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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

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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:

Make a schedule of your classes
Add your training times to the same schedule
Post a hard copy of this schedule in your room so you'll know if you can do extra-curricular activities
Have the same schedule in your phone/tablet/computer, etc so if you're asked what you're doing you'll have a ready answer
Visualize and stay focused on the end results!
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Anna’s Answer

When you get your syllabus at the beginning of the semester, write down all due dates + all of your matches (especially away matches) in a planner. If you have your practice/workout schedule already, write all of those down too. At the beginning of each month, look at the entire month to remind yourself of everything going on. At the beginning of each week, look at that week, write a checklist of assignments/things you need to study for in order of priority, and plan specific times in between practice and matches to get it done. Don't forget to have a social life, and don't be afraid of a late night every now and then.
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Nina’s Answer

As a former collegiate athlete, I am excited to answer this question for you!
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!
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Joanna’s Answer

I was a college athlete and this was definitely a challenge. But with dedication and focus you will have no issues. Use your free time wisely. For example, if you are going to an away game and traveling via bus or airplane, use the travel time to study. Usually schools have great resources for student athletes as well. Check into your schools specific resources. For example, mine had dedicated spaces for athletes only to study, print assignments, etc. We also selected our classes each semester prior to other students to make sure we scheduled around practice times. We had dedicated counselors and tutors as well.

Hope this helps!
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Madison’s Answer

Hey! I was a DI student-athlete and Comms major!! I completely understand the lack of time especially during travelling seasons. Prioritization, Time Management and your Teammates are the keys! Also, utilize your campus and athletic resources! Don't be afraid to ask for help. Don't reinvent the wheel. Most likely someone in the athletics program has taken a course similar to your studies and they can help provide guidance.
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Simeon’s Answer

It's a good idea to set aside specific blocks of time on your calendar that are the same every week that you can set aside for homework and studying. Don't let assignments get undone until the last minute. Try to find times that you can get extra homework time in. For instance, if you are an athlete and go on an away trip for a game, see if you can catch up on reading assignments on the bus. If you are in one of those fluff classes in college and they don't mind it, you can get homework done for serious classes during those courses. There are work-study jobs on campus that will often let you study on the job as long as no one is asking for assistance at the desk. Find ways to give yourself back time during the week.
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