Being a student athlete in college isn't as easy as you may think. When I was in high school and heard about being a student athlete in college it seemed like it would be easy because you run the campus basically. You are part of what creates the environment on campus and the image of the school. You have a big responsibility to keep up the image of the school and be successful in the classroom. With that being said, there are perks to being a student athlete.

1. No Freshman 15

I am sure in high school you had heard about the "Freshman 15" that affect a lot of college freshman. What is "Freshman 15?" Well, apparently it is when you are a freshman in college and you gain 15 pounds your freshman year. A lot of this is due to not being active anymore and the party life of a college student.

As a student athlete in college you are constantly working out to keep in shape for your sport. In college the lifting is way different than in high school and so is the conditioning. You have higher expectations to keep up with. You are suppose to perform at a higher level. College athletes have to be in top condition and have to stay in that top condition. Our bodies are getting older and the more we put our body through the harder it is to do things that are expected of student athletes. Therefore, no freshman 15 for us!!!!!!!!

2. Being involved is great!

A lot of people will tell you to get involved when you are in college. By being involved you add more to your resume for employers to look at. Being a student-athlete in college is something great to add to your resume! Employers and future graduate schools will look at it as think about how you managed your time being involved in sports while attending higher level of education and getting the grades you got. It shows a lot about who you are as a person.

Being involved is also a great way to meet new people with all sorts of different backgrounds and experiences. You will get a variety of people on your team and you will learn to work with different types of personalities. This is very useful when it comes working in the workplace. In the workplace you will have all sorts of different types of personalities and approaches to things that you will have to work with and be patient with. If it isn't something you agree with then you will have to act in a proper manner. In college you learn to do this through being part of a diverse team. As a student-athlete you will have teams of all sorts of different races, personalities, religions, etc. It will help you build those patience and manners to work with someone different from yourself.

3. Wide range of friends

You will gain a lot of friends!! Who doesn't like finding their best friend!? Who doesn't like having friends?? Okay, well some people don't, but being a student-athlete in college you will experience different relationships with all sorts of different people. Some may be the amount of friends you have. You could find your best friend who will always be by your side even after college and you will find your friends that are just there. There are many different relationships created based on the wide range of personalities you will encounter as well. You will find your person!

4. Learn time management for future success

As you know from high school you have to learn to manage your time for homework, practice, games, work outs, social life, etc. If college it gets a little more tough and less time it seems. I became a student athlete my sophomore year of college when I had transferred to Grand View University after I had attended University of Northern Iowa and I wasn't involved on the cheer squad there, but at GV I am.

5. Amount of support you have

As a student athlete in college you have all different types of sources for support. You have your coaches, team, advisors, professors, athletic advisor, trainers, friends, fans, etc. You have a wide variety of support that also end up being your resources for other things in life. This is great to have! You are going to need that support. It isn't always easy being a student athlete. With the huge support group you have it becomes easier.