Beneath all the stories and fun memories from parties, we tend to forget to talk about the stresses we face being college students on a daily basis. Travelling from class to class across campus and making sure to get all your homework done is a lot, especially as a freshman/transfer and having to adjust to new surroundings. Plus finding time to spend with friends and working, if you have a job. But then add the struggle of being an athlete in college.
Now we're talking about classes and homework and then practices and games on top of that. It often is a lot to handle, but student athletes tend to be better students in the classroom due to their busier schedule. Some may think it can't be that much harder, but as a student athlete myself, it can get pretty hectic and hard to find time to get everything done.
This semester, I have classes at 8 am Monday-Thursday with 2-3 classes each day. Tuesdays and Thursdays are my longest days, with 3 classes back-to-back-to-back then a break for a couple hours before I have to head to the barn for my riding lesson. And once that's over, I have to get back up to main campus and change and eat as quickly as possible to assure that I make it to practice on time which is goes until 9 o'clock at night (if we're lucky and we get out on time).
I also work on campus and they try to give us as many hours possible that will work with our schedule, plus working every other weekend. So clearly mine are few, but still enough to keep me busy.
And the list just keeps growing and growing of things that we student athletes are responsible for. Obviously school comes first and then athletics and then everything else, but sometimes there isn't much "everything else." Between early lifting/practices or late night practices to game day and travelling to and from them, it all gets very exhausting.
Obviously you always want to have as much fun as possible, but sometimes it doesn't always happen and you miss out on some. And as an athlete my whole life, I've missed out on plenty of parties and hanging out with friends because I had a game or had an early practice the next morning. Every now and then it sucks missing out on those memories, but I wouldn't change a single thing. I'd rather focus on my studies and get my degree and enjoy being an athlete these last few years, because after I graduate I probably won't play much anymore. There will be plenty of time in the future and after graduation to party and hang out with friends. I'd rather enjoy the now and every minute on the field/court/track because you never know when it could be your last time.
