The Benefits Of Transitioning To College

While high school student-athletes invest a lot of time and energy into their sport, the collegiate lifestyle brings a new level of difficulty that many incoming freshmen can find intimidating and overwhelming at first. In addition to being under more pressure to perform on a larger, more competitive stage in front of a more expansive audience, they must also deal with the every day challenges that normal college freshmen face: homesickness, transitioning into a more demanding academic workload, and creating a new social network. College athletes have to have their routines extremely time focused, and make time management essential to their daily lives.

Students in college have to balance many activities: school, friends, work, health, and everything in between. Being a student athlete adds a whole new workload. Not only do student athletes have to balance class, studying, and homework, but they also have workouts, meetings, events, games, and of course, practice. Not even mentioning a social life, a student athlete 's daily schedule is already packed full. Typically, a student athlete wakes up, goes to a workout that is followed by classes, then another workout, and finally time for studying and homework.

There are many choices and paths to choose when the time comes to attend college however, a question to ask is, is it worth it? If decided to attend college, the following decision to be made revolves around an area of study one would like to pursue and the topic of study that will be available for them. Though many can further their education in different ways, a couple of ways consist of attending a four year college (private/ public) or a community college. Not going to college at all is the other alternative, but is it really a smart idea? Most adults have continuously told young students all through high school to attend college. A student’s chance of economic success in the future can be risen due to a college education. Judith Scott-Clayton, who is an assistant professor of economics and education at Teachers College at Columbia University states, “Individuals with bachelor’s degrees earn about 60 percent more than those with just a high school diploma, who in turn earn about 40 percent more than high school dropouts.” Students who seek higher education, are more likely to experience a better future and a better life. The cost of going to college may seem overwhelming at times however, the experiences and education obtained throughout college is priceless in regards to the way one interacts with others on a global basis, has a stronger job stability, and has better employment benefits.

A college athlete has one of the toughest schedules you can think of. Most people feel that college athletes have things easy,but that is far from the

Playing a college sport can be very difficult for many reasons, the amount the time and energy put forth into that sport.

College was a dream that was made possible by playing more than one sport. College is an easy transition for these athletes because it’s not that much different from their high school lifestyle. The routine is easier for them, they can manage their time with homework, practices and a social life at a stress free cost because of their time management skills. In the early stages of an athlete’s recruitment, many coaches are drawn to them because of their multi-sport abilities. Making friends comes easy to those athletes and they have the ability to become close to all of your new teammates and with the coaching staff. Athletes can go into this season ready to play, healthy body at hand, and fully confident in their success in this year. This was all possible because they played multiple sports. It laid down the path to their dream. And like everyone else they did everything possible to help them achieve

From the outside looking in, collegiate athletes live a life of luxury. They have the opportunity to perform the sport they love in front of massive crowds, and some are provided an opportunity for free schooling. Although this is undoubtedly true, outsiders are not capable of comprehending the true hardships associated with college athletics. Although they are granted acceptance and often a scholarship to their school of choice, they are not truly granted the opportunity to utilize their school’s academic resources to their fullest potential due to the immense amount of time that they are expected and required to devote to their sport. These activities include film review and playbook studies, team meals, traveling to and from games or

There are several up and downsides of being a student athlete but, the feeling of being apart of a team and doing something you love is the ultimate reward. According to the NCAA, “More than 460,000 NCAA student-athletes – more than ever before – compete in 24 sports every year” (“Student-Athletes”). Being a student athlete you learn how to be a part of a team as well as developing leadership qualities. Throughout your entire high school and or college athletic career, you’re creating everlasting friendships and memories with teammates and coaches. Being a student-athlete, your main priority is school but, with a busy and jammed packed schedule it can get a little overwhelming. With a busy schedule, student athletes have no choice other than to manage their time wisely. Along with learning time efficiency, participating in sport teaches you to be goal oriented. When you’re involved in sports, you push yourself physically and emotionally. You begin to set goals to better not only for yourself, but to better your team as well. Ultimately, there are several benefits of

