What's one good piece of advice you'd give to an actor to be successful during college?

Hello Ashton,
Your question inspired me because when I was in my college days I aspired to be a singer. Even today I aspire to be a singer. You know what singing,acting these are pretty difficult things to pursue until and unless you have good financial support as well as as good contacts in the industry may it be music or the film industry. Moreover, when you are in the college days you have to be more focused on you academics than all these because that is what the society or your family wants you to do. But yes in the long run I will definitely go ahead and advice you to follow your heart and do what it tells you to do may it be acting or whatever else.
Now coming to your question, well if you truly want to be an actor i would advice you to first complete your college as of now and then get into some good acting school for your further courses in acting if you truly aspire to be an actor. Collect necessary information of the same and work really hard in what you truly want to be.

What's one good piece of advice you'd give to an actor to be successful during college?

Get a degree in another field of interest and not just rely on a Theater major (If those are your plans). Worse case scenario, if it does not work out for you as a "working actor" you will have a safety net with a trait or degree in whatever field you choose.

Good luck to you!

Here's an interesting question from Ashton M., a prospective future star actor of the stage and screen; indeed, I sure hope so for Ashton since there can be incredible obstacles onward and upward to the top of that performatist mountain, so to speak. The question is simply this How can I achieve a high degree of success in actor both in and out of college. I hope that I have Ashton's statement approximatelyboaraphrased correctly; if not, forgive me, but I'm keeping on trucking here as I may actually be on a roll!
Notice how I am using my personality in answering Ashton's question. Personality is everything in acting! It is the action of your mind and body. At first reading of Ashton's query, I wasn't gong to answer this question, for I am not a trained actor; though I have attended acting classes and pursued it seriously, but for alternate reasons. I am a film director, a writer-producer and filmmaker; thus, I manage actors and actresses, and guide them into doing my cinematic biding (I sure hope that's the right word - whatever, let's keep going before I loose my train of thought). I mold actors to doing things with their bodies and voices, so to achieve a cinematic outcome of a poetic nature. And that's the rub, the body and the voice, they form the bases for the overall personality, given other factors of which I'll speak about some other day. Today, I want to address both the body and the voice, two of the most important tools an actor has at his or her disposal. Of course, there are other skills involved; but like I said above, we'll discuss those abilities at som later date.
First, the 'body' of an actor is what you see on stage at a fixed distance; but on screen, that distance varies and that is an important fact you must contend with - both the actor and director must have a feel for body aesthetics, and that is not always easy. For instance, speaking from a film director's stance, one's body as an actor is not the same all the way around, I've noticed that certain people are more photographable in certain poses and positions than others; so what's the point here in term of training as an actor. The point is that, if I was an actor in college, I'd take dance, probably some ballet and modern dance too, also gymnastics, and even some martial arts. Whatever you can subject your body to physical exercises, I would do. Okay, so now you're fit as a whistle! What next?
In my opinion, as a film director managing actors, the most important tool that an actor has, well, it is the 'voice.' Because without a good voice box, let's say equivalently similar to being photogenic (of course that's relative - personally I like weird looking actors); indeed, a voice that is flexible and dialectically manipulative in terms of versality of accent and human voice box tonality, such as when one sings - the control of air pass your vocal cords, smooth and steady to maintain fixed pitch (just as an example); and of course, the control of the tension of those vocal cords - that's key here, at least in my thinking of it! Remember Ashton, I'm not an acting teacher and so what I am telling you here, well, some of the latter may totally disagree with my analytical emphasis on the above aforementioned issues. But I am just talking here, and my aim is to start you thinking about your self, physically, mentally, and spiritually, meaning beyond just the mind control side if things. Remember this point, if you can only remember one thing, there's mire to life that mindfulness; there's also the 'no-mind,' that is, if you can transform yourself, say, your acting personality, for no better words, into a 'non-self' conscious individual and let what is inside of you pour out like water; well Ashton, you are more than halfway there - I pray that you can achieve the 'no-mind' of acting, like a Zen master of the sword, all you are is the 'slice.' Do you understand what I am telling you? I sure hope so because to become an outstanding actor is like a snail climbing Miunt Fuji, it takes time and perseverance, and lots of work and luck too - believe me!
With that said, 'body' and 'voice,' two of several pillars to a marvelous acting personality, they are your tools to success both in college and after it too - remember that Ashton! Good luck and see you in Hollywood, I'll be waiting for you!!! Bye.