Being a student is hard. But, being a student athlete is even harder. So, if I hear you complain about being busy and you aren't an athlete, I may get annoyed. I'm not saying that you can't be busy without being involved in a sport, but being a student athlete is a full-time job. But, if you are a college athlete, you love it. You love your busy life and you love your sport, no matter what it is. It is time-consuming, but it is worth it. So, you know you are a college athlete when...

1. You are up before the sun

And this is just your first practice of the day. Alarm sounds at 5:15 a.m. and you are up and walking or driving to your practice when it is still pitch black outside.

2. 99 percent of the time you are wearing athletic clothing

You are always going to and from practice, so there really isn't too much time to wear real clothes. But hey, athletic can most certainly be fashionable.

3. Nalgene water bottles are bae

You are always staying hydrated. You probably fill these up at least two times a day. After all, you are supposed to drink half your body weight in fluid ounces.

4. Coffee is your best friend

Early morning practices call for caffeine and a lot of it.

5. Your teammates are your second family

You compete with them, you compete for them, you love them. No matter what, your teammates have your back and you have theirs.

6. You would rather sleep than go out ... most of the time

You find yourself to be thoroughly exhausted on Friday nights. You will ask your friend how the non-athletes go out every night. Sleep is something us college athletes get very little of.

7. Spring Break is not a break

If your sport takes place in the fall season, then this usually isn't the case. However, many sports have spring break trips, otherwise known as spring training. As a rower, Lake Lanier in Gainesville, Georgia is where we train every spring break.

8. You look forward to foam rolling

Being an athlete, you are in a constant state of sore. So, what's better than foam rolling and getting all the soreness out ... temporarily.

9. You have a love/hate relationship with yoga

Some sports do team yoga. It is a very relaxing thing to do to relax and stretch out your muscles. However, sometimes the instructive videos get redundant and annoying. Sometimes yoga also hurts, but it hurts so good.

10. You and your team travel in packs

You are always with your teammates. You are always eating with them and traveling with them. People may think you are part of some clique or the mafia or something, but in reality, they are your teammates.

11. You love every second of it

You love every moment that your sport has to offer. You love the pain, the hard work, the commitment, the dedication, your coach, your teammates, the tears, the sweat, the winning and even the losing. It is all part of the experience, and you wouldn't change it for the world.