1. You're going to be the gross, unshowered kid

All the time. In high school, I fantasized my future days as a student-athlete spent in freshly laundered, brand new athletic sweats- the kind you see professionals wearing in the Olympics. This turned out to be half-true; I do walk around campus the majority of the time in sweats but in no way are they fresh or recently laundered. Instead, they have the post-practice sweat glimmer mixed in with whatever mud we ran through that day. As for sporting cute hair, unless you consider cute as greasy and slicked back, forget the dreams of appearing remotely stylish or presentable.

2. You don't sleep

Between classes, homework, morning practices, speeches, projects, afternoon practices, research, clubs, office hours, weights, meals and that rare chance you get to socialize sleeping falls low on the priority list.

3. Your social life consists of your team

And by social life, I mean talking about last night's homework with your teammates at practice.

4. Your professors won't all understand why you have to miss class

Oh you have to travel across the country for a race? Why don't they fly here. The plane goes both ways.

5. You consume massive amounts of muscle milk

Not necessarily because you like it, but because the school gives it to you and you don't always have time to make elaborate snacks as you sprint between commitments.

6. You don't get full breaks

While everyone is away for your three-month summer break traveling the globe or working to build that resume, you spend your summers training for your season.

7. You'll be a part of a community you can't find anywhere else

While being a student-athlete is time-consuming, academically and socially challenging, and requires a high-level of motivation and devotion, the people you train with, the people that coach and counsel you, the other teams on your campus become a second family. You love your sport and they love theirs, and through mutual passion you work harder than you've ever worked before, but achieve more than you originally thought possible.