Wolf - kindered spirits even if your reply was much shorter than my original un-saved "invalad session"
Interior Design!!! take it if you are a theater person - no matter what study of it. Watch any of TLC's designer shows a few times if you don't yet understand. I had that class and even as a
lighting designer or tech - my
current occupation, it's still probably one of my more useful classes.
I completely agree with getting the basics out of the way first and than concentrating on your major field of study - given your long term schedule works out with that of what's offered. Some times of course you will have to take classes when offered or you will miss out on them such as when I was in school -
stage management as a specific class was only offered about once every four years. That and just to ensure that by pre-planning the eintirly short hopefully four years that you are not forced to double up on courses such as theater history I and II because in the last year you just don't have time to spread it out or miss out in the second half of it. I had fellow students with me taking both basic lighting and advanced lighting at the same time and that was a problem for them.
Graph out your entire program I would say. Work with an advisor from the theater program in working out that graph as they will have the best idea of what you will need to take when or when courses you want will not be available. They if useful should also have some sugguestions on what courses outside the theater could help you in learning your major - even if not for credit in achieving it. You need to have your goals clearly defined and work very closely with your advisor if you don't want to either end up missing out or doubling up on classes towards the end. Add as a reward at least once a year taking the basics course (in your case) to each field of study you should know such as
stage craft, lighting, sound, acting and direction. Such courses could be your theater home for the year in addition to working the show in each of these fields while otherwise you are concentrating upon the basics and say doing a show if you have time during second semester in your major field.
Hmm, history of China as credit hours in the history requirement. What use could how China revolves around the YangSee river be in your knowledge of doing theater? Won't learn that in a theater class. When possible go for not only the theater and basic education courses, go for the detailed courses that you never know what you will learn from them in. But again get classes such as Sociology out of the way early. Too much effort needs to be put into such classes otherwise when you need to be concentrating on your major later in school if you want to take home from those career oriented classes more than just what's available in a very overloaded time slot. Hmm, a set design due in the morning at the same time as having to know about Freuid and Horny. You have to pass Psychology to get rid of those requirement hours, but if you don't do your best set design, what have you really learned by the experience?
In other words, if you take too many normal courses at the same time as ones related to your major, chances are you will be selling short what you could otherwise be learning with your major by investing all you can into it. When I was in my final school, I even had all my theater practicum credits done. I did not have to run shows much less write poetry for English at night. I could invest 14 hours per
page on drafting my settings or buiding a model for it. They were perfect. From such completed things I learned and developed much more than other designers - because I had time to complete my presentation or project and thus improve upon it. Instead of trying to juggle running a show, studying for other courses and do the design and drafting for a set. Turning in a design for theater that will get a passing grade isn't the
point, it's how much you learn and develop. Allow extra time for your major without necessary distractions if you really want to learn stuff and get your moneys worth. Patience is best in getting into the good courses in your field.
In additon to the above, take professional out side the theater classes in related fields as electables in addition to your normal requriements. In your case, perhaps a lot of business and computer classes. For others, lots of art and especially interior design plus drafting and AutoCadd specifically as a designer outside theater or if one of the trades in theater, going to the industrial technology - real world part of the school to give you in class what the theater side just won't have time in detal to teach you about. Many places use drywall and mud for their set's walls. What's the difference between Durabond 45 and 90 could be useful to know.
So if in four years, I might take a basic theater course in say Stagecraft for the first semester in addition to normal classes. Than a career related class or two in the second semester such as for a
stage carpenter - "Building Materials or Architecture" in additon to Auto Cadd or Engineering. Next year, I might take say costumes - because even as a carpenter it's still necessary at times to sit down behind a sewing machine if you are a professional. Than say take a Welding course and another drafting or architecture type course if not one in fine woodworking. If I had time, I would take in that first semester another related field course with the general theater course such as life drawing, humanities or interior design with that
stage class, and say a class in artistic painting while in that costume class say second year. Related but one is theater - the other has a real world theater usefulness. That all in addition to business and more normal college classes.
Since you are part time, it's going to take even more intense a mapping out ouf your schooling. Many times a schedule that allows for a part time student won't allow for true theater courses and the normal ones. It's by far more important to follow your mapped out course outline even if you don't get a theater if even a theater related course each semester than taking by absolution because you want to have fun here, an absolute of one fun course per semester. That on a part time basis would if not a specific part of your schedule would limit you very much. Plus if it's in the plans to eventually go full time, such schools that you would be able to go to once the normal requrements are fulfilled will probably have much better main courses for your field than those offered part time. Wait for those better courses elsewhere or when you have time to really study at them.
On the subject of transferring schools, always as part of your graph for college - even if not fun keep in mind what's going to transfer to another school. You don't want to have to repeat anything important. Certainly as with the "Building Materials of Architecture" much less four classes in art I once had at the school I was at before the one I ended up at, they did not transfer as either a class towards my degree or general class. But for my personal development both courses were much easier to get into at a smaller school than at the larger school especially when my time at the end was very limited. So take the main say English and Foreign language crap courses that would teach you as well no matter where you go, and look into such courses that could help you in your field such as in your case, say a business management course at the smaller or part time school is easier to get into such classes with
bit while not required for a theater degree might be helpful as your electives as opposed to going too in depth into your major.
Keep the idea of carrot on a stick in going to school. Perhaps one class per year that's something specific to your major. Say two or three that are related to your major that will help develop you but not a part of it's requirements. But the rest that are required to get out of the way for graduation and in taking them by mid junior or senior year will allow you to fall into and in-depth study of your degree without worrying about other crap classes such as Phys Ed that are useless in your field unless of course it's First Aid that would be very necessary to learn as a
stage manager but something you can't learn on the theater side of campus. So if given the choice in Phys Ed, perhaps you can take some kind of sports medicine class as opposed to running around the
track or underwater
basket weaving. Than when the major cast member pulls a muscle, you as
stage manager can get that cast member up and running for the next night with useful advice, rather than prepping the
understudy for the show. Lots of stuff you can learn even if required and outside of theater. Get them out of the way as fast as you can, but look at a general map of your goals first.