Work Hard, Play Hard 

How Student-Athlete Lauren Dicksons Balances Life on and off the Field 

By Xamantha Del Valle 

Staff Writer 

While it proves to have its challenges, student-athletes like Lauren Dickson learn to maintain a balance between the field and the classroom. 

Life as a college student can feel time-consuming and hectic. Between attending classes, completing assignments and maintaining a social life, it can feel as if time slips away. Being an athlete on top of that can be incredibly overwhelming. Practice and games in addition to a heavy academic schedule can feel daunting. This is why it is important to ensure a good balance. 

Staying on schedule is extremely important to make sure that everything is being done. It can become challenging to keep track of practice or assignments if one’s not properly organized. Planning time accordingly and using that time wisely makes a large difference in performance both on the field and in the classroom. 

“It’s easy for it to become overwhelming if I don’t stay on a schedule,” said Lauren Dickson, sophomore and member of the Women’s Lacrosse team. “Keeping a routine that I follow day-to-day is super important.” 

Utilizing academic resources can also help alleviate the stress of keeping up with grades. Maintaining certain grades is often a requirement for staying on a team. Tutoring, study groups or even asking professors for extra credit is a great way to keep good grades.  

Finding the motivation to get work done is not always easy, especially when student-athletes are tired or overwhelmed. However, having a passion for their sport is often what allows them to push through. 

“Having specific requirements to stay out on the field is definitely the motivation to get schoolwork done when sometimes it may be easier to not submit an assignment,” said Dickson. 

Talking to fellow teammates can be helpful as they understand the responsibility and commitment aspect of being involved in a sport. With a tight schedule, it can be difficult to create relationships with people who are not a part of an athletic team. Dickson explains that speaking to someone who is going through or has gone through, a similar situation might be useful. 

“I think playing a sport you become friends with your teammates and sometimes it is hard to establish relationships with people outside of that or outside of being a student-athlete and understanding that responsibility,” said Dickson. 

While balancing school and sports takes time and practice, it is rewarding when hard work pays off in both areas.