Meetings? Class? Practice? Film? TA sessions? If you are a student athlete at Wes, juggling all your responsibilities can be a daunting task. Have no fear! The peer advisors are here to provide some tips to help you out. Also do not feel overwhelmed; if you need help balancing everything it is very normal and there are many resources to help you do so, such as your coaches, professors, academic peer advisors and class dean, just to name a few.
Communication is key–hate to sound so cliche–but it is the truth. There will be times when obligations collide, and it is important to let group leaders know so you can work out a way to compromise. For example, if you are at practice but there is an important test review session, make sure to tell your coach in advance so maybe you could maybe leave practice early that day. Furthermore, communication does not stop only with faculty, but be sure to ask upperclassmen on the team for help and advice. There is probably someone on your team that has encountered the problem you are having. Additionally, this is a great first step because talking to faculty can be intimidating at first.
Another important tip is to be organized so things do not creep up on you last minute. In the beginning of the semester, make a calendar (many people like to use google calendar) with all games/competitions, tests, projects and any other obligations you might have. Also of course feel free to reach out to any of the peer advisors to help construct a calendar that works for you. This is important so you can visually see the scheduling conflicts and can be proactive about solving them. People are much more receptive to help when you are not waiting until the last minute. Thinking and planning ahead is essential for all students but especially student athletes.
One last tip is to have creative solutions. Since you are on a sports team your schedule will probably look very different than other students. Therefore it is important to find time to get things done. Some creative ways could be bringing your schoolwork on the bus to away games. Or starting homework and studying earlier in the week because you know you will be too tired after your game/match/competition to do your work correctly afterwards.