Whether you are playing at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) or the club sports level, a day in the life of a college athlete can be incredibly busy for students.
The college athlete’s daily schedule is both rigorous and rewarding, balancing sports commitments and academic and personal responsibilities, which requires college athletes to work hard and dedicate themselves fully to all areas of the life of a student-athlete.
Below, we’ll explore a typical day in the life of a college athlete, including morning and evening routines and the valuable skills and lessons learned through sports participation.
What is a college athlete?
Student-athletes are students who fulfill the responsibilities of both a student and an athlete. In addition to the courses offered by the college, student-athletes also attend practices, team meetings and events, and athletic competitions.
Universities and colleges alike often offer their students the opportunity to participate in a variety of athletic programs and opportunities for students, from Division I athletics to club sports and intramurals.
Keep in mind that many schools, universities, and athletic departments require student-athletes to maintain a certain grade-point average (GPA) to remain eligible and adhere to a code of conduct and ethics to play for the school. For example, Division II student-athletes, coaches, and staff at University of Bridgeport follow National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) and East Coast Conference rules and regulations.
What does the life of a student-athlete look like?
The day in the life of a college athlete can be hectic, especially during the season when the focus is on training and games.
A college athlete’s daily schedule often looks like:
7:00 AM
- Good morning! Wake up, shower, and get ready for a full day of classes, meetings, and practice
8:00 AM
- Breakfast with teammates or friends
9:00-11:00 AM
- Morning classes
11:00 AM – 12:00 PM
- Team meetings. An essential part of the life of a student-athlete, team meetings consist of watching videos of an opposing team and videos of your performance to determine ways to improve and develop video analysis skills.
12:00-1:00 PM
- Lunch
1:00 – 3:00 PM
- Afternoon classes
3:30-4 PM
- Warm-up. Many college athletes will take advantage of team warm-ups, electro-stimulation machines, hydrotherapy tanks, or visits to their school’s athletic trainer to get warmed up for practice.
4:00-6:00 PM
- Practice. Practices are typically held in the late afternoon for college athletes and can make up two to three hours of the college athlete’s daily schedule. These practices vary in intensity depending on when a game or competition will take place.
6:00-6:30 PM
- Cool down. Cooling down from practice is as essential as warming up. For example, many college athletes will choose to visit the school’s physical therapist or soak in an ice bath to restore their muscles.
7:00-8:00 PM
- Dinner
8:00-9:00 PM
- Study. Team or individual study time is important to schedule so your studies stay strong.
10:00 PM
- Good night! College athletes need a good night’s sleep to prepare for another busy day.
A day in the life of a college athlete can be pretty non-stop since you’re dedicating yourself to your chosen sport and studies. Don’t worry. Your fellow teammates, classmates, faculty, and coaches are there to support you every step of the way.
Keep up to date with University of Bridgeport athletics and all the great things our student athletes are achieving!
What are the benefits of being a student-athlete?
While the life of a student-athlete can be busy and challenging, it is also gratifying, and playing sports comes with many benefits.
Academic and financial assistance
Many colleges and universities offer special tutoring and study sessions in conjunction with their student support services as an extra way to help, motivate, and boost an athlete’s academic performance.
Student-athletes may be eligible for athletic-based scholarships, as well as need-based and merit-based financial aid, which can alleviate the stress of paying for college.
Increased concentration and cognitive resources
Exercise helps the brain and body build connections between nerves. Thus, it’s no surprise that student-athletes see increased concentration, enhanced memory, stimulated creativity, and better-developed problem-solving skills on and off the field. With increased concentration levels, students can stay engaged during lectures, retain information more quickly, and focus and study for exams longer.
Interpersonal skills
Whether a sport is an individual or a group sport, student-athletes will still likely play and work alongside teammates and coaches in practices and competitions. As such, they need to learn, develop, and strengthen their leadership, time management, and teamwork skills to achieve their personal and team goals.
These skills are also instrumental in the classroom and one’s future career as you will communicate and work with college professors, peers, and employers. By working together, students learn how to overcome obstacles and differences on and off the field, resulting in academic, competitive, and social achievements.
Psychosocial
Participating in sports allows college athletes to connect and be in community with others. Which, in turn, leads them to feel less alone and achieve higher levels of self-esteem, efficacy, and self-worth.
The life of a college athlete is not complete without forming strong bonds and relationships through:
- Enjoying victories
- Practice
- Suffering losses
- Team-building activities
- Team competitions
- Traveling
Enjoy the life of a student-athlete at University of Bridgeport!
If you’re ready to take your exercise and academic performance to new heights, we’d love to support you. University of Bridgeport supports a wide range of sports participation, from NCAA Division II teams to club sports and intramurals, including:
Men’s Sports
- Baseball
- Basketball
- Cross country
- Indoor and Outdoor Track and Field
- Lacrosse
- Soccer
Women’s Sports
- Basketball
- Cross country
- Gymnastics
- Indoor and Outdoor Track and Field
- Lacrosse
- Soccer
- Softball
- Volleyball
Plus, we are excited to bring back our men’s and women’s swimming and diving programs for the fall 2025 semester.
In addition to our Division II sports, we also offer the following Intramural teams:
Fall sports
- Co-ed soccer
- Co-ed volleyball
- Cricket
- Flag football
Spring sports
- 3-on-3 basketball
- 5-on-5 basketball
- Co-ed volleyball
- Cricket
With pristine sports facilities, dedicated coaching staff, and various sports teams, we are ready to help student-athletes succeed and thrive on and off the field.