Like most things, playing sports in college has its ups and downs. A major plus is the friendships you make with the teammates you have been bonded with in ungodly ways. A downfall would obviously be the amount of time you have to allot to the program.
As a collegiate athlete, I have learned some major time management lessons. Not only do you have to show up to practices everyday (sometimes more than one practice a day), but you also have to keep up with the pace of a full schedule. Like most things, as a freshman this was quite the shock. I took a very heavy course load, and as a cross country runner, I started my sport in the fall. This transition was like learning to swim in the winter time. Hypothermia while drowning, I would not suggest it.
I learned the hard way that you must take your harder classes in the winter/summer semesters, so you can focus on them more attentively. Scheduling is always a tricky situation, but when you are planning around practices, it becomes nearly impossible (heaven forbid you have a job as well). I suggest going to see your academic advisor, so you can get the low down on graduating on time and making some semesters harder than others without making them impossible.
I would not have gotten to where I am today without my older teammates. Always ask them about professors, questions you have about scheduling, and even for homework help. There is always someone who has either been in your shoes or is currently walking with you on the team – take full advantage of it! Plus, you spend what seems like every waking moment with these people, so you might as well get something out of them. Practice is hard, and your teammates can give you that extra bump to help you finish a workout.
A key thing to remember as an athlete is that you are a “student athlete." The student part is always before the athletic part. If you have to miss a spaghetti dinner with the team to go to a study session, so you can pass a class, I suggest you skip. Always put your studies first.I have brought notecards to practice to study for a big exam before. Sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do.
Another major tip is to remember to take care of yourself. It can be easy to forget during this busy time, but you NEED to. When you are exerting yourself as much as you need to as an athlete, food/water/sleep are EXTREMELY essential. Eating healthy may take longer, but a crappy diet will hold you back from your full potential. Skipping a good night sleep will definitely catch up to you on the field as well as academically.
This may go along with taking care of yourself, but you need to “treat-yo-self” sometimes too. This will mean different things to different people. For me, it can be taking the time to paint my nails or splurging and treating myself to a Starbucks coffee. It doesn’t have to be extreme, but it does have to happen. If you never get any “me time,” you will go bonkers.
College athletics take some time to get used to, but it is an amazing experience that you should take if you get the opportunity to do so.
