Take charge of your education

• Communicate effectively with teachers, advisors, and staff.
• Understand your course material, as well as the curriculum requirements for your degree.
• Take advantage of resources available to you through the university including aid, arts advisors, faculty, and tutoring services.
• Understand university technology: Canvas, Banner, Wolverine Track, etc.

Be ambitious

• Set goals and put in the effort to achieve them.
• Explore opportunities at school to perform, exhibit, and grow as an artist.
• Find additional opportunities outside of class to improve your craft.

Be disciplined

• Come to class prepared and on time.
• For every hour you are in class, prepare/practice a minimum of two hours outside of class.
• Actively participate in classes and rehearsals.
• Understand how the industry works in your specific profession, including attending professional events, joining professional organizations, etc.

Expand your creativity and develop your professional skills

• Experiment, take risks, and be adventurous.
• Be willing to fail—that’s key to learning.
• Have an entrepreneurial mindset.
• Seek out collaboration.

Seek and openly accept constructive criticism and feedback about your work

• Listen to and apply feedback from your instructors and peers.
• Offer respectful and relevant feedback to your peers.
• Explain your rationale to support your opinions.
• Be honest with yourself about your work and how it compares to others.

Create a meaningful career in the arts or another chosen field

• Develop and leverage networking skills.
• Complete one or more internships.
• While in school, find opportunities to work professionally on side projects, freelancing, performances, etc.
• Create a portfolio to highlight your work/capabilities and secure employment.

Apply the skills and techniques learned during your education to succeed in your field

• Use the skills and abilities you’ve developed in your discipline.
• Excel at your job and contribute to your field.
• Find a mentor in your first job to help you.

Use the diverse knowledge you’ve acquired in the arts to help you succeed

• Use additional skills such as marketing/self-promotion, strategic planning, financial management, entrepreneurship, business management, etc.
• Apply your knowledge of negotiations, contracts, grant-writing, taxes.

Maintain integrity

• Be honest and ethical in your assignments, projects, rehearsals, and performances.
• Avoid cheating and plagiarism as defined by the student code of conduct.

Be inclusive and respectful of others

• Expose yourself to ideas and ways of being that differ from your own.
• Be inclusive of faculty, students, and staff from all walks of life.
• Disagree amicably.
• Communicate respectfully verbally, in writing, and online.

Lead a passionate but balanced life

• Take care of your mental and physical health.
• Take advantage of campus resources such as the Mental Health Services and the Student Life & Wellness center.