How to Balance Being a Student-Athlete
Since I’ve been a student-athlete in college for three years
now, I have found ways to accomplish my academic goals while having time
commitments to volleyball. Here are my top five tips on having a successful
college career while being a student-athlete.
1. Be organized
I put organization as #1, because I think it’s the most important. You are in luck, because I’m about to spill all my secrets about how I stay organized during volleyball season. Like I mentioned in a previous blog, I swear by Google Calendar. Before each semester beings, I will sit down and put my classes, practices, games, workouts and when classes aren’t in session into my calendar. Another organization tool I CANNOT live without is my Erin Condren Academic Planner. This planner is chocked full of everything an organization junkie would need and want. If you want to splurge on an incredible planner, check it out here.
2. Work ahead
During season, it is so important to stay on top of work and NEVER get behind. The way I tackle procrastination is being best friends with my syllabuses. On Sunday, I will sit down and see what I have to do for the week. I will make use of the “to do” section, in my planner, to ensure that I don’t forget to complete an assignment or study for an exam.
3. Time manage
Along the lines of staying on top of things, I try to utilize every minute in the day. For example, if I have an hour before practice, I will try to work on my assignments rather than taking a nap or relaxing. Also, I try to do work on the bus on the way to farther away games. If I have a weekend off, I will try my hardest to accomplish as much as possible.
4. Communicate
After the first day of classes, I always approach my professor to inform them I am a fall athlete and may miss class. That same day, I send an email reminding them my name and that I’m an athlete. Along with that, I give them the dates I will be missing class. This shows a great deal of maturity and great communication skills.
5. Prioritize
Sometimes you must sacrifice other events or time with friends to catch up on schoolwork. Prioritizing your time is essential. If you put yourself behind and start to feel stressed, you will bring that unnecessary stress onto the court and alter your performance. I have learned it’s not the end of the world if you have to skip a fun event to maintain your good grades.
I hope you learned some new tips to try to have a successful
college career while being a student-athlete. If you have other tips, drop them
down below in the comments.
1. Be organized
I put organization as #1, because I think it’s the most important. You are in luck, because I’m about to spill all my secrets about how I stay organized during volleyball season. Like I mentioned in a previous blog, I swear by Google Calendar. Before each semester beings, I will sit down and put my classes, practices, games, workouts and when classes aren’t in session into my calendar. Another organization tool I CANNOT live without is my Erin Condren Academic Planner. This planner is chocked full of everything an organization junkie would need and want. If you want to splurge on an incredible planner, check it out here.
2. Work ahead
During season, it is so important to stay on top of work and NEVER get behind. The way I tackle procrastination is being best friends with my syllabuses. On Sunday, I will sit down and see what I have to do for the week. I will make use of the “to do” section, in my planner, to ensure that I don’t forget to complete an assignment or study for an exam.
3. Time manage
Along the lines of staying on top of things, I try to utilize every minute in the day. For example, if I have an hour before practice, I will try to work on my assignments rather than taking a nap or relaxing. Also, I try to do work on the bus on the way to farther away games. If I have a weekend off, I will try my hardest to accomplish as much as possible.
4. Communicate
After the first day of classes, I always approach my professor to inform them I am a fall athlete and may miss class. That same day, I send an email reminding them my name and that I’m an athlete. Along with that, I give them the dates I will be missing class. This shows a great deal of maturity and great communication skills.
5. Prioritize
Sometimes you must sacrifice other events or time with friends to catch up on schoolwork. Prioritizing your time is essential. If you put yourself behind and start to feel stressed, you will bring that unnecessary stress onto the court and alter your performance. I have learned it’s not the end of the world if you have to skip a fun event to maintain your good grades.
Talk to you next time!
I agree with all of these in the outlook of being a student athlete. At times, being an athlete and a student can get very overwhelming but I love it. It teaches you a lot of skills that you will need in the future. I am a big planner girl, so I 100% agree with you in terms of not living without your planner!
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