Drama Student Survival Guide

As a new drama student you’ll have so many new sights and sounds to take in as well as people to meet. Given how busy those first few weeks will be remembering to drink can end up fairly low on your list of priorities. As detailed in our Best Food and Drink to Keep You Hydrated article, dehydration can cause you to feel dizzy, nauseous, weak and leave you prone to headaches. Staying hydrated will help keep these symptoms at bay so that you can concentrate on your hectic schedule. As well as warding off negative effects, staying hydrated has some positive benefits in its own right. The NHS suggests sipping at water as soon as you experience symptoms of dehydration and drinking more if you can. Drinking plenty of water keeps your energy levels up, promotes good moods and weight loss.

It may seem an obvious statement, but self-care can easily slip down the to-do list when you’re busy. You mustn’t let it as looking after yourself should always be your top priority. The Self-Care forum defines the concept as ‘the actions that individuals take for themselves, on behalf of an with others in order to develop, protect, maintain and improve their health, wellbeing or wellness.’ Our Relaxation Exercise for Actors article is packed full of tips for keeping yourself relaxed. When you’re passionate about your craft and future career it can be easy for that ambition to consume every waking minute of your life. There’s nothing wrong with being passionate and driven, but you should cultivate a healthy balance in your life by making the time to look after your health and social life too.

Yes, unfortunately it’s time to talk finances. Living within your means as a student can become increasingly difficult given the lure of takeaway food and friends inviting you on nights out.  Money Saving Expert has an article full of budgeting tips for students. If you find you need to work alongside your studies, we have a Best Between Jobs for Actors article which could be right up your street!

Make sure you take the time to rewatch some of your favourite film and TV performances and spend time at the theatre. If you need inspiration our Top 10 Method Actors article will point you in the right direction of some key method actors as well as explaining what method acting is. Doing your research isn’t just about learning from established actors though, it’s also worth picking up any tips you can find about auditions. Why not start with our Top 10 Audition Tips? We also have a more general Advice for Actors article! It goes without saying that you should try to keep aware of any developments in the industry you plan to work in. This can be achieved by following relevant industry bodies, venues and performers on social media and subscribing to industry publications such as The Stage.

We all have down days from time to time, but the important thing is being able to see past them and stay motivated. Surrounding yourself with positive like-minded people is important, and if there are negative voices in your life let those comments pass you by like water off a duck’s back. You can read The Vocalzone Guide to Staying Motivated for more tips!

It’s not the most exciting aspect of being a drama student, but learning lines is an essential skill. Did you know that getting forty winks after trying to memorise your lines could help them sink in? Read our guide to learning lines for more helpful tips. When you’re performance ready we’ve got you sorted with our Show Day Prep article. If you’re interested in learning more about stagecraft we’ve also got you covered.

This point couldn’t be overstated enough. As an actor your voice is going to be your bread and butter, so you need to look after it right from the start of your career (being a drama student!) The chances are that if you’re at the stage of committing to studying your craft, you will have some idea about voice care. However, if you need any advice our Dos and Don’ts of Voice Care article is a good place to start.

As you were no doubt expecting, we will be giving Vocalzone a cheeky plug at the end of this article! Vocalzone is the world renowned throat care brand relied upon by voice professionals to help them keep a clear voice. Our famous fans include the legendary Sir Tom Jones, Mezzo-Soprano Katherine Jenkins OBE, actor Darren Day and Jerry Only of Horror Punks The Misfits. An unfortunate enduring myth about Vocalzone is that it contains anaesthetic – THIS IS NOT THE CASE! Read our Vocalzone Myths: Anaethetic article to find out more.