Before coming to college I had so many visions of what it would be like; how I would do in classes, who I would meet, and what different activities I would participate in. I was beyond excited to get to BU and throw myself into so many different things, from theater to working with BUTV10. And yet when I got here, I found that these plans changed quite a bit. I unfortunately didn’t make it into the theater troupe, and my schedule didn’t allow for participation at the television station in the way I had hoped it would. But in a way, I am thankful for this, because it caused me to search for new ways to get involved, and to look for activities that I never thought I would try. After the other activities didn’t work out, I decided instead to pursue two different groups on campus: radio interning and improv comedy with Liquid Fun.
In high school I was largely involved with theater, but theater always provided me with words to say and an outline of what I was supposed to act out. With improv, its so different, it is all up to you to come up with a scenario and explanation for your actions. While theater in high school did give me some practice with this, attending the Liquid Fun practice sessions has really helped me grow my skills, and has made me realize that improv is something I’m actually quite good at. My first practice was extremely nerve wracking, but it ended up being such a rewarding experience. My main piece of advice here is that you make sure that you don’t sell yourself short! Sometimes you can succeed at something that you never expected to, and have a great time while doing it.
In a way, I was almost more nervous about pursuing radio than participating in improv practices. I have always been very self-conscious when it comes to the sound of my voice, and any form of radio just didn’t seem to be in my future. However, when my friends asked me if I wanted to intern for their show, Please Take My Mixtape, I decided I’d give it a chance. While its awkward at first, you eventually get used to listening to yourself talk and interact with others on air. As a whole, being able to spend two hours in the radio station chatting with friends and listening to good music is actually quite enjoyable, and I’ve definitely grown past my issues of people listening to me speak on air.
I guess what I’m trying to say here is just know that it is totally okay to push your boundaries when entering college! I was so nervous coming in to school, and was worried about not finding the right space for me. But I decided to try new things and go beyond my comfort zones and it has filled my time here with a lot of fun and helped me meet so many great people, including some of my closest friends here at Boston University.
