5 Strategies to Help Student-Athletes with Time Management
- Prioritize
- Master your schedule
- Choose class times wisely
- Find an accountability partner
- Make use of travel time
When you’re playing a college sport, time is at a premium. This is why student-athlete time management is such an important consideration. Between classes, homework, practices, games, and travel, it can be a challenge to fit everything in. With great time management strategies, student-athletes can juggle all the responsibilities and accomplish academic and athletic goals.
1. Prioritize
Student-athletes have a never-ending to-do list and prioritization is important. Athletes should assess academic, athletic, and personal tasks and rank them in order of importance and when time allows, work on the top priorities first.
Although it sounds simple, prioritization is one of the most effective strategies to help student-athletes manage time. It ensures that the most important goals are accomplished first. That way, time is not wasted on tasks that aren’t crucial to success on the court or in the classroom.
2. Master the Schedule
Practices and games are rarely missed because they are non-negotiable and scheduled at specific times. According to Swimming World, the same time management strategies can be applied to academic work. Use a calendar or planner to write in all classes, exams, practices, travel days, workouts, and games. Then, schedule in time for homework, group meetings, and study sessions.
The trick to this time management strategy for student-athletes is to stick to it. If there is an hour scheduled for homework, head straight for the library. By making academics just as important as athletics, they are more likely to make good grades and avoid falling behind.
3. Choose Class Times Wisely
Travel days can be a problem for student-athletes; it’s tough to attend class when they are on a bus to an away game. To avoid this issue class times should be selected accordingly. Athletes should keep the team schedule in mind with registering for courses. Try to find options that are scheduled on non-travel days.
4. Find an Accountability Partner
Teammates are all up against the same academic pressures which means they may be struggling with time management as well. An accountability partner helps keep student-athletes on task and can check in to gauge progress on studying and projects. It is harder to slack off or procrastinate when you have an accountability partner.
Related Resource: 50 Most Affordable Urban Schools for Sports Management
5. Make Use of Travel Time
One of the best strategies for managing time as a student-athlete is to maximize travel time. Chances are, plenty of time is spent on buses and in hotel rooms. Those hours are valuable opportunities for productivity. Spend an hour on the bus reviewing notes or flashcards, or hit the hotel room between games to work on a math assignment. Don’t want to sacrifice the bonding time with the team? Try a 50/50 approach.
When it comes to time management, everyone is different; it takes time to find the strategies that work for each individual. Once student-athletes master time management, there will be success sports and academics.
