Wild Card

 The Reality of Being an Athlete in College

    Some may think that being an athlete in college is a walk in the park while others may think it is the hardest thing you could have ever put yourself through. Everyone has their own opinions and experiences and a lot of the time it depends on your major, course load, and which sport you play. Being an athlete is a full-time job and you are getting paid to play for your school but it should also be fun for you of course. In high school I thought to myself "It can't be that different", but boy was I wrong. 

    One of the major differences between high school and college while being a student is the fact that you do not have to go to school for seven hours a day which is a blessing. My high school routine was to go to school from eight to three every day and as soon as the bell rang you were booking it to whatever sport you were in that time of the year. After practice, you would go home at six, eat dinner, then repeat it all over again the next day. In college you will have an average of two or three classes a day then you are done. Sounds like a piece of cake right? Yeah maybe for a regular student who can go home after class and get into comfy clothes and have plenty of time in the world to get their to-do list done. My college schedule is a lot more hectic and most days I feel like I am running around like a chicken with my head chopped off. I start my days with team weights early in the morning, go back to my room shower, and change as fast as I can before work, I will grab a quick lunch on my way to class. After class, I head straight to the gym for practice, then I will figure out what I am eating for dinner, take a shower, then fight sleep while trying to do homework. I learned very fast that your schedule is all over the place in college and no day is ever the same as the day before. 

    Time management is vital to your school and well-being while playing sports in college. Procrasting is your worst enemy in college and I often make it seem like it is my best friend. If you could win an award for the world's best procrastinator, I would win every time. Sometimes it feels like you absolutely don't have the time to do homework because you have been running around all day and all you want to do is sleep. I have found that sometimes it is okay to prioritize sleep over doing homework because it means you will be more well-rested for the next day to get homework done. When things get tough you just have to find time to squeeze in bits and pieces of assignments as you go or you will get behind. Traveling in season is a crucial time for time management. Getting to miss class seems to travel seems like it is all fun and games until you don't have service in the middle of Oklahoma on a nine-hour bus ride. My biggest takeaway from traveling in volleyball season is you know you are going to be gone for the entire weekend then get your homework done for the week before you leave on the trip. This results in less stress on you and you will be able to play better and have fun with your teammates. 

    Communicating with your professors is also a really important thing to remember. If you have a professor that you have never had before then it is always a good idea to go up to him on the first day of class and let him know that you are an athlete. Especially if you are in season and you know you will be traveling a lot, your professor will appreciate the heads up. Say you have a game on Friday that you will leave on Thursday for and you are going to miss their class, you need to tell your professor at the beginning of the week that you will be gone and again the day before you leave. It also doesn't hurt if you send them an email as well so it is in writing if they try to say you never told them. When we are in season we are traveling two out of the five days out of the week most of the time so communicating with your professor is important to maintain a healthy relationship with them throughout the semester.

    I realize I just sat here and told you so many things about how being an athlete in college is stressful and one of the hardest things I have done but bear with me. While yes those things are still very true, playing a sport in college is so rewarding. Coming to college with so many new people can be kind of scary, to be honest with you but coming in on a team was like I had instant best friends. My teammates and I are inseparable. The community that stands behind you and has your back through it all is unreal. The support they show you makes it all worth it whether you are winning or losing. The experience and opportunities that you get from playing a sport in college are very beneficial. One thing I think people don't understand about sports is the life skills that you learn through the sport. You also meet so many people throughout the school that also plays sports and they all have your back and will be your biggest fans. 

    Now where things get crazy is when you start adding other things on top of your plate like you weren't already busy enough. Sure you can call me a psychopath for thinking I had time for other things as well and maybe I am but some people thrive off of being busy and I am one of those people. If you are crazy and decided to get even more involved than you already are then you could always set due dates a day before they are due so you don't get behind. The biggest thing about attacking all of these activities at once is making sure you are getting your schoolwork done in the middle of the chaos. The less stressed you are the more fun you will have.

    I realize that sports are not for everyone and that is not what everyone would want to do when they go to college, but in some way shape, or form you are going to find a way to get involved and when you do you could end up in the same situations I have been in and these tips would still apply. Playing a sport in college is honestly all about trial and error. You have to try new things and make mistakes to figure out what works best for you. I am currently in my third year of college and I still haven't fully figured it out. One of the things I say to myself some mornings is "Attack the day before the day attacks you". What this means is to get up and get started with your day before you look at the clock and realize that it is around 2 p.m. and you haven't done anything productive.