I often wondered whether I would fit in at all or be accepted by anyone, but it turned out that I need not have worried. All I had to do was act naturally and always say kind, friendly things to everyone. So do not be afraid that you will not make any friends or fit in. The people at Converse really do their best to help you settle in and integrate yourself into the Converse experience.
    One big challenge that I found myself facing was finding time to practice my instrument. I actually found that I practiced less when I began college than I had when I was at home. I was always getting tied up doing homework, which had a way of piling up if I neglected it for more than an hour. I began forcing myself to make time to practice and made myself do it even if I felt like sleeping or reading instead. Believe me, it was very hard to force myself to do something that was very tiresome, but practice definitely pays off. If you put off practicing and end up not doing it for long periods of time, then you run the risk of failing your jury. If that happens, that could be an end to a career as a professional musician. It does not matter what kind of music major you are because you still have to perform for professors at the end of a semester, and if you fail, that would be very humiliating and crushing. So my message for the freshmen music majors is to practice as often and as intensively as you can, so you will not fail when your musical abilities are put to the test. Another challenge I faced was getting enough sleep to get through all the long college days. During the very first months of school, I found myself sleeping less than 6 hours on many nights. That is not good for the body or the mind. I forgot a lot of things very easily and felt very sluggish on many days when I had not allowed myself much sleep. Also, keep in mind that it can be rather embarassing to fall asleep when you are in class because it is rather rude. It is if you are showing that what the teacher says is boring, unimportant, and not worth your while. So to avoid that, try to get as much sleep as possible at night (not during the day because the human body is oriented to sleep at night and works in cycles. If you mess up the cycle of your bodily functions, that can cause problems.) There will be nights when you feel weighed down by homework and are haunted by the need to get some of it out of the way before you allow yourself time to sleep. That is very understandable, but do not spend too much time on it. You will not be able to think clearly in the morning if you do not let your body and mind rest.
   There are so many things that can be learned in classrooms, and many are actually very interesting. It is true that you can expect classes and homework to be nothing but a burden and a bore, but if you open your minds to learning and allow yourselves to enjoy and absorb what you learn, you will find that you look forward to classes and to gleaning vast stores of information from them. One fact I learned outside the classroom, which I considered to be valuable, was that you have to always be considerate of others. Be careful what you say to anyone and everyone, try to say things that are neutral and non-controversial until you know people better. Once you understand their mindsets and their worldviews, then you will know just how to treat them, but until then treat each person as though they were valuable pieces of china. I definitely did not want to alienate anyone I knew by saying things that would prevent them from being my friends. It is very painful and regrettable to have to contemplate the fact that you lost a friend because of a careless remark you made.
    My advice for freshmen music majors is to practice often, concentrate on all your work, remember to sleep, and do not ever despair. There will be days when failure seems to stare you in the face and you feel that you are completely swamped and that there is no way to overcome your workload. I repeat, do not despair. Remain calm and prioritize what work needs to be attended to first, then do it in order of importance. Even if a deadline is almost upon you, do not panic and lose your head. If you do, you will do poorly on your work and get a bad grade, which no one wants. Stay optimistic and do your best!