emilykenley

As a college athlete in the peak of my season and in a crucial part of the year for classes, I can only imagine the stress and pressures other student athletes are going through. Missing many classes for games and falling behind in work the stress is at times overwhelming. There are many ways you can deal with stress by managing it and finding time to relax but as Sibson puts in her article “there is no down time”. Finding time to take care of your body and getting a good amount of sleep is key for success on and off the field. Many people don’t really realize what student athletes go through on a regular basis. Some see us as privileged or think we are exempt from responsibilities but that is far from the truth. We are pushed to our physical and mental limits daily and are still expected to perform well on both ends of being a student athlete.
As a freshman getting adjusted to a new environment and learning to balance out school and softball, stress was inevitable. The never ending cycle of 6am workouts, classes, then back to practice for four or more hours and still having to do your school work can put a lot of stress and pressure on your body. Now in my second semester I have adjusted and yet certain stresses are still there. In the article “Stress on College Athletes” based on the stresses that are always going to be there such as “the demands of keeping up their grades and attending classes combined with rigorous sports practices and game schedules” and how to deal with them. Tine management is key for success as a college athlete and allows you to see stress in more of a positive way. Reading some of the articles about the stresses of college athletes and being able to relate to them was a scary thing. Student athletes deal with a lot at one time and it is up to you to know your body and how to deal with the stresses that comes along with being a student athlete.
The article “Student Athlete” puts into perspective of how serious it is for athletes to be strong mentally. Being able to bounce back from failure either in the class room or on the field, and having a positive support system makes it easier to deal with. The stresses of “student before athlete” is hard when most of the time it feels like athlete before student. By being mentally strong you will be able to deal with the balancing act of being a student athlete. The life of a student athlete is hard and at times you wonder why you put yourself through all the stress and pressures that comes along with it. Is it worth it? Personally yes, as Sibson says “this is what its like to really be a student athlete. But we do it because we love our sport”. By being pushed to my limits and learning to deal with stress in a healthy way, learning time management, and being mentally strong I am able to be a successful student and athlete.

Annotated Bibliography

“Stress on College Athletes.” LoveToKnow. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Apr. 2016.
There is a big transition from high school to college, especially for athletes. Not only do they have the stress of adjusting academically but also the athletic side. For example “learning to adjust to the extensive demands of their time from their commitment to their sport”. For the most part once you’ve settled in and are adjusted most of the stress goes away, but there are always constant ones that you have to deal with through your four years as a college athlete. On and off the field the stress of “maintaining a certain grade level” combined with the log hours of practice and “rigorous game schedule” stress is a constant for student athletes. Stress can affect you mentally, physically and emotionally and by learning stress management skills that work for you such as progressive muscle relaxation, can make the difference between and good and great student athlete.

“The Reality Of Being A College Athlete.” Odyssey. Sibson Kaitlyn., 10 Nov. 2015. Web. 12 Apr. 2016.
Many people have different views of student athletes, but little do they know the work and effort that goes into being one. As Sibson writes “its not all fun and games”. People think that just because your season is 2-4 months long that you are only doing work during that time. They are wrong, you are training and getting prepared for when you are finally “in season” making it impossible to have any down time. As a student athlete you have some days that start with 6 am lifts and then attending every class you have during that day no matter how tired you are, and then back to practice. Not only physically exhausted but you are also mentally exhausted and you haven’t even done your homework yet. It is a never ending cycle and you are constantly reminded that “school comes first” even though at times it doesn’t feel like it. Student athletes do not have any privileges, by attending every practice/workout, every class, and keeping your GPA up to standards college athletes kill themselves all for the sport they love to play.

“College Athletes-Dangers and Stress.” College Athletes-Dangers and Stress. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 May 2016.
The top issue for college athletes is time management. It is never too early to learn god study skills and time management skills. Freshman year is the biggest time for adjustments on student athletes. Most of the added pressure comes from the academic load. There are positive ways to look at stress, ten percent of male and female college athletes look at stress as a motivating factor. One of the most effective ways in doing this is simply doing one assignment at a time, seven out of ten college athletes use this tool to relieve their academic stress. This deals with the problem at hand and allows you to focus on a task one by one instead of being overwhelmed by them all at once.

In the blog post “A College Education Should Include Rooming With a Stranger” Ann Altman reports on the findings of writers and researchers who have explored why a freshman in college should room with a stranger. Reading this blog post I couldn’t help but realize how much of an impact my roommate has already made in my life as a freshman in my second semester. Jesse Singal one of the writers Ann Altman uses writes “rando[sic] roommates should not be avoided and excluded, but rather sought out and celebrated as an important part of the college experience.”

Coming into my freshman year, like most people I had no idea who my roommate was. The only thing I knew about her was her name was Cassie and that she was playing softball here at Lenoir Rhyne like me. Looking back now I wouldn’t change a thing, Cassie has grown to be one of my best friends and we have helped each other grow in ways I wouldn’t have if I roomed with someone I knew. As the blog post states “having the right sort of roommate can expand horizons and open eyes in extremely important ways.” Taking on college together, new experiences, good and bad times, together we have overcome the things college throws at you and has gotten us a little more prepared for the challenges the real world has to offer.

Coming in as a freshman I was excited for a new beginning and the opportunity to play softball here at Lenoir Rhyne. My roommate Cassie came in with the same outlook as me. Not having the typical beginning as most freshmen do Cassie and I were thrown into an unfamiliar schedule and practicing on a daily basis. It was a lot to juggle, getting to know each other and struggling with the same things our transition into the college atmosphere was a lot easier having each other as roommates. We were able to relate with each other more because we had the same schedule and practice times. If I was roomed with a non-athlete or an athlete of a different sport this transition would have been a lot harder.

Rooming with a stranger has taught me how to be less selfish and more attentive to people’s needs other than my own. The statement “Learning to negotiate differences, make compromises, balance one’s needs with the needs of those around you and consider the perspectives of others are all important life skills that can be helped along by the task of living with someone you don’t know and potentially unlike you.” Reading the statement I couldn’t relate to it any better. Yes, me and Cassie are different and at first it was hard living with each other. It tooks us being able to get to know each other and the way each of us live to really understand the importance of making compromises, balancing needs and space, becoming selfless and so much more.These life skills we have learned by living with each other will only benefit us later on in life. By deciding to live with a stranger I had no idea at the time how much of an impact someone I didn’t know anything about could make on me.

As talked about in the previous paragraph Cassie and I are nothing alike, we are from very different families and values. From my perspective change was exciting and new for me. Being around someone different than what I’m used to on a regular basis was refreshing but hard at the same time. At times living with someone different than you can be challenging and uncomfortable but isn’t that the point of college? By growing and being  “yanked out of your comfort zone”(Altman) my experience as a freshman has been far better than I expected. Learning new things and finding myself and who I want to be in my opinion has been easier just by rooming with a stranger.

Though others may not agree or have had a different experience than I have had by rooming with a stranger, I think that college should definitely include rooming with a stranger. By living with someone you don’t know you learn things about yourself and grow more as a person than you would if you stick to the same things you have always known. You will learn life lessons that will get you ready for the big world outside of college. Before reading this blog post I hadn’t realized how big of an impact the stranger I met five months ago would have on me. This blog post truly showed me how much I have grown in a short amount of time  and only makes the statement “Roommates are good for us”(Sacerdote qtd.in Altman) all the more true.

 

 

 

Works Cited

“A College Education Should Include Rooming With a Stranger.” OpTalk A College Education Should Include Rooming With a Stranger Comments. N.p., n.d. Web. 09 Feb. 2016.