Too many student athletes do poorly in college or never even graduate. This is because being a student athlete while keeping up with academics requires a huge amount of commitment and self-discipline. However, it’s far from impossible to succeed — many students do, and you can, too.
- Treat Your Sport as Your Job
Being a student athlete is as difficult as attending university while holding down a full-time job. You need to organize every minute of your time that’s not scheduled for classes or team practice to use it for personal training, studying, and making sure you’re eating balanced meals. This leaves little time for anything else. Nonetheless, only once you’ve covered all your daily responsibilities should you allow yourself time to relax with a video game or social media — still making sure you get to bed on time, of course. - Remind Yourself That You Belong at University
You may feel unlike the “average” student — but it’s important to remember that there is no such thing as an average student. Almost everyone has unique challenges or is juggling other responsibilities. Some students may be working or caring for a family member. Others may be adult students returning to education later in life, whereas others still may be finding that their major is much more difficult than they expected.
The important thing is to remember you were accepted to college because you have something valuable to offer and because the admissions department believes you can succeed. If you feel separate from other students, make an effort to change that: Join a study group or strike up a conversation after class to start making friends with people who are not on your team. - Let Professors Know When You’re Unable to Attend Class
Your professors will appreciate it if you tell them in advance that you’ll be missing class. At the start of each semester, provide your professors with a list of the classes you’ll be unable to attend. Then, send another email around a week before each of those classes to remind your professors that you’ll need to somehow obtain the notes for the upcoming lecture. In addition, don’t expect to receive extensions for assignments — you won’t receive special treatment unless you have an actual emergency. - Be Punctual
Put in the effort to arrive on time for everything from practice to class. This will help you make a good impression — both as an individual and as a member of your college sports team. This may sound like a minor thing, but you’ll find that developing an image as a respectful person ultimately makes your life easier, especially if you make a mistake down the line. - Study for Your Future
You may be using your sport as a chance to improve your opportunities for an education or it may be your dream to become a professional athlete. In either case, you still need to work hard at school to obtain good grades and graduate. Only a small number of college athletes go on to practice professionally after school. While you may end up being one of them, it’s critical that you do possess other skills, should you need to pursue a different career. This applies even if you’re a star player — after all, a bad injury could leave you sidelined in an instant. - Learn to Pick Yourself Up After Failure
Knowing how to cope with failure is a useful skill for anyone, but it’s crucial for athletes. Instead of becoming disheartened the next time you lose a match or receive a bad grade, think about how you could do better next time.
As a student athlete, finding the right housing is extra important. You need somewhere you can study undisturbed, get enough sleep, and eat a balanced diet. For these reasons, it makes sense to avoid on-campus housing and search for apartments for rent. Peterborough students can find their perfect home at Severn Court. You’ll have a private bedroom, a fully-equipped kitchen, and easy access to Peterborough Sport & Wellness Centre. Apply now to secure a spot right near campus before next semester.
