4 Tips for Teen Actors to Find Balance Between Their Career and Studies

Some teenagers have a great passion and knack for acting so they are able to have a budding career even at a young age. They constantly get calls for various projects and can land highly-coveted jobs, sometimes without a lot of difficulty.

If you are one of these few teen actors that often do not have to work as hard nailing jobs, keep in mind that this won’t always be the case. In the long run, you may encounter some hardships with balancing your calling and studies. And when you are unable to find the right balance between these two, it is highly likely that your education that will suffer.

To help you find the right balance between acting and studies, one of the top acting agencies from Sydney share the following four tried-and-tested tips:

1.   Choose your acting projects smartly

Although you don’t want to waste any acting job that comes your way, it doesn’t mean you should accept any project given to you. Keep in mind that not all projects will be worth your time. You have to choose ones that you are really interested in and the ones that won’t interfere too much with your regular and important school activities.

If you find yourself having a hard time deciding whether to take a job or not, think about your priorities. Is a bit part for a TV show worth missing a day or two of school?

You can also ask your parents for advice. If they think that a particular project isn’t too big or important to miss school, you will do well to listen to them. After all, regardless of how far along you are in your career, your education should still be your priority.

2.   Don’t neglect your personal life

When you are still young, it is pretty easy to think that you still have a lot of time to focus on yourself, your family and friends. Because of this, you will sometimes have no reservations missing your mom’s birthday, or a sibling’s graduation. You will likely skip hanging out with your friends after school or during weekends as well.

Although sometimes it is necessary to miss these events to attend an audition or to film something, don’t make it a habit. Spending time with your loved ones should always be on your list of top priorities.

3.   Have a support system

When you are already having difficulties catching up on certain subjects or your grades are close to slipping, don’t hesitate to get help. Again, your studies should always be one of your top priorities.

If you find yourself in this situation, you will benefit from getting a private tutor or, at the very least ,getting help with completing your assignments. By doing so, you will be able to get your grades back on track.

You can also find out if your school offers any after-school tutoring programs if you need help with raising your grades. They may offer peer tutoring options or one-on-one tutorial programs with teachers. You should take advantage of these programs.

Another option would be to ask your friends for help. Join study groups or set them up for weekly sessions.

4.   Enjoy your youth

Finally, your teenage years are supposed to be fun. This is the time where you should be doing other things that you enjoy, aside from acting.

Since you are young, you should be having fun with your friends and family. This is also a great time for you to do or try the things you have always wanted to do. If you want to learn to play a musical instrument, do so. If you want to go out of town for spring break, do so even if it means missing auditions.

As an adolescent, enjoy the level of freedom you have now since it will change when you become an adult. Additionally, you don’t want to look back at your teenage years with regret because you were too preoccupied with acting. You can do this by taking some time off from acting to have fun with your family and friends or even on your own.

Managing your time properly is the key to balancing your career and studies. Don’t forget to squeeze in some time for your family, friends, and leisure so that you will be able to make the most out of your youth as well.

AUTHOR BIO

Adam Jacobs is the Managing Director of Bubblegum Casting, the longest running agency specialising in babies, children and teen talent in Australia. Bubblegum Casting works with some of Australia’s biggest brands, media properties and agencies to secure talented children to work in Television, Film and Modelling roles.