Berklee Blogs follows Carla Martinez, a Professional Music major and participant in Berklee’s Summer Internship Program in New York City. In Today’s post, Carla tells Berklee Blogs how she manages to keep a life rooted in both Boston and New York humming along…

Time management can be a challenge for any student, but it’s essentially something that could make or break you in the real world. Here in New York, I have an internship that I work three days a week. When I’m not in the office, I’m at auditions, working at my part time job, watching shows on and off Broadway, and even sitting in the audience of my friend’s gigs.

That’s just New York.

I’m also balancing my life in Boston (from New York), which includes being the President of the Musical Theater Club, Peer Advising, scheduling gigs with the band I sing with, and about a dozen other things that keep me on my toes! So how does one keep it all together? Here’s a list of things that work for me (and you might find that they work for you too!)

#1- To-Do Lists

I might be mildly obsessed with making to-do lists but they’re incredibly effective! I personally like writing things down on bright post it notes (so they’re easy to find in my bag) but I know friends who use their iPhones or the Stickies application on their MacBooks. I like to cross things off when I complete them; it’s a great feeling of accomplishment!

#2- Calendar

I definitely wouldn’t survive without one and there are a ton of ways to get yourself organized! I used to use the Berklee planner (given out at orientation) and I got really creative by using different colored pens for different activities. It was convenient because I’d have to carry the planner around anyway to write down homework and seeing my schedule in front of me helped map out when I’d be able to get the work done. Now that Berklee email has switched to Google, I’ve been taking advantage of the applications and recently started using the calendar. I then downloaded a Google calendar application on my phone and synced the two together. It has been a lifesaver at times because I set reminders of when I’m supposed to be somewhere or when something is due!

#3- Prioritizing

This is pretty self-explanatory. You have to put the most important things first and then the extra stuff can fit it the mix somewhere. The level of importance is different for everyone so it’s up to you to decide what gets most of your time. Some people put school first, while others think that the direction of their band is more important. Once you figure that out, you can make a solid routine and everything starts to become a lot easier to manage.

#4- Support

It’s important to surround yourself with positive people who motivate you. Hanging around “Debbie Downers” can obviously affect your mood but also your overall performance. I find that I get tasks done quicker when I have people behind me cheering me on, especially when I have one of those “oh man, I have so many emails to respond to” days. Positive people will not only help keep you on track, they’ll inspire you to try new things and achieve your goals!

#5: Use your free time wisely

Sure, you could sit at home and catch up on emails or even sleep all day if you wanted to, but free time is so precious nowadays that you want to make sure you’re fully utilizing it. It’s more than ok to step away from the computer and go for a walk or even skip the emails and support a friend at their gig. It will help you get the energy you need to get through those dull tasks and make you a much happier person!

 

Read Carla’s Other Posts:

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Internships Live from Broadway

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BIO

Carla Martinez is a Professional Music major with a minor in Drama. She is starting off her senior year by interning for a Broadway production and merchandise company in New York City. She was born in Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico and grew up in Cape Coral, Florida. A singer, actress, dancer, and choreographer, Carla has performed all over the U.S. and the Caribbean.

At Berklee, Carla keeps plenty busy with all things musical theater as the President of the Musical Theater Club and choreographer for multiple productions. She is also a Peer Advisor and has thoroughly enjoyed everything that comes along with being a student leader!

After graduation, Carla plans to move to New York City and continue working professionally in musical theater. She is a proud Equity Membership Candidate of the Actors Equity Association and is excited to become a member once she books her first Broadway show. To contact Carla, you can email her at cmmartinezATberkleeDOTedu.

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