10 Pros and Cons of Student Athlete Life in College

Many people interested in playing college sports have absolutely no idea what the lifestyle of a student athlete is truly like. What we will say is: it’s definitely not easy. However, it DEFINITELY is fun, as long as you’re willing to put the work in. We’re going to demystify the whole college experience from the inside because we’ve been through it ourselves, so we know exactly what it’s like. 

Pros 

First, we’re gonna start off with the Pros - believe us there are quite a few.

1. The Network

   Your team’s alumni network is one of the most valuable things that you can have as an athlete. Many past players can be in extremely successful positions, and they’ll always be willing to help out one of their own - they might even get you a job! Don’t be afraid to reach out to them and create good relationships, you never know who’s watching your results.

2. The Team Environment

   Few college students can be on campus for less than a week and say they already have a group of friends they can rely on for anything. Once you become part of a team, you’re cementing a bond that has existed before you and will likely exist afterward as well. The people you’re practicing, living, and competing with all would be willing to do anything for you, and ideally, no one thinks of themselves above the group.

3. Scholarships

   There are several types of merit-based scholarships available to students, and athletic scholarships are definitely one of them, for the recruits that are very high priority and for the programs willing/able to give them.

4. Class Registration Priority

   Many school athletic departments have good relationships with the powers that govern class scheduling. In most cases, this means that you’ll be able to register for classes either before most regular students can, or you’ll already have seats reserved for you in the class. All this is to accommodate your practice and travel schedule for competition but varies from school to school.

5. The Clout

   This one is simple. Many international students may not know this, but there is a high value placed on student athletes in the U.S., due to the commitment and excellence with which they can play sports. While it varies from sport to sport and school to school, don’t let this inflate your ego! Remain humble because no one likes an arrogant athlete who can’t perform.

6. Free Stuff (depending on funding and division)

   Everyone loves free stuff, but this is another factor dependent on the school, sport, and even division. The standard for D1 schools is that things are paid for all across the board such as practice/competition clothes, equipment, travel expenses, dining, etc. There are also other resources available such as free tutors and counseling for athletes alone.

7. Doctors and Trainers

   Along with the “amenities” above, injured players looking to get back on the field or court have access to certain health care privileges such as specially trained athletics doctors and athletic trainers for rehabbing injuries.

Cons 

Now we move to the cons - some of these may not be what you had expected.

1. Time Management

   One of the hardest things to do as a student athlete: you basically have to learn how to schedule your tasks by jumping in the deep end here. You can be losing time from a number of different things. Think of your sport as almost equivalent to a full-time job, while having to still be a student as well. Everyone working a real full-time job while being a student would tell you it's a tall order.

2. Social Life & Extracurriculars (or lack of)

   This one ties into time management above. However skilled you are at managing your schedule, you’ll find it extremely hard to balance a very good social life with people outside of your team. The students that can do this effectively are masters at the craft. 

3. Injuries & Fatigue

   An unfortunate but real circumstance of being an athlete is your higher risk for injury than the average person. Although there are measures in place for athletes to make speedy recoveries, no one likes being hurt. There is also the fact that you’ll feel tired about 90% of the time every day and that nap would feel soooo good but you have class in 15 minutes...

4. “Bottom of the barrel” performers

   The teams that don’t tend do well in their conference towards the end of the season are typically the ones with the worst team culture and many times lack the drive to try and escape that black hole where they reside. 

5. Different emphasis on winning

   Many teams place a certain emphasis on academics vs. sports, and this all comes from the coaching staff and level of the school’s academics. You might view this as a pro too, but we put it here because a student that plays for a school with too little focus on winning, and too much on academics (for their liking), would likely end up hating it there or transferring within the first 2 years.

A Final Message to the Dreamers

If you’re thinking of becoming a college student athlete, this note is for you:

Getting to that finish line is going to be hard, there’s absolutely no denying it - show yourself what you’re made of. You’ll have to deal with things you’ve never experienced before, reach out of your comfort zone, and meet people you would have never met otherwise. 

The lifestyle itself is totally different than what you may have imagined - don’t let it beat you down, rise to the occasion. Sometimes you’ll wake up at 6:00 and have no idea if it's AM or PM. You have to be able to handle all the stress that comes with your newfound responsibilities, as well as the glory that comes along with the successes. This type of position is not made for everyone. 

You aren’t going to be a normal student - time will become more valuable. When all your friends want to go and hang out on a Friday night, you might have to stay in and study because you’re playing over the weekend and won’t have time to do so then. On the same token, you shouldn’t let your attempts at having a life outside your sport be drowned out by the sport itself - college is about experiencing new things, meeting new people, and making connections. 

Unless you’re headed the professional sports route (and even then) - stay humble. Many high-performing student athletes will enter the workforce after graduation, that’s just how the cookie crumbles. Don’t expect to receive special treatment from an employer just because you worked towards a sport for years - they will respect your dedication, but they won’t treat you any different than a normal student.