Is My Degree Even Worth It?

[emceeoftheburg]

I'm currently in my sophomore year of college; I'm from the east coast (hour outside NYC) and I'm going to college in Seattle. More and more recently I've been feeling like getting a degree in stage management isn't worth the debt. I'm surrounded by all these rude, immature, and unprofessional "peers" and I just don't know what to do. I hate quitting things that I've started, but I feel like this is not going to be worth it in the end. I LOVE my school, but I really cannot stand 95% of the students I'm in classes with.

Advice? Words of encouragement?

- Emcee -

[Caroline Naveen]

Is it possible to do theatre on the side? As an elective? If you are passionate for stage management you can still do it on top of another degree. For example you could switch your major to Business or Management and do theatre on the side as an elective or find a part time job or internship at a local theatre. I don't believe that you have to have a degree in stage management to pursue a career in it as long as you have the experience you need to succeed. Besides, a more marketable degree would make it easier to find a well paying side job to go along with your passion. However, I'm unsure how realistic this is as I haven't even graduated high school yet....just a thought.

[emceeoftheburg]

Not with where I go; it's an arts school. Thus, switching majors would be difficult - my only other options would be theatre, dance, music, design, or art.

[SGU312]

When I was in my sophomore year, I really disliked my program and the people. I figured I would apply to a different school and see what happened [Because of their credit system, I would have had to pretty much start all over]. By the time spring semester rolled around, things were much better, between the program and the people. I'm glad I didn't end up transferring in the end. I have other friends who also went through the "sophomore slump" but stuck it out in the end. If stage management is something you are truly passionate about, it will be worth it to stay. Just know that getting into the theatre world is not about money. If you are losing interest in stage management, then maybe it's time to consider a different major, which might mean a different school. While I did not go to school in Seattle, I grew up there. You do have some really good theatres to possibly intern/work at: Seattle Rep, Seattle Children's Theatre, 5th Ave, Taproot, etc. Maybe see if you can check those out, that might help you get away a tiny bit from your school. I hope that this is helpful! 

[BLee]

I wish I could offer words of encouragement and tell you it would be worth sticking it out. But if you are going into debt for an SM degree and you aren't 100% sure of that choice, then it might be time to reconsider. Unfortunately, the people you work with will not get any better. Every company has some good, hard-working performers who will make you love your job, but just as often you will find yourself babysitting rude, immature, and unprofessional "professionals". Not everyone will have a strong work ethic and if those people are dragging you down now it is unlikely you will find happiness working with them in the professional world.

You are in Seattle. There are some very wonderful, large companies there, like 5th Avenue. My best advice is to get out of your school for a bit and work somewhere else. You need an internship, either in Seattle during the semester, or perhaps somewhere across the country during the summer. If you can take a semester off to do an internship that would be even better. What you need is some outside perspective. See if it is just tension from longevity in one place or a condition that will appear anywhere you end up. It could just be the sophmore slump from working with the same people for a long time. But if it is a more serious frustration it is better to learn now and find a solution than go further into debt for a degree you do not find valuable.

Also know, if you do decide to finish the degree, there is no law that says you have to continue working as a stage manager. Plenty of people with degrees in stage management have well paid positions in other career fields. Our skills are highly transferable, so please do not feel trapped by an SM degree. In general, I always advise students to do their best to avoid going into debt for any degree. If it is possible to get a part-time gig to help keep the debt paid down or avoid taking out more loans you would be in much better shape. Starbucks and some retail store are usually very flexible with students and understanding of scheduling difficulties. But I'm sure you have heard all that before. I don't mean to lecture, but I've had good friends who are drowning in debt payments from their theater degree because they took all the max loans out and didn't build up a savings account while in school. As hard as maintaining freelance jobs or a part-time non-theater job may seem, the result I found was highly worth the long hours.

