If you are a college athlete, especially one on a scholarship, your ability to remain on your sports team(s) is extremely important. We probably don’t need to remind you that most schools have policies regarding minimum GPAs to be eligible for sports teams, but it bears considering.
The purpose of today’s message is to show you how you can find the right balance between work and play. You can get all your job done and keep your grades where they belong and also pursue the sport(s) of your choice.
The Homework Conundrum
Students hate it; parents hate it, and yet, after all this time, homework is still a thing. Even worse, not only does it not go away when you get to college, chances are you’ll get even more. The average student spends at least as much time on coursework outside class as they do in. For some classes, students spend twice as much time on coursework than they spend in class. The whole thing can be a bit daunting for a serious student-athlete, for sure!
It is amazing how something so unpopular still maintains such a solid foothold in academics, but it does. The key to finding balance lies in minimising the time you spend on coursework while still getting the grades. Let’s be honest: there is no real shortcut here. It’s a matter of working smarter and utilising your time and resources correctly. Let’s look at several time-savers you can start using and implementing right now to maximise the time you have to devote to homework.
#1: Go To Class
Wait, doesn’t that mean spending more time on academics? Well, no, not really…
Think about it this way: if you go to class regularly, take good notes, even record the lectures in the more difficult classes, you will develop an understanding of the subject much faster than if you always skip. Go to level. It will make your homework easier because you will understand your assignments and get them done more quickly.
#2: Plan Out Your Entire Semester In Advance
This means poring through all your syllabi and determining what’s due when and planning work around practices, training, and games. Make sure your profs know if there are going to be days when you can’t be in class due to sports and make arrangements for someone to record lectures for you.
If you know you have writing assignments due that you won’t be able to hand in on time, there is help there, too. Do all relevant research, take good notes, and enlist the help of a practice academic writing assistance to make your thoughts and ideas and convert them into essay or term paper form. Always check over any paper you commission someone to write for you to ensure accuracy and still make sure your papers are plagiarism free. If you don’t your professor will.
#3: Study On the Road
You can use some of your time on the road for away games to get caught up on those lectures you had recorded for you. You can also use that time to study or review concepts presented in class that you haven’t quite mastered yet. It might seem a little geeky and not at all cool, but getting kicked off the team is less cool. Exercise some adult responsibility and do what you must to stay ahead.
#4: Get Help When You Need It
Most schools have tutoring programs or peer support and study groups that can help you find fast answers to common questions about any given subject. Working with a tutor can also minimise the amount of time you spend on homework since you will have a guide to see you through some of those tougher assignments.
Enjoy Your Time on the Team
This is an exciting time in your life. Don’t let your academic pursuits keep you from enjoying sports, but don’t neglect your studies in favour of sports. Before long, you might find yourself without either if you aren’t careful. The advice presented above should give you a useful framework for developing a solid success strategy. If you follow it, we think you will be able to enjoy participating in sports with confidence that your grades won’t suffer over your passion for the game.
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