To My Dear Little Sister Class

I am Rebekah Wertz and I'm a vocal performance major in your big sister class. I am absolutely thrilled that I was asked to tell you guys all about my time here at Converse and am willing to help with anything and everything you may need! Before we start, I would like to tell you a little about myself. I am originally from Spartanburg, so the Converse campus was definitely a second home of mine for many years before now. I am the oldest of six kids so I'm used to everything being chaotic! I have three fish named Dino, Gumby, and Flora and they have been with me through my entire time at Converse.

 I have experienced many things over the past couple years that I've been here. I've cried over what seemed to be the simplest things in class and I also laughed at things that no one else thought was funny at that time. Move In Day was a lot more involved than I ever imagined. I imagined that there would be a couple people helping direct traffic, but I never expected the majority of faculty and many students to help in bringing everything up to our rooms. The whole process was painless and I enjoyed the welcoming spirit of everyone at Converse! I also expected to see more people outside of my major, however, the only times I really see my friends outside of music majors are meals and the weekends. Soak up this time! I love building relationships with everyone and that is a great time to do it!

As much as I love being a music major, it is a lot of hard work! I know that I came in thinking "Hey, I've been in music forever! Some of it should be a breeze!" Man, was I wrong!? The classes are strenuous and you have a lot of work to do outside of your classes and private lessons. Practicing and doing your homework in a timely matter is essential for your success as a music student. Never fall behind on your assignments. And as I tell you that classes are really intense, I would also like to say how rewarding it is to know that at the end of the day, all of this is helping me get closer towards my dream of being an opera singer. I love every part of it, even on the days that I just want to cry and give up! When you get here and get acquainted with teachers and older students, go to them as your mentors! They are a huge help and I've never had anyone unwilling to help if I had a problem!

I know many of you may think that you may never see boys again! I know I thought that when I first got here! The fact is...there are always guys on campus. There may not be tons of them, but they are definitely always here. The good thing about not having guys on campus is that you don't have to worry about looking nice or trying to impress someone the whole time you are in class. I also get less nervous to speak up in class. With my best friends from high school being mostly guys, this also gave me a chance to get closer and bond with the girls here more and I have some of my best friends with me now! It is also easier to focus on school work without the distraction of boys!

One more thing I must say is to branch out of your comfort zone of music and go do something outside of the music building! I did the Haunted House my first semester here and absolutely loved it! It gave me a break from various music things and I learned more about theatre while doing it! While you are out of your comfort zone, you may find something that you love and decide to minor in it or even double major in it! It's a wonderful way to meet new friends as well!

I hope my advice has been very helpful to all of you! I'm always here if you have any questions!