As a music education major, I have to balance a heavy course load with practicing, my social life, extracurriculars, working out, getting enough sleep and more.  Through trial and error, I have developed a few time management strategies utilizing my calendar that have really helped me to navigate this balancing act. I hope these tips will help you manage your time throughout college as well!

Tip #1: Schedule everything

From classes to free time, I put everything into my calendar, so I have structure in my day. In areas of time where I do not have any activities scheduled, I make sure to plan out what I will do for that period. If I leave unscheduled time without a plan, I do not accomplish much. Scheduling things like eating, homework, working out, or simply time to decompress can be really helpful with staying organized and on top of assignments.

Here’s an example of a day in my schedule. I use Apple’s Calendar app but most online calendars use the same functions.

Tip #2: Create a system

For me, if I leave everything the same color on my schedule, it becomes overwhelming. What works nicely instead is having a color-coding system, which helps with visualizing my schedule as well as quickly recognizing what type of activity is next. Some calendars have the option to simply change the color of each item while others, like Apple, require users to make separate calendars for each color.

Because I use Apple, I made a separate calendar for each color, which worked out nicely because I was able to create categories for my system. These categories help me with color-coding by giving a specific name for each category of event.

These are my categories:

Tip #3: Give yourself notes

One final way to utilize a calendar is to put notes on each event. This helps me with keeping track of what I want to practice, where my classes are located, what I want to study, etc. I find that these notes help me with making deadlines on schoolwork, effectively using my free time, and even with what I want to do at the gym that day.

Here’s an example of a period of time I allotted for studying, where I put upcoming assignments in my notes to know what to work on:

I hope these tips are helpful for organizing your schedule!

Check out more time management resources for college students. And, if you have productivity tips to share, let us know in the comments!

About the author

Tristan McMichael

Tristan McMichael ’25 is a music education major at University of the Pacific. He plays saxophone, flute, clarinet, and various other instruments. McMichael is the co-founder of the 501(c)3 non-profit Plumas Performing Arts and currently serves as the public relations officer. On campus, Tristan serves as public relations officer for the Pacific Pep Band, secretary for Pacific’s chapter of the National Association for Music Education and as the alumni secretary and the conservatory community service committee head for the Mu Eta Chapter of Mu Phi Epsilon. Additionally, McMichael is a member of the Tiger Team in the admissions office at the University of the Pacific.

You can connect with music-making at University of the Pacific even if you are not a music major. Here are some opportunities to join Conservatory and music-related activities on campus.

1. Pacific Pep Band (MPER 093-2)

Do you play a mean cowbell? Maybe trombone or saxophone? Consider joining the Pacific Pep Band – no audition required! The Pep Band (@pacificpepband) is often referred to as the “best in the West” because of their high energy and ability to hype up crowds. You can get elective credit for being a part of the Pep Band because it is a one-unit class (with the option to take it for zero units). The Pep Band performs at volleyball, women’s basketball, men’s basketball, and water polo games, as well as various University events.

2. Musical Greek Life

There are two professional music fraternities at Pacific that do not require a music major or minor to join. The fraternities make up what is known as the Intra Music Fraternity Council (IMFC) – find them on Instagram (@pacificimfc).

The Eta Omega chapter of Sigma Alpha Iota (@pacificsai) is a professional music fraternity for people who identify as female or nonbinary. Their mission is “to encourage, nurture, and support the art of music for women with a sincere interest in music.” To join, you must be a music lover (no major or minor required) and attend their recruitment events at the beginning of each semester.

The Beta Pi chapter of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia (@phimualphabetapi) is a professional music fraternity for people who identify as male. Their mission statement states that “the object of this Fraternity shall be for the development of the best and truest fraternal spirit, the mutual welfare and brotherhood of musical students, the advancement of music in America, and a loyalty to the Alma Mater.” To join, you must be a music lover (no major or minor required) and attend their recruitment events at the beginning of each semester.

3. Pacific Brass Society

The Pacific Brass Society (@pacificbrass.society) is a student-led brass ensemble that meets regularly on campus. They perform regularly throughout the school year and even carol during the holiday season. If you are interested in joining the Pacific Brass Society, fill out their interest form.

4. Pacific Repertoire Orchestra (PRO)

The Pacific Repertoire Orchestra (@pacificreporchestra) is a student-led chamber orchestra that is open to anyone that plays an orchestral instrument. The orchestra puts on performances every semester and just held its first concerto competition; the orchestra will perform concertos with them this spring. If you are interested in joining the Pacific Repertoire Orchestra, fill out their interest form.

5. Pacific Stocktones

Pacific Stocktones (@pacstocktones) is a student-run a cappella group that is open to everyone. They hold auditions every fall. Some of their annual activities include an EP release, singing Valentines, and, of course, their fabulous performances throughout the school year. The Pacific Stocktones also are on Facebook (@PacStocktones).

6. Pacific Music Therapy Association (PMTA)

The Pacific Music Therapy Association (@uop.pmta) is a great opportunity for students from all majors to learn more about the field of music therapy and grow together as music therapists (or just learn more about the field of music therapy).

7. National Association for Music Education (NAfME) – University of the Pacific Chapter

The University of the Pacific chapter of NAfME (@nafme_at_pacific) creates opportunities for students from all majors to learn more about the field of music education by bringing in guest presenters, assisting with attending the California All-State Music Educators Conference (CASMEC), and sharing resources for professional development.

8. Ensemble Performance (MPER 075)

The Conservatory of Music has several large ensembles, including wind bands and orchestra, that are open to non-music majors. If you are interested in joining a large ensemble, an audition is required; contact Professor Jonathan Latta (jlatta@pacific.edu) for information about auditioning.

To learn more about ensemble auditions and MPER 075 ensembles, visit the Conservatory of Music website.

