Student-Athlete Experience

By: Carlos Angeles-Solis

The student-athlete experience may differ on what sports you play, but there is one thing we share in common: time-management. In this blog, I’ll share a typical day for me as a cross country student athlete. 

4:40 a.m.: We wake up silly early to get to practice at 5:45 a.m.. We practice until 7 a.m. and continue to run, but this time to class. 

7:30 a.m.: In less than an hour, you take a shower, get dressed, eat a nice recovery meal (which is always delicious), and book it to class for your 8 a.m.. Now, this is where some situations may vary where you may get lucky and begin class at 9:30 a.m., but not for me. For this semester, I have class until 5 p.m. Mondays and Tuesdays which will be fun (lol)! But other days, my classes will usually end at 12:15 p.m.. 

1:30 p.m.:  On most days, I hit the books until family dinner which is around 5:30 p.m. with the team, but on Tuesdays and Thursdays, we have team weights a 3 p.m. and get fit! As a team, we let loose a little bit in the cafe and enjoy each other’s company. After an hour or relaxation or hitting the weights, it’s time to hit them books again till around 8:15 p.m.. 

9:00 p.m.:  I like to prepare for bed around 9 p.m. so I have enough rest to do it all over again the next day. 

Along with school and competing, I also work at Publix on Sundays to get a little cash. Since I am really tight with my schedule, I try to be focused 90% of the time during the week and save the other 10% for my friends and myself. As a junior in college, I have learned that you need rest to perform well in anything. Keeping a planner has helped me schedule out my days and has kept me in check. With all the activities we have, it is crucial to plan ahead and be ready for all the curveballs life has for us. That is why it’s important to get rest, eat healthily, and manage your time in order to succeed at your fullest potential! Now, let’s go to practice!

 

PA Talk is a blog created by Cumberland University’s Presidential Ambassadors covering topics and giving advice that is relevant to the CU student experience. For topic suggestions, email Mattie Jennings at mjennings@cumberland.edu.