www.ncaa.org states that: “Overall, NCAA student-athletes graduate at rates higher than college students in general. Nearly 13,000 student-athletes have returned to campuses to complete their degrees in the past decade after finishing their athletics eligibility.” Student-athletes are held to the same standards as the rest of the student population in most of the colleges and in some of the private universities they are held to higher standards. The demand on student-athletes in this day and age is outrageous, the stress of having to carry the expectations and dreams of an entire university is unimaginable. On top of that you have to apply yourself to the education aspect of it as well as being able to perform at the second highest level of sporting. In response to these situations the NCAA is committed to providing resources to help student athlete cope with the stressors that accompany the life at a

College sports isn't what everyone makes it out to be. Some people relate college sports to High School sports only to the extent of: it's a level harder. Many feel that college sports isn't that big of a deal. What little people know is being a collegiate athlete is a job. The life ou hae is set out for you on the court. Most of the free time off the court is spent doing homework. There's hardly any time for a social life, and or time for your family. Being a collegiate athlete isn't just about playing sports anymore, this is your job.

Everyone grows up wanting to be a college athlete, and have stories to tell when they are older and at the dinner table with their children about what most would call their “glory” days. While this is ultimately true, many young teens don’t know the struggles and hardships that college athletes go through each and every day. There are both benefits and disadvantages of being a student-athlete. It really depends on the person and if they are willing to make the sacrifices necessary to live the “glory and busy life” of a student-athlete. Every morning as a student athlete you wake up to the same sound at the same time, knowing that your day of a student athlete has just begun.

After a long day in classes and at practices, student athletes barely have time to relax at the end of the day because they have to stay on top of their work and catch up on their sleep so they are ready for the next big day ahead of them. These sacrifices are a daily routine for the athlete and they deserve to be rewarded with pay. Little changes alone can be very uncomfortable, but a huge switch like this can put a lot of stress on a student athlete. “The transition from high school to college can be stressful for any student , but recent evidence suggests that athletes may experience even greater levels of stress due to the dual demands of athletics and academics placed on them during their freshman year. Lazarus and Folkman have defined stress as the negative feeling that occurs when an individual feels unable to cope with the demands placed upon them by their environment. For the matriculating freshman student athlete, these demands may at times seem overwhelming” (Wilson ). Being a student athlete is an overwhelming roller coaster of new and exciting events, but have a hard time focusing on their work. Although some athletes have their education paid for, they should be compensated for their hard work, time, and effort put into their

Furthermore, athletes who play at the college level work out constantly. All college competitors have been focused and experienced in their sport for quite a long time. Also, the commitment level has intensified in college sports. Playing a sport in college is a year round commitment, not a seasonal one. The sport consumes you and becomes your everyday life. If you are looking to have fun and work out here and there, a serious college sport might not be the route to go. Lastly, all college athletes must be able to balance academics and their sport. This requires a certain amount of maturity, experience, strength training, and commitment. All and all, stepping up to a college level sport after playing in high school is quite a leap. You have to be completely ready to do nothing else but that sport and maintain your

Being an athlete in college is stressful. Many hours of film, practice, weight training, traveling, as well as keeping up with your schoolwork can be tough. Some student athletes are able to come up with a plan that works for them so they’re not as stressed, while others burry themselves in stress. Lazarus and Folkman (1996) have defined stress as the negative feeling that occurs when an individual feels unable to cope with the demands placed upon them by their environment. One of the stressors that many freshmen experience is having their start status taken from them. If you come to a college for sports you are more than likely on a scholarship. You also were likely to be the star on your high school team. Coming to college there is a lot of talent and not having a full developed body, as well as an understanding about how fast things are on the colligate level can weigh on you.

Why go to college is a question many people debate with. The majority of people are not aware of the substantial benefits of attending college. With the rapid shift in today’s economy having a college degree is a major key. According to article written by Fatou Faal, “The United States has been transformed from manufacturing-based economy to an economy based on knowledge, and the importance of a college education can be compared to that of a high school diploma education forty years ago.” The benefits of college prepare and shape you for today’s world.