Why It's Absolutely Ok To Focus On Your Mental Health In College

Auditioning for acting schools and the theatre industry can be stressful, and I would like to talk about the mental health side of it.

I spent a year of my life attending what I thought was my “dream school” only to finally face the music and realize it was not where I was meant to be due to discrimination. And that’s okay. If you are like me, struggling with a mental illness can be difficult enough on its own.

Many may not understand your grief. Some may be afraid. Although I went through an extremely traumatic situation with my former school, I was also able to find allies in places I’d never dreamed of finding. It may not seem like it, but there are people who are rooting for you. I promise. It may not seem like it. You may feel so small at times, but you are an actor for a reason.

You have stories to tell, and you have people who not only will, but want to listen.

Mental Health + The College Experience

I’d like to focus on dealing with your mental health pertaining to social relationships both when applying to, and attending college.

When you step foot on campus you may feel enter with the expectation of making “fast friends” who understand you (and sometimes you do!), but usually those people are also dealing with their own issues and are trying to find their place in this world just like you are. Be patient with them. Be gentle with yourself. You are so uniquely your own. Sometimes people can handle it and sometimes they can’t. Try not to become bitter or jaded. My class in particular was made up of about eighteen people, and I was honestly never able to connect with any of them. That’s okay! Find your own people. My two best friends in college, as well as my boyfriend at the time, weren’t even acting majors!

Mental Health + Hobbies

I recommend taking up a second hobby! It can be artistic or not, but it will help you to unwind when the stress of the industry feels a bit too much. Personally, I am a photographer. It is not only another art form, but can often time inspire me as an actress as it is a form of storytelling in itself.

Mental Health + The Nitty Gritty

For me, suffering with an illness where oftentimes I have no control over who I want so desperately to be, medication is key. It is not a “cure-all,” but in these high stress environments, please continue to regularly take your medication as prescribed by your doctor. Or if you are feeling isolated and not seen, reach out to a doctor (there are usually resources on campus, or find somebody you trust back home). I attended many parties, however I never took my medication if I knew I would be drinking. Please do not drink while on medication.. Educate yourself on your medication and make a schedule so you don’t end up in a very bad situation.

Mental Health + Therapy

I believe everybody in college should have a therapist as it can be a lonely and isolating existence at times. (Once again, if you don’t have somebody you trust from home, there are resources at the school!) For people with Mental illnesses, I recommend it even more.

My story with acting school is complicated, and still traumatic to this day, but I wrote this article to emulate hope. There is life after tomorrow. It’s okay to cry, to feel hopeless, or not good enough. Allow yourself to grieve, and then once it has subsided, I urge you to try again. You are an actor. I am currently applying as a transfer to schools who fit who I am as a person.

Kyle Dalsimer wrote a beautiful article about this, but I would also like to reiterate that there is no shame in transferring. This is your money. This is your life. This is your art. And most importantly, this is your mental health.

I am not naive, and I know I will face discrimination for my mental health as well as my skin color for the rest of my life, but it just makes me more interesting when auditioning and working. It is absolutely okay to not fit into a “mold.” It is a beautiful thing to not fit in.

My final piece of advice to anybody reading this is that there is so much in the world that needs to be learned, and you are the actor who can educate. Your “illness” is not a curse. It is a superpower.

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Talulah Marolt

Talulah Marolt is an Acting major from Aspen, Colorado. She formerly studied at the University of Cincinnati: College-Conservatory of Music, and is now going through the transfer process. She recently played one of the witches in a filmed version of Macbeth for the Hudson Reed Ensemble. She also appeared at the Fifth Third Bank Theatre in Cincinnati, performing leading roles in staged readings of Liz Coley’s new works, ‘Six Little Love Stories’ and ‘Castaways’ as part of the Cincinnati Playwright’s Initiative. She hopes this article will inspire others to be kind and empathetic toward themselves as well as each other, as they move through the college application process and beyond.

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