How can I balance sports and school in college?
I am a future communications major and tennis student athlete. I'm very excited to do both, but I have reservations about the work needed to do both. How do you balance the two? #sports #student-athlete #athletics
6 answers
Scott Himes
Scott’s Answer
In my experience there are two things you need to know about yourself. One, what is your level of dedication to college and sport? Two, what is your current level of commitment to both? College is going to throw a lot of new experiences at you. It takes a lot of personal sacrifice (which I'm sure you already know as a HS Student Athlete), and it also takes a large amount of commitment to studying and training.
IMO, the balance you seek isn't between academics and sports. The balance is between academics & sports and your social life. College will test this balance and at times it'll seem difficult. If you are aware of your surroundings and involve yourself socially with mindful people then it won't be too hard. Be mindful of your class schedule, be mindful of study habits, be mindful of athletic requirements, and be mindful of social events. Keep a calendar and be faithful to your commitments to be the best student athlete you can be.
Don't allow others to dissuade you from moving forward as a student athlete. There will be those who intend to discredit your goals & ambitions because theirs aren't as high as yours. Keep your head high, stay focused, finish strong!
Scott recommends the following next steps:
Simeon’s Answer
Madison’s Answer
Joanna’s Answer
Hope this helps!
Nina’s Answer
If you are an athlete, you are already a dedicated and hardworking individual who knows how to multitask...
No doubt it is a challenge, but it is a great challenge that will help set you up for success for the rest of your life.
A few pieces of advice:
- You are a "student-athlete" remember the word that comes first. Work hard in the classroom, keep your grades up and stay on top of your classes. You will not be able to be a student athlete if you don't stay on top of the student part first.
- Get a planner. Buy a planner and write out your weekly schedules, what time is class, what time is practice, what time is workout/conditioning, etc. At times it will seem like a challenge to get everything you need to do done in one day (between homework, class, sports) but trust me this challenge of time management will set you up for success later in life.
- Use your support services. I am not sure what school you are planning on attending, but use your recourses. College campuses offer tools and resources such as academic advisors specifically for student-athletes that can help you with setting up your class schedule, choosing courses to take, setting up tutoring, etc.
- Take care of yourself/well-being. You will have long days, bouncing back and forth from classes, to practice, to conditioning, etc. Get good sleep. Your first year of college can seem overwhelming, but just take it one day at a time and control what you can control, your health. Get sleep when you can, visit your athletic trainers to stay healthy.
- ALWAYS Remember the sport that you love and why you chose to be a student athlete. Know that you will have rough days at practice, or on the classroom, but every rough day teaches you something new. And you chose to be athlete because you aren't afraid of a challenge!
Enjoy every minute of your time as a student-athlete. The time will fly by, but you will take those skills developed during those years and use them for the rest of your life!