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I’m wanting to do Winterguard after high school, but also Marine Science/Biology. The school that will help me do Marine Science/Biology is 2-3 hours from home, preventing me from accessing any nearby Winterguards for me to participate in. What are some way I can do both? #Fall25
•I do Colorguard and Winterguard as an extracurricular
•I’m in Charlotte, North Carolina, hoping to attend Coastal Carolina University or University of North Carolina at Wilmington
•I’m a high school senior
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Michelle’s Answer
Hello, Moises !
Since Coastal Carolina University or University of North Carolina at Wilmington do not have a Winter Guard group, you will have to set priorities and choose a college that has a strong program for the major you will get your college degree in.
There are no community groups for Winter or Color guard in either Conway or Myrtle Beach if you attend Coastal Carolina University. For University of North Carolina in Wilmington, there aren't any in Wilmington, but the Mid-York Color Guard Circuit and the Atlantic Indoor Association (AIA) circuit include teams from North Carolina, which may have groups near Wilmington. I mention this because you may have to do a Winter or Color Guard program in a community group and not in a college.
Connect with Winter Guard International. They can locate a group for you to join. They know of both college and independent groups, so your best bet is to have them assist you with this. Spintronix Color Guard NPO and Royal Guard Winter Guard provide independent programs for performers aged 12–22 or 18 and over, respectively.
These groups often host auditions and require participation in rehearsals and competitions. Online resources such as FloMarching and Winter Guard International’s official website also provide access to information about programs, events, and membership opportunities.
Since Winter and Color Guard is a performance venture, there's something that you'd have to keep in mind - you may not have time for it. A Marine Biology Major is more than just attending classes, it's a lot of reading, writing, projects, Lab work, field work and research for term papers. Once you secure a Color or Winter Guard opportunity, there is a way to see if this is actually time efficient to do.
You could take only four courses your first semester with courses in your Required General Education courses. See how guarding works in with having to commute to the rehearsals and performances, how long of a duration and how many nights you'd have to rehearse. Would you also have to purchase your costumes or do they provide them ? You can get an idea of how busy this will keep you in your first semester so you can decide to continue with guarding or make Marine Biology studies your priority, keeping in mind that you'd want to aim for good grades.
Since I had a performance Major in college, I can vouch for how demanding it is. I had to set strict priority on just my Major in Theatre. I had a lot of friends and always attended activities and events, but not all the time and I was one who stayed up till the wee hours of the night writing term papers or reading assigned books or chapters for other classes in addition to my non-performance theatre classes. It can get pretty hectic but it is manageable if you set priorities and focus on what's important during your college years. It won't always be like that.
I hope this helps and I wish you all the best !
Since Coastal Carolina University or University of North Carolina at Wilmington do not have a Winter Guard group, you will have to set priorities and choose a college that has a strong program for the major you will get your college degree in.
There are no community groups for Winter or Color guard in either Conway or Myrtle Beach if you attend Coastal Carolina University. For University of North Carolina in Wilmington, there aren't any in Wilmington, but the Mid-York Color Guard Circuit and the Atlantic Indoor Association (AIA) circuit include teams from North Carolina, which may have groups near Wilmington. I mention this because you may have to do a Winter or Color Guard program in a community group and not in a college.
Connect with Winter Guard International. They can locate a group for you to join. They know of both college and independent groups, so your best bet is to have them assist you with this. Spintronix Color Guard NPO and Royal Guard Winter Guard provide independent programs for performers aged 12–22 or 18 and over, respectively.
These groups often host auditions and require participation in rehearsals and competitions. Online resources such as FloMarching and Winter Guard International’s official website also provide access to information about programs, events, and membership opportunities.
Since Winter and Color Guard is a performance venture, there's something that you'd have to keep in mind - you may not have time for it. A Marine Biology Major is more than just attending classes, it's a lot of reading, writing, projects, Lab work, field work and research for term papers. Once you secure a Color or Winter Guard opportunity, there is a way to see if this is actually time efficient to do.
You could take only four courses your first semester with courses in your Required General Education courses. See how guarding works in with having to commute to the rehearsals and performances, how long of a duration and how many nights you'd have to rehearse. Would you also have to purchase your costumes or do they provide them ? You can get an idea of how busy this will keep you in your first semester so you can decide to continue with guarding or make Marine Biology studies your priority, keeping in mind that you'd want to aim for good grades.
Since I had a performance Major in college, I can vouch for how demanding it is. I had to set strict priority on just my Major in Theatre. I had a lot of friends and always attended activities and events, but not all the time and I was one who stayed up till the wee hours of the night writing term papers or reading assigned books or chapters for other classes in addition to my non-performance theatre classes. It can get pretty hectic but it is manageable if you set priorities and focus on what's important during your college years. It won't always be like that.
I hope this helps and I wish you all the best !
This was super helpful, thank you!
Moises
You are very welcome, Moises !
Michelle M.