1. 8 a.m. is considered sleeping in.

5:50 lifts, 6 a.m. row on the Grand River, 7 a.m. conditioning — we all know what it is like to be up before the sun all too well.

2. Your locker room feels like a second home.

It is where you socialize before practice and where you get pumped up before a big game; it has become your safe place away from the outside world.

3. It also doubles as an extra closet and a prime nap location.

Your water bill loves you because you shower five of seven days a week in a place that isn’t your apartment or dorm. And the couches aren’t half bad either.

4. Tutor time at the Smith is a given (we all secretly and openly dread it).

Begging Jeremy, Mandy, etc. for a tutor, and they tell you that none are available… but, but, but…

5. But knowing your friends will probably be at the Smith makes it better so you can get some socializing done, too.

Auditorium is for quiet studying, but everywhere else is fair game.

6. Seeing Dr. Kovan when you’re sick.

Whether the Norovirus has hit your entire team or your throat just hurts, he's the man to see.

7. Don't forget Dr. Nassar when your body starts to break:

Having him talking into his voice recorder makes you feel official, and within five minutes of looking at you he agrees that you need an X-ray.

8. You love venting to your athletic trainers while they crack your back.

Being able to walk into the training room and say whatever you need to say and knowing that you won’t be judged is the best feeling in the world.

9. Begging to get you a spot on the underwater treadmill at Duffy.

There's nothing like running in a small pool of water while watching SportsCenter and then hopping in the hot tub after!

10. Being convinced that Jenison has asbestos (but it really doesn’t, your lungs just hurt from walking up four flights of stairs to the weight room).

No matter how many times I walk up to the fourth floor, it never gets easier. And I do it every day.

11. Being just a little (a lot) afraid of messing up a DF set, knowing that you’ll get thrown out.

Better get that weight plate one inch from the bottom with a nice slow negative. It’s all about the negative, people!

12. Being able to watch your friends ball out on the court or field.

I still find it so cool that I can watch my friends on TV on a Saturday and then go out to lunch with them on a Sunday.

13. Finding new ways to cope with the stress of school and practice (crying sometimes works).

It isn’t unusual that I cry a few times a week; I find it an accomplishment when the week is over, and I’ve only cried once. Stress, stress, stress, am I right athletes?

14. Struggling to match different shades of green when everything else is dirty.

Not all greens are the same even if they are issued by MSU — lesson learned, don’t look like a green bean if you can help it.

15. Going to class straight from a lift without showering may be the biggest struggle (sorry if I smell).

It is a constant battle when you have a 9 a.m. lift and a 10:20 a.m. class. There is simply not enough time in the day.

16. Two to three practices in one day have you feeling some type of way.

But remember, we can't go more than four hours a day. NCAA regulates it.

17. Chocolate milk after your lift makes it worth it.

The constant struggle between chocolate, strawberry, chocolate protein, vanilla protein, cookies and cream protein is a daily occurrence. There is an entire milk menu for crying out loud.

18. Sunday is your favorite day of the week — off day.

Self-explanatory. You get your bed, you get to sleep, watch Netflix and maybe even fit in some homework!