You might start with the "internships" tab at the top of the SMNetwork.org webpage. That might give you an idea of the types of places you could apply. A google search and some local research should also yield some good results. Best of luck and I hope you find an answer. :-)

[emceeoftheburg]

Thank you all for your kind words. I truly believe that stage management is the only thing I can see myself doing in life, and I think that if I were to leave and change my degree I would only look back on it with regret.

Although I don't believe that I'll be staying in Seattle after college (I miss the east coast and being near NYC), I feel like I should stick it out and hope it all gets better.

Thanks for the encouragement during a time where I needed it the most. I feel like I'm going to like this new community I've found.

Emcee

[KMC]

During my experience in college I found some of the same issues.  While I was quite fond of the folks in my immediate SM program, I shared your opinions below regarding many folks in the larger school of theatre.

I went to a very large state university, so I was able to make some friends outside of the theatre program.  Spending increasing amounts of my social time away from the folks I was in class with and in production with helped immensely.  If you are able to diversify your social circle a bit that may help you.

And regarding this:

I truly believe that stage management is the only thing I can see myself doing in life...

I once thought this too, and I haven't called a cue now in seven years (hard to believe).  The great thing about Stage Management is that you develop a skillset that is applicable to a very broad number of careers.  If you love it, do it - but don't lock yourself in; you'll be surprised where life takes you.

[emceeoftheburg]

Once again, thanks to all who replied. I truly feel I am where I need to be currently, and was just going through a slump that we all tend to go through.


And KMC, I have a fallback in event/wedding planning, among some others as well (doesn't hurt that my long term boyfriend is in med school, either). What are some other jobs a stage management skillset comes in handy? (Just curious)

[KMC]

And KMC, I have a fallback in event/wedding planning, among some others as well (doesn't hurt that my long term boyfriend is in med school, either). What are some other jobs a stage management skillset comes in handy? (Just curious)

Yomanda - feel free to split this off if we're veering wildly off-topic.

A few that come to my mind immediately are:

• Project Management - Stage Management is essentially a highly specialized form of project management, a career option (to some degree at least) in nearly every industry.  A career as a PM is a great stepping stone to operations or executive management in many industries.
• Sales - SMs always have their sales face on, even if you don't know it.  I say this somewhat tongue-in-cheek, but think of how often you have to sell a load of BS to someone, put a positive spin on negative news, etc..
• Event Management - Similar to project management, but probably more specialized and less potential upside ($) than project management

There are many others, this is what comes to my mind immediately though.

[PSMKay]

Let's put this in a different framework. What if the first post had gone more like this:

I'm currently in the 2nd week of an open run for a non-equity theatre. More and more recently I've been feeling like continuing with the run isn't worth the low payscale. My cast and crew are rude, immature, and unprofessional and I just don't know what to do. I hate quitting things that I've started, but I feel like this is not going to be worth it in the end. I love the script, but I really cannot stand the company.

How would you respond?

[Patlienemann]

School can be tough, it's something I'm dealing with right now.  I dropped out of college a number of years ago and I was given the chance to do it again.  People in the real world are going to be rude, immature, and down right a pain to work with.  Many people can be like that in school because (and I hate to say this, because I don't want to sound rude) they are still young.  They might not understand professionalism.  Or you might have just gotten the rotten apple.  Either way - stick with it.  As much as something might seem horrible and like you are just dragging your feet for a reward you might not see as worth it - it will be worth it.

I was told by my SM Mentor here at school "We don't do theatre in college for the degree, we do it for the experience and the network."  Which to some extent is true.  Right now you are getting the experience of working with a bad company, which means if you get stuck with one in the future, you will know how to handle yourself and how to handle the company.  You might get lucky and your first gig out of school is with the best company you've ever heard of.  Pain is only temporary, but we need to push through it to heal.

I understand that slump though.  When things are getting rough and it looks like the end result isn't even worth the coal in a stocking at Christmas.  If it helps, give yourself some visual motivators.  I like to print up pictures or posters and put them in weird spots, like on my rearview mirror.  When you see them, they make you smile.  They might make you let out a big sigh and then give you that inch of a push to get through the day.

:-)

-Pat