What are some ways to help prepare myself for the transition between high school sports and college sports?

Hi Maddison! I too was a college athlete. Time management is the key! College sports take a lot more time and commitment than high school sports did. During season you pretty much do everything with your team from practice to eating to traveling. Make sure you set aside time for your studying and homework and utilize down time like when traveling with the team on a bus. Not sure what college you will be at but most universities have tutoring opportunities and study groups so utilize those resources as well. It can be tough as a freshman to want to go out with friends a lot but you need to prioritize your schoolwork and swimming if that is what important to you. Using a planner always helped me. I would schedule my study times into my planner to hold me accountable.

Hi Madison! To echo the comments above, congratulations on becoming a collegiate athlete. It is a tremendous honor that you should be extremely proud of. I was a Division I college athlete and understand your concerns. While participating in a sport does demand a lot of time, your college class schedule will look significantly different than your high school schedule. Instead of taking classes for 8+ hours a day, college courses only require about 3-4 hours a day. This leaves a lot more time to work on schoolwork, swim some extra laps, or spend time with friends. Additionally, most colleges offer excellent academic help specifically for athletes. Reach out to your coach or athletic, academic advisor for more details. You can manage both just make sure to use your free time wisely. I actually found that I performed better academically in-season because I was more diligent at managing my time and took advantage of the free time I did have to get ahead.