Successfully transitioning from the mindset of the high school kid to college adult is a large obstacle. It is important to have fun in college and it is inevitable that you will. Distracting yourself from the stresses of class is a necessity if you wish to hang on to your sanity. However, keeping your focus on the prizes you wish to achieve from four years of schooling is a concept that can erode quickly for the student who is easily distracted by too much fun. The RateTheCoach Team has compiled a list of tips to help guide you through your freshman year as well your entire college career. Enjoy!
Get To Class:
“Get to class,” is a phrase that was barked at you in the past by security guards and administrators, and I am positive that you never thought you would have to hear again after graduation. And you are correct. In college, nobody is going to come to your room, hunt you down on campus, or call your cell phone to tell you “Get to class.” It is all on your shoulders. For the student athlete, going to each and every class you can is a MUST, because you will miss plenty when the season rolls around. A good rule of thumb to keep in mind: If you don’t perform in the classroom, you will not be permitted to perform on the field.
Be Responsible:
When you get everything packed away in your dorm room and your parents take that long ride back home, a great thing occurs (more often than not a party), a feeling of independence will pulsate through your body. Now, with that independence comes, for many students, their first taste of real responsibility. I’m not talking about making sure the trash cans go out to the curb the night before pick up type of responsibility. I’m speaking about the type of responsibility that accompanies the student athlete who is on his/her own for the first time. If you go to the aforementioned party, will you consume alcohol? If so, how much? Will your consumption interfere with your performance on the field? Don’t forget about your teammates. Will they approve of your decision if you play poorly? Be responsible, if not for your own well being, then to your teammates, coaches, and athletic program.
Be Organized:
Everybody is different. Some people need to live organized. Others work better if no plan for the day is worked out. Organized or not, written down or remembered, the most important thing is that everyday you have a plan of action and you follow that plan. Eventually you should develop a daily routine. Three bullet points that need to be worked into your daily routine:
Your classes
Gym/Practice time
Homework
I can’t quite put my finger on the reasoning behind it but most college professors are very personable. They love meeting and talking with their students outside of the classroom. Indulge in their mysterious ways. Meet with them for extra help. Stop in their office and say hello. Showing your professors that you really care about the material they teach (even if you don’t, which is sometimes the case) is a simple way to guarantee yourself, at the very least, a decent grade in a class. Plus, it makes the conversation go a lot smoother when you notify him or her of the class dates you have to miss due to games.
Meet With Your Coaches:
Coaches are not there to be your friend and chances are they will inform you of this numerous times. However, this does not mean they do not enjoy helping their players whenever the opportunity presents itself. Meet with your coaches on a fairly regular basis (but not so much that it annoys them). A good player-coach relationship can help you on the field and even in the classroom. During the class registration period, coaches can sometimes get you into courses that are full, or at least point you in the direction of someone who can help you.
Manage Your Time Well:
This tip is the simplest to write, the easiest to say, and the hardest to do. Finding a balance in all aspects of your life is the key to success in college. Managing your time well is the most difficult hurdle to leap but is a jump that must be made. You can’t sit in your room all day playing video games and expect to get good grades, just like you can’t stay in the library all day and expect not to crack up. Having balance in your life allows you to accomplish great things.
Live Healthy:
You are going to experience some bad times in the health department. There is no way around it. Undisturbed sleep can sometimes be hard to come by at night. Unhealthy food will follow you in every campus eatery. It is vital that you try to live as healthy as possible. Take your vitamins, seek medical attention at the campus infirmary if you feel sickness coming on, and when possible make good food choices. Also, get to the gym and get tired. It will help you drown out your floor mates who insist on playing video games until 5:00 a.m.
Your College Education Is What You Make Of It:
The first thing you need to learn about taking college courses is that an open mind is essential. There is one big difference between high school teachers and college professors. In high school the teachers regurgitated to you facts and the opinions of others. In college, you’ll get the facts, but the goal of the professor is to have you formulate your own opinions. If you are content with memorizing facts, taking tests, and then forgetting the material, then you will waste four years of your life. But if you want to learn to develop a voice and make informed opinions on important subject matter, if you want to develop new ways of thinking, if you want to view your world in a new way, you need to get involved and do more than follow your syllabus. Your college education is what you make of it.
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