5 Life-Lessons I Learned From Being a Student-Athlete

Takeaways from my time at college playing soccer and excelling in the classroom.

The years you spend at college equal the time in which you develop and get to know yourself. These years can be of great importance to the development of life-long habits and routines.

In this post, I will share the five lessons that I learned from being a student-athlete in college.

1. Waking up early

Before going to college I would usually sleep in. I got home around 10:30 PM from practice each day, so I would sleep till at least 8 AM to get my recovery in. I wasn’t the best at waking up. I would snooze every day. I told myself I needed those hours to recover, which was true but I did not realize that my wake up time depended on my bedtime.

In college, my alarm would go off at 4:45 AM for the first time when we had to do a fitness test at 6 AM. However, the alarm did not wake me, because I was already awake. Since I moved to the US from Europe I had jetlag from which I never really recovered. I naturally woke up each day around 5 AM and I could because I would go to bed at 9 PM. That first day, for my fitness day, I did not snooze, got out of bed, got dressed, fueled my body with some food and was ready to conquer the day.

That day changed everything. I aced my fitness test, picked up some breakfast and was in a lecture by 8:30 AM. The feeling of having already had productive hours before actually starting the day with the rest of the world asks for discipline but is the best way to start your day. Waking up early and using that time to work on you brings a great kick start to your day which you can use every day to boost positivity, productivity and creativity.

2. Training and exercise

Being a student-athlete means you have to train every single day, sometimes even twice a day. It takes a toll on your body, but surprisingly it helps maintain your energy at a more constant level.

Next to the fact that exercise is great for your health in the long term, it can help you in the short term as well. Going out for a run after a long day of work balances your day which leads to more energy. I found that although I had to be out on the field or in the gym a lot, my energy levels were never depleted from that activity.

After a long day at work, you will feel tired, your brain will need some rest. However, your body hasn’t worked out yet and still has some energy left. By going for a run you can stimulate your body to find the physical energy that is still left and by doing so pump that energy to the depleted areas like your brain.

When you get your heart rate up, your blood will be pumped through your body at a higher rate which means your brain will receive more oxygen which will recharge the brain.

Your brain energy and physical energy are two different gas tanks, so use them wisely. If one is empty, don’t underestimate the energy that is still left in the other tank.

3. Active recovery

At college, I would have one rest day a week in which I did not have any team obligations planned. This meant no strength, no practice and no game. In the beginning, I would take rest very seriously in the sense of the word. I would go to my classes, eat enough protein and watch some Netflix in bed the rest of the day.

I felt terrible after those rest days.

My energy levels, mentally and physically, were so low after a day of passive rest. Then I started changing things around and going for long walks or even some easy drills on the field.

From the moment I changed my idea of rest and started doing more physical light activities on my rest days I recovered a lot better. I didn’t feel sluggish the next day, but recharged and ready for a new week.

The take away from this is that we are meant to do something, not nothing. So after a day of work or studying, I don’t watch Netflix anymore but I make sure even though I have my rest day that I go for a walk or spend some time with friends and family.

Your brain and body have needs when it comes to recovering and these needs aren’t Netflix, Youtube, or Instagram. These needs are more complex, like social contact, nature time or silence.

4. A day equals 1440 minutes

Time management is a skill you need when being a student-athlete, without it you are doomed to fail. Next to that, I found that my mindset changed when it came to not only hours, but the minutes I spend on tasks.

You can argue that a day has only 24 hours, but also that a day has 24 hours. The prior emphasizes scarcity and the latter abundance.

During my time at college, I saw time as a scarce fragile object which was only working against me and not with me. I never had time for anything and I always felt there were not enough hours in my day.

The scarcity mindset surrounding time is deeply rooted in society. You probably hear or say one of the following phrases at least once a day:

• “I don’t have time for that.”
• “There just isn’t enough time.”
• “This is such a waste of time.”

Reflecting on my years as a student-athlete I realized that this mindset that we have learned since we were little is only holding us back. Now, I see the power in the abundance mindset. Instead of saying that I am too busy and don’t have time, I will make sure that I have time.

That is the only way I make sure that I have time to eat healthily, go to the gym and write this blog post. Instead of feeling time pressure, I make time for my priorities.

Stop prioritizing your planning and schedule and start making time in your schedule for your priorities.

5. Being grateful

Running from one practice to the next and making sure I don’t forget my books for the lecture I will have after that, was a daily struggle for me. I was always thinking about either the previous game or the next exam. This sometimes resulted in me losing stuff or walking somewhere and forgetting where I was actually going.

If I were a Tesla, I would be constantly on autopilot. Some moments, like being in the locker room before the game I would be able to enjoy the moment but these moments were very scarce.

Looking back I realized that in the busyness of daily life and the constant reflecting and planning we often forget that we are actually living right now, in the present moment. Although we hear it very often, I do think it is important to keep addressing it:

Be grateful for the present moment.

Why go through your day without noticing the little things that will bring you more joy, regret the past, or worry about the future, if the only action you can take is to be, right here and right now.

You just read another post from In Fitness And In Health: a health and fitness community dedicated to sharing knowledge, lessons, and suggestions to living happier, healthier lives.

If you’d like to join our newsletter and receive more stories like this one, tap here.