Every student athlete has the invariable task to study and compete, it’s like having two daytime job according to Life Fitness magazine. Another articles states that Princeton University has plenty of student athletes.  Nearly 20% of undergraduates are athletes.   At Princeton “being a student athlete is both a challenge and an opportunity” to develop one’s leadership and organization skills.

Organization

Balance is crucial for any student athlete because competitive sports and academics go hand in hand. Balance is a challenge because education is crucial to a young athlete’s’ life. However the Student-Athletes must be organized and prioritize objectives correctly.  One of the most important items for a student is to plan out when his exams and midterms will be. For an athlete the most important item is to plan out when championships are.  Plan it out on the Calendar.

In order to tackle your academic calendar you must know the timing of exams.  The student must ask the Professor or Assistant for the Schedule.  You can plan ahead and find time for your studies to get the best score possible. It is crucial that a student gives their best effort in exams just like an athlete would give their best during a game. But for best results, early and significant preparation is key.

Prioritize

Once you have your schedule, it is important to prioritize your time.  If you have an exam coming up, then you should begin to study as soon as possible. Planning out your study schedule, will help you optimize your exam score. Your mindset during an exam should be like a competition, where you have to perform to the very best of your ability, anything below is not acceptable. Once your exam is over then you can start to focus on games and training, but not before.   When you have games coming up, build your training schedule and your routine to best prepare for it. It is important not to forget your academic work during this period.  Just because your LAX schedule is intensifying,  does not mean academic work should be put aside.  It is important to plan your homework around the training schedule.

Balance

A student’s social life is also very important to their well being and it helps them relax. If a Student-Athlete only had sports and academics in their life then a mental and physical burnout would become very probably. From time to time a Student-Athlete should meet up with friends, go to the movies, go shopping, out to eat, or whatever relaxes the mind. This reduces stress and relaxes the athlete both physically and mentally.

Time Management is another focus point for a Student-Athlete.  This provides organization and discipline to a busy Student-Athlete’s life. How long one does a certain task or assignment allows the days to be organized in a certain way.  Sports and Academics both have a part of your daily schedule, so planning and organizing is crucial.

To conclude, the success of a Student-Athlete comes down to their ability to manage and prioritize their time effectively and efficiently between academics, lacrosse and social activities.  Balance, discipline and organization are key pillars that a Student-Athlete should optimize to contribute to their success.

Sources:

https://www.lifefitness.com/blog/posts/balancing-act-being-a-student-and-an-athlete.html

https://www.princeton.edu/main/news/archive/S31/42/85O51/index.xml?section=featured