Ib student in crisis. Help me please

so im currently in ib year 1. right. and im taking va hl. right. i am m27. i am also now reigniting my love and adoration for theatre. but ive already taken va hl. and like. i think theres still time for me to change subjects if i really want to because its like, half yearlys now? now look, i wont be miserable if i dont get to switch to theatre. but i kind of really really want to. but im also kind of scared? because fashion design is what ive been studying for mostly, and dont get me wrong, i adore it. ive just spent so much time on fashion yk? although most of my work in fashion is almost entirely theory. in theatre, i have done four productions in total because i dont get much opportunity in this country for more. but ive done practical work in theatre, more so than fashion. BUT ALSO getting a fashion degree is more promising because i can get a more stable job. studying musical theatre like i want to is not. and like. im scared of taking this huge leap of faith that maybe theatre will work out for me, that maybe i can live off of doing gigs and plays. because idk if itll work out for me. i have a good-ish vocal range, i have done a bunch of acting, i trained in classical dance for a year and have done two musicals. ive also done backstage work. but i have also done lots of art, painting, some basic sewing, and design, though that is all mostly independent learning rather than 'professional' experience. i love both of them but idk which one i love more because i cant make a career on both. i dont want to do costume design just cuz 'thats where both industries intersect'. i wouldnt hate it, ofc not, but when i say theatre i mean that i want to act. i love haute couture, i love alexander mcqueen and iris van herpen. but i also love musical theatre so much, i love lin manuel miranda and jack wolfe and spring awakening and all sorts of things. so like. idk man should i go for theatre or no because i am having an existential crisis. please help

Reply 1

Daniel - UOS

Official Rep

You talk a lot more passionately about theatre than you do about fashion - are you sure you haven't already made up your mind?

Personally, I'd see if the shift is possible, and if it is, then do it. For long-term work, many jobs just need a degree, and they don't care what it's in, so you might as well do what you enjoy...want a more 'academic' string to your bow? do a follow-up masters in a related field like Performing Arts Management or Theatre/Cultural/Stage Management so you have room to grow professionally. Alternatively, stay on your current course and fully embrace any stage/theatre groups that may be in or around the uni.

Good luck in making your decision (or should that be 'Break a Leg'?)

Reply 2

evangelysia

i did ask my teacher, and she said that i cant switch from va to theatre, but i asked if i could do it as an additional subject course to which she said she'd have to talk to my mum about it! basically life kinda feels great after the big decision :smile:

also extra question if you dont mind, is it normal to have drops in passion? not highly related but. sometimes i just feel super super passionate and super excited about something and then suddenly it just feels meh for a bit? because this happens a lot and i cant figure out why its always so up and down and i can never predict whether its an actual passion i want to follow or just something that intrigued me for a while

(edited 2 months ago)

Reply 3

Daniel - UOS

Official Rep

Original post

by evangelysia

Good to hear!

The passion thing? totally normal - passion without any lull is borderline obsession, and that's often not super healthy. I think, throughout our lives, we all go through phases of passionate motivation and phases of disinclination and 'meh' - how you navigate these changes, and how you learn to cling on to or let go of your passions is what will lead you where you ultimately end up. Revel in your passions, enjoy them as much as you possibly can, but recognise that part of their value is that they might last a lifetime or they may only last a season - and neither is less valuable or less important...I was a passionate spelunker in my youth - did I end up being a famous cave explorer or geologist? Hell no! But do I value every second I spent scrambling around underground? Hell yeah I do! Later, I was a passionate event planner - did I end up doing it as a wildly exciting career? YES! Did I ultimately end up making it the centre of my studies and start doing a PhD in it? YES!!!! Good luck in following your passions in whatever way you can, whether in education or outside it - remember, worst case scenario, even if it doesn't end up being your 'forever thing', it'll always be an amazing back story for a super interesting human being