Your alarm goes off to wake you up before the sun even rises. You have team lift at 6 am and you barely slept because you were studying for a test all night. But you have no choice. You roll out of bed and walk to the weight room with your eyes still practically closed. By the time you get out of workout, the sun is just rising and half of the campus is still asleep. If you’re lucky, you have time to change and grab a quick bite to eat before class.

With your legs sore and your mind tired, you try your best to focus and learn the material. Your professor does not care that you’ve been up much earlier than the other students. You are still expected to do just as well and focus just as hard as everyone else. Finally completing your classes means you are only half way through your day. Meanwhile, other students are free for the rest of the afternoon. They have several hours to do whatever they please; study, do homework, hang with friends, take a nap, relax on the quad. But not you. You have an hour or so to grab lunch before heading to meetings and practice. You go to practice and are expected to perform your best day after day. Your coach never allows you to half-ass any drill or play. Despite how exhausted you are, you push through for those 2, sometimes even 3 or 4 hours.

Seems like a lot, right? Well you still aren’t finished. Even though all you want to do is shut your eyes and go to sleep, you have to shower, eat dinner, and of course, do your homework. Some nights you have a lot more than others, but again, you don’t have a choice. You do your work and study to the best of your ability before calling it a night.

Lift, class, practice, homework, and studying are what your days consist of. The little time that remains in each day can be devoted to showering, eating, doing laundry, and your social life. A day off from practice does not come often, but when it does, it is the highlight of your week. An afternoon where you can squeeze in a nap is your greatest blessing. A weekend where you can spend time with friends and have fun is always well deserved and you never take it for granted.

This is the day in the life of a college athlete. Being a student-athlete myself, I can say it is truly the most time-consuming and demanding job I have ever signed up for. I knew when I agreed to play softball at a Division II school, I was indulging in a tremendous commitment. But it wasn’t until I started to live a life that consisted of days like I previously described when I realized how exhausting it really is. It wasn’t until I had essays due, tests to study for, an hour lift to complete and a two hour practice to perform well at, when I realized how time-oriented and disciplined I have to be.

I do not write this seeking sympathy from those who are not athletes in college. And I do not write this with any regrets about signing that letter and committing to be a college athlete my senior year of high school. I also will never deny that there are many benefits that come with being a college athlete.

I write this article because I truly think that college athletes are not always given the credit they deserve. No matter the sport one plays or the division in which they play it, being a student-athlete requires many skills that being an ordinary student does not. It requires discipline to balance rigorous academics with a demanding athletic schedule year round; while also maintaining healthy friendships. It requires mental toughness to stay strong and positive despite being constantly yelled at by coaches, losing tough games and not playing your best; on top of all of the other struggles that inevitably come with being a college kid. Most importantly, it requires dedication and the willingness to sacrifice what you may want right now in order to help yourself and your team later.

College athletes are required to demonstrate all of these skills on a day to day basis. It takes an organized, dedicated, hard working, time-oriented, and strong person to be a good student-athlete. Though there are days that I wish I wasn’t, I would not go back and undo my decision to play a sport in college. I know one day when I am a working adult in the real world, I will be grateful for the struggles I am enduring (and will endure) within my four years of college athletics. I am certain that I will see the great impact it has had on my character, and I know wholeheartedly that it will only make me a stronger person for the rest of my life.