New student athletes can often find it difficult at first to get into a routine that allows them to effectively balance their academic and athletic commitments. To help student athletes ease into their new role, we’ve put together some tips to help them juggle their commitments.
Start with your goals
In order to be successful, it can help if student athletes start by setting out their goals; academic as well as athletic. Whether this be aiming for a specific GPA (grade point average), to make the Dean’s list, or something else specific to your academic journey. It can be easy to lose your way if you’re not working towards a goal.
Sort out your priorities
For student athletes, it can be difficult to determine where to start when they have a lot of factors competing for their time. Within your sport, your workouts are mapped out for you, but it is up to yourself to prioritise your academics. A good rule of thumb when tackling weekly academic responsibilities is to start with your most important tasks.
It can be tempting to work on easier or lower priority tasks first, but don’t let yourself cave. Once you’ve checked off the most important items from your list, you’ll feel much better as you move onto lower priority tasks.
Schedule your homework
It’s likely that you will get the hang of your new athletic schedule pretty quickly. Training tends to occur at the same times and places, and game schedules are planned far in advance. It can be a good idea to map out your academic schedule just as strictly; scheduling dedicated time to work on homework and study.
Get to know your professors
Perhaps one of the most important things you can do within your university life, is to establish an open dialogue with your professors early on in your academic journey. If you explain to your professors any concerns you may be having about juggling your academic and athletic responsibilities, you can work through these difficulties early on.
Take care of yourself
Taking care of your body is a priority to stay on top of your game athletically, but also to keep you healthy off the field. In order to perform both academically and athletically, you need to put yourself in a position to succeed. If you are exhausted from being up all night binging on Netflix, you will struggle in managing your time.
Remember why you went to college
One of the most important things to remember as you go through college as a student athlete, is that you are a student first and an athlete second. It’s wise to remember that even if your dream is to play your sport professionally, if you’re academically ineligible, scouts will never see you play.