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Message Board Homepage New Actors Only should i let my parents spend another $100,000 on my education?
Message Board Homepage New Actors Only should i let my parents spend another $100,000 on my education?Page 1 2
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Johnny Depp |
Well said. Just be carful. Plan Bs' become plan As' all too fast. |
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Hilary Swank |
Definitely finish school and get that degree.
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Kevin Bacon |
I can't give you any answers, but let me ask you a few questions.
1. Why now? 100 000$ of fees... you must have been studying for a while. Are you sure it's not a whim? 2. Why didn't you have that wish earlier? Is your family so finance oriented there is no other choice than studying finance? 3. Are your parents rich? How much is 100 000$ for them? Maybe your father opened a line of credit for you? 4. Are you aware that in professions of the arts only the truly dedicated (and a few lucky fools) can succeed? Do you have this absolute dedication? 5. Can you imagine a life without acting? 6. Why did you post that message on a board? Aren't you sure what you want? 7. Could "acting" be a last whim before connecting with the serious world of finance? 8. Do you know what the life of an actor is like? Do you know how tough it can be, and that only the utmost joy in acting can balance this toughness? 9. Are you sure you can do acting on the side? An expensive college in finance doesn't sound like a part-time job. I'm sure you'll have to work hard to pass your exams. 10. When did you first notice you wanted to become an actress? 11. How would you feel about not becoming an actress? 12. How much do you care about what others say? 13. How sure are you of your convictions? 14. Imagine your life five or ten years from now. What would be the most happy thing to occur. Does acting have a prominent, absolutely prominent position in this picture? |
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Morgan Freeman |
I like your idea of transferring to USC instead of dropping out much better. USC is a great school with a great theatrical department. If you want to work behind the scenes in film, you can't do much better than USC, and if you want to act, they are always casting for student films. Definately stay in school if you have parents who can afford to give you such a great education, but at least with USC you could fulfill both your and your parents desires. Hopefully your parents will understand and not give you too much grief about it.
myspace.com/serjil |
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Russell Crowe |
Umm, wow. I did not say you had to get a degree to be an actor. I said you have to have a back up plan IF acting doesn't work out and that will be very difficult to do without a degree.
Chris (Brian's mom) |
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Glenn Close |
As the mother of a young actress, I have thought a lot about college. My perspective is, it's easy to leave college but very hard to go back. We consider our dd's education as much more important than her work. When it comes to college, we expect her to attend and we are doing everything now to make sure she is prepared for college. If she is still acting by the time she gets to college, she can work in the summers and go to school during the school year. The roles will still be there when she finishes up her four years. If she decides to do something other than acting, she'll have her education to fall back on.
About being able to get ahead without a degree, well, the experience of going to college is much more than just the degree, especially at a place like Notre Dame. When you leave a university like that you walk away with friendships and experiences you will have for the rest of your life...it's about much more than just that degree on a piece of parchment. OK...of of my soapbox now.  mom of 3 girls in the biz |
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Russell Crowe |
Kipmil - nicely said.
Chris (Brian's mom) |
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Newbie |
Okay, here goes... First, I am a sophomore male college student. That would make me an actor (i think). Anyway... 1. Now because I have the confidence to stand up to my parents. When I was 15, 16, 17 I wanted to go to USC, however, my parents forbid it and told me they would never pay for me to go there. 2. I have had this wish earlier, and yes my family is extremely career oriented. I am as well, however, just not towards finance. 3. People have all different interpretations of "rich." I think $50,000/year on college is a lot for almost anyone. As far as my situation, I don’t really see how this is relevant. My parents would tell you they want me to finish college because they believe it is an invaluable educational and personal experience. To them, it is more about that than the money. 4. I hear that all the time actually. I would describe myself as dedicated in general. Not just to acting but in all aspects of my life. 5. The common responses to this question actually kind of get to me. Of course I can imagine a life without acting. I mean, I feel all great actors have decent imaginations and can imagine all sorts of different possibilities. I can imagine being a bum, a billionaire, a doctor, a pro surfer, a teacher... That being said, I cannot imagine being fulfilled doing those things. 