9. University Chorus (MPER 083)

The University Chorus is a one-unit course offered through the Conservatory that is open to students from all majors. It is an amazing experience for anyone looking to be a part of a choir. The ensemble performs at least twice per semester and often collaborates with other Conservatory and community ensembles. To join, consider registering for MPER 083 (no audition required).

To learn more about Conservatory choral opportunities, visit the Conservatory’s choral ensembles webpage.

10. Neo Souls

Neo Souls (@uopneosouls) is a student-run ensemble open to all students who love R&B, hip hop, pop and more. If you are interested in joining, contact them for audition information.

11. Percussion Ensemble

The Pacific Percussion Ensemble is open to all majors at Pacific. The ensemble is directed by Professor Jonathan Latta and performs an exciting repertoire every school year. An audition is required to join and is primarily based on music-reading abilities.

12. Jazz Ensembles

The Conservatory of Music has several jazz ensembles that are open to all majors, including the big band, vocal jazz, and several combos.

13. Mariachi

Mariachi is offered as a class/ensemble through the conservatory and it is open to all majors as long as you have prior experience playing violin, trumpet, guitar, vihuela or guitarron.

To stay up to date with details on the class, or for more information, check out their Instagram (@mariachiocelotan) and their Facebook (Mariachi Ocelotán).

Learn more about getting involved in the Conservatory here.

About the author

Tristan McMichael

Tristan McMichael ’25 is a music education major at University of the Pacific. He plays saxophone, flute, clarinet, and various other instruments. McMichael is the co-founder of the 501(c)3 non-profit Plumas Performing Arts and currently serves as the public relations officer. On campus, Tristan serves as public relations officer for the Pacific Pep Band, secretary for Pacific’s chapter of the National Association for Music Education and as the alumni secretary and the conservatory community service committee head for the Mu Eta Chapter of Mu Phi Epsilon. Additionally, McMichael is a member of the Tiger Team in the admissions office at the University of the Pacific.

My name is Tristan McMichael, and I am currently in my second year at University of the Pacific working toward my Bachelor of Music in Music Education. As someone who has recently applied to music colleges, I’m here to provide you with tips to help you get through the admissions process and ultimately, get into a music conservatory. 

I come from the small town of Quincy, California, where I did not have easy access to private lessons or music colleges, so I understand the struggle of navigating the process of applying for a music college or conservatory. From what to know about admission requirements to how to choose which university to attend, I hope these tips help demystify the application process and give you confidence as you start to apply to music conservatories. 

Tip #1: Know your admission requirements

Applying to college as a music major is like applying to the same college twice because you have your general university application that every student fills out, but then you also have your audition and interviews for the music department separately.

When I applied to school, I applied to three CSUs, the University of Nevada, Reno, and University of the Pacific. The audition requirements for each were completely different, which meant I needed to learn more repertoire and scale patterns for my auditions on saxophone. 

 Tip #2: Have trial lessons with professors

While I was applying to schools, my high school band director recommended that I reach out to the applied professor (the professor who teaches private lessons for a specific instrument) of saxophone at each school and schedule a trial lesson with them. This advice is the best tip I can offer any incoming music major because the applied professor is the one professor a music student will work with closely for their entire collegiate experience. I am incredibly thankful that I knew to do this because it informed my college decision. 

After I had a trial lesson with each professor, I was able to narrow my choices down to three colleges. I ended up choosing Pacific because I really enjoyed the trial lesson I had with Professor Ricardo Martinez, the applied saxophone professor at the Conservatory of Music (and because of the financial aid offer and the amazing music education program led by Professor Ruth Brittin here). Trial lessons are not only a great way to see what professor fits best for you, but they are also a great way to get helpful advice on your audition repertoire and technique to improve before you ultimately audition for your selected universities!

 Tip #3: Practice efficiently for auditions 

Something that I wish I knew when I was preparing for my auditions is how to effectively practice and prepare repertoire. A common misconception is that “practice makes perfect.” This is only true if the repertoire is practiced perfectly. Practice makes permanent, which means that the final product may still contain mistakes. 

In a master class last year, I was told that it takes three repetitions to make something semi-permanent. This stuck with me because if I were to practice something incorrectly several times in a row, it would become a habit, which is hard to break. After this master class, I adjusted how I practice so that I now prioritize accuracy, even if that meant playing passages at very slow tempos. Though this may seem obnoxious at first, it saves time in the long run because I no longer have to go back and try to break bad habits after they are formed. 

A practice journal is a great way to efficiently practice because it helps you to track your progress and plan your practice sessions before they happen. In my experience, going into a practice session without a goal or a specific passage to work on was a waste of time because I always ended up just practicing what I knew already. When I applied to college, I had two pieces of repertoire, two etudes, and 12 different scales to learn between the five schools I applied to. In order to efficiently practice, I would have goals with what I wanted to achieve with the materials and by what date. After each practice session, I would write down a reflection on how I did, along with what I wanted to improve on in the next practice session. This was both a great way to track my progress and to be able to recall what I needed to practice in the following sessions. 

If you would like to learn more about applying to Pacific as a music major, visit our Conservatory of Music admissions page. 

About the author

Tristan McMichael

Tristan McMichael ’25 is a music education major at University of the Pacific. He plays saxophone, flute, clarinet, and various other instruments. McMichael is the co-founder of the 501(c)3 non-profit Plumas Performing Arts and currently serves as the public relations officer. On campus, Tristan serves as public relations officer for the Pacific Pep Band, secretary for Pacific’s chapter of the National Association for Music Education and as the alumni secretary and the conservatory community service committee head for the Mu Eta Chapter of Mu Phi Epsilon. Additionally, McMichael is a member of the Tiger Team in the admissions office at the University of the Pacific.