#3: How to be More Efficient with Class Time as an Athlete

As an athlete, class time is inevitable. Assuming you actually go (which I recommend), then you will always have this sort of dead time in your schedule that you have to work around. Hopefully you are lucky and the time that you spend in class doesn't take up a lot of your time overall. Either way, though, you will spend a significant portion of your young life being forced to sit in a classroom so it is imperative that you learn to be efficient to the best of your abilities. These concepts are presented with in-person classes in mind but most would also work for online classes as well.

The first thing you need to do is actually pay attention. At least a little bit. By a little bit, I mean enough to pass. You are being forced to attend so you might as well get a passing grade. Plus, you need to maintain a certain GPA in order to play your sport. Paying attention also serves one other key purpose: saving time. It allows you to get your homework done without having to relearn information that was already presented to you. It also cuts down and potentially eliminates the amount of study time needed to pass the tests. In summary: pay attention enough to pass and then move on to these other points.

Secondly, do homework, either from the class you are in or other classes. Ideally, you would never have any homework at all, but we know this is never going to be the case. The next best thing is to never actually have to do your homework at home. Here's why: At home, you can do anything you want. You have the freedom to work towards any goals you may have. At school, you don't have that freedom. There is a very limited range of things you could do. Nonetheless, homework is one of those things. Try to get as much of it done in class as you can so that when class is over, you don't have to waste any of your more malleable time on things that don't get you closer to your goals.

Another thing you could do is plan workouts. For example, I use a combination of online programs for my training regimen. I organize the workouts onto a calendar, then look at the calendar each day to see what workouts I’m doing. After I identify which workouts I’ll be using that day, I go into the app and take screenshots of the workouts so I can follow along. This entire process can be done using my phone or laptop. If you use a similar process, you can easily get it done in class and save a minute or two of having to do it right before you train.

This one is not for the faint of heart; take notes with your left hand (or off hand). Taking notes may be required of you or it may be something you choose to do. For me personally, it is something I use to stay awake when I am struggling (you can't pay attention if you aren't awake, haha). No matter why you are taking notes, take them with your left hand. This will help build up the muscles in the hand as well as the coordination. Ambidexterity is an advantage in nearly every sport, not to mention simply a convenient life skill to have.

A fifth idea is learning. But not about whatever is going on in class. This is learning to make yourself a better person, a better athlete, or to get you closer to your goals. Personal development. This will most likely (but not necessarily) only apply in situations where you are allowed to have a laptop or phone out. Some methods of personal development include reading blog posts (LifeMathMoney is my favorite), articles, or books (when appropriate), watching YouTube, watching film of your sport, etc. Be creative and learn something useful because odds are the class isn’t.

Finally, one of the best things you can do with your class time is socializing when possible. This means before class, after class, and occasionally during class. Talk to the teacher, talk to the people sitting next to you, talk to the people across the room. This is definitely not just for the sake of talking, but rather because the connections you do or don’t have have a significant impact on the opportunities you receive and your success overall.

This list should be enough to get you started on being more efficient with your time in class. It is definitely not all-inclusive and only you know what is the best way for you to make the most of your time. Some other ideas include making your schedule, or even getting a meal in (I know, sounds ridiculous but some teachers are really laid back).

One I would recommend no matter what is positive affirmations. You can look these up yourself, but, in short, they are phrases you say in your head to reprogram your mind and essentially change the way you think. No matter what you do though, be efficient with your class time but do not disrespect the teacher.

Athlete-Student

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