Lack of sleep, overwhelmed, sore, and constantly stressed are not exactly a common combination of general feelings for the average person. It is however a common feeling for a college student who is new to the college scene. There is no doubt that every college student has to attend to the different demands of college life, in every aspect as well. This is no different for me and the transition into being a college student and the transition into collegiate sports as well.
Little do “we” freshman college students realize how easy we had it in high school when entering our freshman year of college. Compared to high school, the homework is more extensive, sleep is seldom to come by, and keeping a healthy diet is easier said than done. When you are in high school you get into a routine that allows time for you to go to school, maintain a relevant social life, eat appropriate amounts, get homework done, and most importantly sleep. In my case the addition of transitioning from high school athletics to collegiate athletics is also in the mix. Not to say that having all of these changes, and in some cases pressures is not doable, but adjusting to it all is no easy task. At this point I have already come to create a daily schedule that I follow. With all of these changes in front of me and not knowing how to accurately adapt to the lack of sleep and plethora of homework, I have found “downtime” to be more like homework time. That one hour block I get in between classes is almost more frustrating than anything. I get done with a class and finally get back to my room and I get a whole thirty minutes to rest and catch up on homework. Why not do it all at night you ask? Well staying up until 2 a.m. every night can only go on until you have fallen asleep with a book in your hand. My mother used to tell me, “Make sure you get your eight hours”, but at this point “getting my eight hours” would seem like a vacation.
With all of the sleep deprived and homework loaded nights in mind, I still have to commit three hours a day to football. In high school all that was required for football in a day was about a two hour practice at most, and of course games on Friday nights. In college there is a lot more off the field commitments that require a lot of one’s time. At minimum practices will be around two hours, plus the hours you spend watching film off the field, and when you are already tired and swamped with homework studying for football makes you all the more exhausted. Don’t get me wrong because there are defiantly some pros that tie into this as well. Football keeps me focused and keeps my head on straight so that I don’t go out on weekends and completely blow off all that is due on Monday.
With all these different complaints that come to mind there is one of two ways that they can be looked at. As complaints, or sacrifices that are necessary, and that is exactly what they are. Nobody says the college life is an easy life, and football is supposed to be a challenge. It is how I handle these challenges and sacrifices that will help shape me into the kind of person that I want to be. So in the mean time I will continue my 2 a.m. homework schedule, and continue to attempt to keep up with the fast past life that college has come to be.
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