Juilliard: A New Beginning | Student Blog

Moving across the country, world or even just across the Hudson River to start a new adventure at Juilliard is both exciting and daunting.

Since I started at Juilliard, every day has been filled with new people, buildings, rules, and systems. New York City is so very different from my home in California. For a new student like me, it’s a new start. It’s a chance to discover, define, and develop the future me. Self, oh please, oh please don’t mess up! There are an overwhelming amount of amazing people, opportunities, and experiences at Juilliard and in NYC to explore. At the same time, from the high demands and expectations from teachers to the countless hours needed to be camped in the practice rooms (quite literally), there are often too many things to get done with too little time. It just doesn't seem possible. But, there is hope! During this craziness, I’ve set a few goals to remind myself to stay grounded and happy.

First, don’t take for granted basic necessities such as—I don’t know—how about SLEEP! Don’t get me wrong, I thought I could procrastinate my way into pulling all-nighters five days a week as if I was some sort of superhero but I learned the HARD way that that is just not how it works. Eventually, I crashed and burned so hard I nearly had a breakdown on top of failing my classes. Long story short, it's better to sleep. Although it is still a process, I am slowly but surely realizing that it is just better to get things done during the day. Oops. So please, get your sleep. It’s so important.

Secondly, I realized how lucky I am to be surrounded not only by incredibly talented and driven musicians but also amazing and fun dancers and actors. I look forward to many lifelong friendships with these wonderful people and collaborations in the years to come. As it is my first year here, I’ve made it a goal to broaden my perspectives in the pursuit of not only becoming the best version of myself I can be, but by getting a sense of how my fellow colleagues cultivate and share their talents with the world. I want to put myself out there and push my boundaries even when it makes me feel vulnerable or uncomfortable. 

Lastly, as cheesy and as corny as this sounds, my primary goal going into this year is to love and stay true to myself throughout this whole process. It’s not always going to be smooth sailing, and that’s okay! But the last option for me is giving up. Of course, it’s imperative that I push myself as far as I can possibly go, but it’s also just as important that I stay kind to myself. I really hope this goes well!

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