The Realities of being a Collegiate Athlete
October 31st, 2008 - byWhen the majority of student-athletes think about having to take “college” courses it can be very intimidating and scary. As a former student-athlete I would like to shed some light on this topic and hopefully take away some of that uneasiness.
The schedule you have now in high school will be similar to the schedule you have in college, however there is no one there to hold your hand. I think as student-athletes we take for granted how much help and support we receive from our parents. They wake us up in the morning if we are running late for school, they remind us about that project we have due next Monday, they come to our tournaments and make sure we have water in our bottles etc.
The cold hard fact is you need to learn to take care of yourself in college. College is hard. College is not easy. You can’t just show up and expect that to be enough. You need to go to class, get your homework done on time, eat right, attend all Team workouts, get adequate sleep, and STAY organized.
This was a lesson that I learned the hard way. I didn’t write down appointments with my guidance counselor, homework assignments, quizzes, tests etc. and I started off on the wrong foot with my coaches. It wasn’t serious, but if I didn’t learn to stay organized and on top of things I would have been in major trouble. So instead of repeating the process I learned to take care of myself.
The first thing I recommend EVERY student-athlete to utilize is a PLANNER!! This is what kept me on track in class, outside of class, on my team and planning my time. As an athlete you don’t get a lot of free time, so you need to plan out your day accordingly. If you have class from 8:30AM-3:00PM, practice 4:00-7:00, you better make sure you schedule time to get your homework and studying done. As athletes it’s very easy to envy the “normal” college students who don’t have to worry about working out, keeping their grades up and getting enough sleep. But without a strict schedule when are they going to get their homework and studies done?
I stopped envying these students when I realized how amazing it was to represent my school. The normal student doesn’t have that opportunity and it’s something I wouldn’t have traded for the world.
So if there’s something you can take away from this, its college is hard. But, college is hard if you let it be. So be prepared! Use your planner, use the resources available to you, ask for help, stay dedicated and GRATEFUL for the opportunity presented to you. No one is there to hold your hand so hold your own. It will be the best experience of your life.