6. I posted this not as a question of "should I become an actor?" I thought people working in the industry could give me advice on the value of a college education when it comes to the performing arts. For me, it is not a question of if, but rather when. 7. I do not generally take actions based on whims. That is why I haven't dropped out of school and moved to LA. I am a planner, a thinker, and want to make the best decision for me. Maybe acting will not work out and lead to a career in corporate finance for a production company. Maybe, it will workout. Who knows? Like you said, your career will find you. As long as my chances of being able to perform for a living are greater than 0, I'm willing to take a chance and put my heart into it. 8. Of course I don't. I can only imagine the hardship, disappointment, rejection, and sweet successes actors experience everyday. I would be doing a great disservice to performers everywhere if I said I know what they are going through. That is, until I am living it myself. 9. I am currently at an extremely difficult academic institution. Even with classes, tests, and participating in student films I have more free time than I know what to do with. 10. Middle school when I acted in The Music Man. Fifteen when I became serious about it being a career possibility. 11. I feel I do not have a choice. I love it and have to at least try and make something out of it. If I do not try, I will become the "what if" person at work. 12. I care a lot about what my parents say. This is a double-edged sword. I care because I love and respect them for the people they are and the level of success they have achieved. I want to make them proud, but at the same time I know they would be proud of me IF I could make a living out of it. 13. I trust my instincts completely. I do not trust ideas I get on a whim. This is why I am thinking through different possibilities. I want to make sure this is not a whim. 14. It absolutely does take center stage (no pun intended) when I think to the future. I would take being an actor making close to nothing over a Wall Street executive every time. Thanks for the advice everyone. Good luck to all of you and maybe we will meet on a set someday. |
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Newbie |
You sound like my Mom and put a huge smile on my face . You have some lucky kids. |
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Johnny Depp |
I was referring to this ". A college degree is what a high school degree was 20 years ago. You simply can go nowhere without it. You must have a backup plan." The mentality that you simply cannot go anywhere without it is why there are thousands of drones are in office positions that they hate with degrees, expensive degrees, that they will never use! (i'm talking about the ones who hate it, some thrive in that environment). They got a degree because you simply cannot go anywhere without. It was the thing to do. For many many people college is NOT a good idea. They are meant for something else. |
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Kevin Bacon |
I am very glad to see you are approaching this issue seriously and thoughtful. If your answer to question 9 isn't a typo ("difficult academic institution" leaving you A LOT OF TIME to do other things) then your problem is half solved. No matter what you do, you will be able to act. I faced a similar situation many years ago, when I was destined to go to a technical university, and chose, at my own financial sacrifice, to follow my calling to the arts. |
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Kevin Bacon |
I have one more question for you to consider.
If you finish your college and then become a professional actor: would your education help you in one of the key worries of actors: getting a decent day job that allows for acting classes and auditions until you can (hopefully) make a living from acting? This could be, for example, your own small company, and you decide when you work: at night, during the week, on the weekend - whenever you can fit it in. |
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Russell Crowe |
Zenial - try reading kipmil's post. She expressed it perfectly.
Chris (Brian's mom) |
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Johnny Depp |
Yeah thats pretty much it. But a LOT of people think that college is the ONLY way. Or that you can't go anywhere without it, which is just false. But you don't need a university experience to gain friends you'll remember for the rest of your life. Imagine if you took all the money you spend on college 100,000 grand or give or take 30 grand and did something else with it. It could be a third of a house mortgage, talk about making things easy. No rent. With a down payment like that think of how low your payments would be. Or take that same money and travel. Whatever. I'm not saying college is not for anyone but it is by no means for everyone. And I think that too many (almost al) parents expect and even pressure their children to go to college. Without ever considering any alternatives. Although I agree with most of what kipmil said . Did she REALLY, I mean REALLY consider the possibility of her kids not going. Or was it, well your GOING to college, after that its all up to you, but your GOING!! The ages of 16-23 ish are crucial in anyones life. It's around the time you start figuring what you want to do and be. I just think its a lot harder to figure that out when your in school. You have hours upon hours of work. Your not trying to figure life out. Or if you are and do it's a by-product of all the school work. Not to mention that formal schooling kills creativity. Einstein said "It's amazing that curiosity survives formal education". Thats a guy I trust. Again I'm not saying that college is bad for everyone, that would be as stupid as saying that it's good for everone. I just suspect that months and months are spent applying to colleges going to colleges etc. I believe the conversation of wether or not to even go to college lasts about a week if that. |
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Johnny Depp |
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BackStage.com Message Board Homepage New Actors Only should i let my parents spend another $100,000 on my education?
Message Board Homepage New Actors Only should i let my parents spend another $100,000 on my education?© 2008 The Nielsen Company. All rights reserved.