Everyone who's in college can look back on their high school days and laugh at the times they thought they were "busy." No matter how many sports you played, no matter how courses you took that were for college credit, no matter how many extracurricular activities you participated in or just attended to cheer on your classmates, high school will never measure up to the chaotic schedule of college.
I would agree that all majors in college are difficult and time-consuming, but I would also say that some are more difficult than others. Some crazy people, me included, choose to study one of these more difficult majors and throw in playing a collegiate sport on top of that. Although I would not choose any other life and I'm more than thankful I get to study biology and play soccer at Campbellsville University, these two things put together, provide for one hectic schedule. If you're anything like me you know that excelling both in the classroom and on the field is something worth striving for. Since this is easier said than done, here are some tips that might make your college days just as successful and productive as they are fun.
Manage Your Time
Although this might seem like a given, sometimes people have a hard time actually carrying this out. Yes, you'll have to make sacrifices like missing out on some probably much-needed sleep or skipping out on some movie nights with friends, but that homework that's due tomorrow has to come first. Anytime you can find to study can make a world of difference. That 15-20 minutes you have between dinner at the cafeteria and practice could be just the amount of time you need to finish reading that chapter for class. You make time for what's important to you, so if you find yourself not having enough time to get good grades you might need to remind yourself why you're at school: to learn and to play the sport you love.
Work Hard Now, Play Later
Student-Athletes have to be driven and motivated to achieve their goals on and off the field. While the work might become overwhelming at times, remembering your personal goals for the future is a good motivator. Whether you have goals set for yourself in your future career, having a family, or maybe even traveling the world, remember that these things will only become a reality if you work towards them now.
Reward Yourself
One of the most important things I've learned while trying to balance college classes and playing soccer, is that sometimes you have to take a step back from all the hard work and reward yourself. While working hard and sacrificing will benefit you tremendously in the long-run, you have to set aside some time to take breaks. Maybe set aside one weekend a month to do something fun with your friends like watch movies, go shopping, or go for a hike. Little rewards like allowing yourself to sleep on the bus to an away game can motivate you to finish an assignment before you leave.
We choose this crazy lifestyle because we love what we do. We love what we study and we couldn't live without playing the sport that's been a part of us for so long. Those coaches that push us to our limits and those teachers that assign way more than we think we can handle wouldn't be doing their job if they made life easy on us.
