It comes as no surprise that collegiate athletes spend the majority of their time on their sport, but how much time do they have to spend on extracurricular activities? Here are 4 big areas that might eat up more time than you'd think.
Academics
Academics should take up the majority of a student athlete's time. Athletes are given 10 semesters (5 years) to complete their courses. This means you will be taking at least 12 credits (4 classes) a semester as a student athlete. This workload may be very challenging and time consuming for non athlete college students, so being an athlete makes this much more challenging. It is important to manage your time wisely and plan ahead for your assignments and classes to stay on top of academics.
Related: Harvard's Assistant Tennis Coach Talks Character, Grades, and Resources
Although college athletes should prioritize academics, the phrase “student-athlete” may be in the wrong order. Oftentimes, college athletes feel more like athlete-students. Between practicing, competing, team meetings, film sessions, and rehab in the training room, it's easy for your sport to take over your life. Remember, you're in college to get a degree–academics come first!
Sleep
After conducting my own research around a college campus, college athletes average 6 hours of sleep on weekdays and about 8 hours on weekends. This is not including any naps they may take throughout the days which average to about 2-3 more hours a day. That's a significant chunk of time, but rest is incredibly important for college athletes to stay on top of their game and repair muscles.
Related: Importance of Sleep as an Athlete
Traveling
Driving and flying to games, meets, and matches constantly can eat up a lot of your time. And when you get to a fun new place, you'll likely not stay long–you'll travel, compete, and leave. Make the most of your travel opportunities as a college athlete by doing homework on the bus or plane. That way, you can be in competition mode when you arrive at a new city and then use whatever free time you have left over to sightsee.
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* Originally published on May 12, 2022, by Finn Rice
