College student needs: how Madie Patton balances school, sports, and life

College student needs vary.

At AthleTote, our motto “For Athletes Who Carry More” isn’t just about what’s in your bag. It’s about everything you juggle, on and off the field. In this blog, I’m going to give tips on how I balance school, sports, and life as a Division 1 student- athlete. These are just my ways, and different college students need different things!

1. College student needs — Organization and Mindfulness

I’ve learned there’ no such things as a perfect schedule. As much as I plan, and trust me I’m a planner, there’s always something that will come up in a day that wasn’t on my radar. As an athlete, it’s important to understand priorities, and that’s what I make my schedule around. Classes, practices, games, and recovery are the priorities. Everything else can be balanced around these. College student needs are manageable if organized.

Once you figure out what your top priorities are, you can organize how you go about your days after.

Your mental health is just as important as your physical health. As a student- athlete, you must take care of both. As a human, you must take care of both.

A few small habits I recommend:

• When you have time to rest, rest. I find myself staying up late doing homework, and then getting up every morning at 5am for training. Getting 8 hours of sleep is difficult, but when I can, I do.

• Positive self- talk. There’s nobody that can talk to you the way you talk to you. You have to be your biggest hype man. Talk to yourself in ways that will lift yourself up.

When you mentally feel good, it’s easier to see perspective in what you carry.

2. Don’t Forget the “Life” part of school and sports

You aren’t defined by your sport. You aren’t define by your GPA. You are here to live your life.

Find ways to live your life without feeling like school and sports control it:

• Make time in the week that isn’t focused on school work or your sport. Even if it’s just for an hour

• Find a way to exercise outside of your sport. I’ve found that excersising, like going on a walk, clears my mind.

• Enjoy the small things and notice it — a good practice, getting a good grade, not having something to do.

You’re Built to Carry More

Being a student-athlete is hard. It’s rewarding, but hard. However, the habits you create now become your foundation for life. Every day, you carry more than most people realize—and you do it with strength and style. College student needs are hard itself, and adding in athletics can be tough. When you need a bag built for academics, athletics, and everything in between, AthleTote is here for you. You don’t just carry gear, you carry more.