Insight into the Student-Athlete College Life
I'm not gonna lie, being a student-athlete in college is hard. It's harder than swimming on a club team while balancing high school, extracurriculars, and college applications.
It's mentally challenging to get up early, run around campus all day, and then go to sleep super late only to get up early again. You won't have the same freedoms as other students. Meaning instead of going out you have to go to sleep because you have a meet tomorrow. While other students are studying you are practicing. While they are sleeping you are studying. It's a grind that doesn't end until the season ends. It takes discipline, accountability, and a positive attitude. Luckily, you have your team as a support group. You have thirty other people experiencing the same struggles you are. Even outside the pool you are helping each other by exchanging old notes and suggesting good professors.
Classes are very different from high school. Lectures are a summary of the information you should know; professors rarely teach you. There is a lot of self-teaching involved. This was a huge frustration for me until I got over it and got to work. Reading the textbook and asking your professor questions during office hours will lead you to a good grade. Don't hesitate to ask upperclassmen, classmates or teammates for help. Collaboration is not the same thing as copying.
On average you will spend twenty hours a week practicing. Add five hours to that for every home meet. On top of practicing you need to maintain a minimum of a 2.0 GPA to remain eligible. Academics should be your #1 priority. Yes, being a student-athlete is a full time job. There's no reason you shouldn't be getting paid for it.
Below is a schedule of my day. Anything without a color is "free time" that I generally spend eating, sleeping or studying. Swim meets are generally on Friday and/or Saturday. If there's no meet then we have long practices instead.
If you have any questions feel free to comment below.
It's mentally challenging to get up early, run around campus all day, and then go to sleep super late only to get up early again. You won't have the same freedoms as other students. Meaning instead of going out you have to go to sleep because you have a meet tomorrow. While other students are studying you are practicing. While they are sleeping you are studying. It's a grind that doesn't end until the season ends. It takes discipline, accountability, and a positive attitude. Luckily, you have your team as a support group. You have thirty other people experiencing the same struggles you are. Even outside the pool you are helping each other by exchanging old notes and suggesting good professors.
Classes are very different from high school. Lectures are a summary of the information you should know; professors rarely teach you. There is a lot of self-teaching involved. This was a huge frustration for me until I got over it and got to work. Reading the textbook and asking your professor questions during office hours will lead you to a good grade. Don't hesitate to ask upperclassmen, classmates or teammates for help. Collaboration is not the same thing as copying.
On average you will spend twenty hours a week practicing. Add five hours to that for every home meet. On top of practicing you need to maintain a minimum of a 2.0 GPA to remain eligible. Academics should be your #1 priority. Yes, being a student-athlete is a full time job. There's no reason you shouldn't be getting paid for it.
Below is a schedule of my day. Anything without a color is "free time" that I generally spend eating, sleeping or studying. Swim meets are generally on Friday and/or Saturday. If there's no meet then we have long practices instead.
If you have any questions feel free to comment below.
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