Most BU students spend around 12 hours a week in class. For sophomore Kaylyn Bancroft, it’s more than twice that number. She is a double major in CFA and CAS, pursuing a BA in Psychology and a BFA in Theatre Arts. Normally double majoring is impossible for theatre students, since the School of Theatre is a conservatory program that requires a huge time commitment. But with patient scheduling, a few summer classes and a lot of dedication, Kaylyn is making it work.
HCBU:Why did you decide to audition to be an acting major?
KB:Theatre has always been my passion and my dream. But there were always other subjects I was interested in and as theatre is not the most dependable field, I talked myself out of majoring in it when I was applying to colleges. A year later, I knew I had to give myself a shot at following my dream (not to be dramatic). I’ve been fortunate enough to land in an amazing theatre program and still be able to continue studying Psychology as well.
How is your schedule this year, now that you’re double majoring?
Scheduling is probably the hardest part—my School of Theatre classes are difficult to schedule around. But with a lot of planning ahead it is possible! I spend much more time in class now (about 32hours per week), which makes it a little more difficult to manage my workload. This year has worked out beautifully so far, though. And I’m having so much fun, which makes it easier to tackle the challenges.
Is it difficult to balance the two very different courses of study?
It’s really interesting studying Psych and Acting; in a lot of ways they go hand in hand. I think my Psych classes have really enriched my process in Acting, and vice versa. However, they are very different ways of studying human behavior—while psych is the familiar world of academia, acting is much more experiential. Sometimes it can be difficult to reconcile the two, but I’m very curious to see where the combination could go.
What’s your favorite part about being in CFA?
Spending every day in the studio, doing what I love is exhilarating. I get to work with some awesome colleagues and professors. Sometimes the work we do feels so much more physically exhausting and emotionally draining, but at the end of the day we all do it because we love to play.
What does the future hold for you?
If there’s one thing I’m sure of, it’s that I don’t know. I feel really lucky to be where I am and I can’t wait to find out what the future holds.