The challenges of college

.
Freshmen?...Have had two years of freshman...one last year, one this year...

Freshmen Parental Highlights between the two:

- "No really Dad, I'm telling you turn off the X Box Live subscription, NOW!! I can't stand having all these people over all hours of the day" This coming from a kid who has ALWAYS been the life of the party.

- "Dad I have a flat tire" Sorry kid I'm three hours away you'll have to figure this one out on your own.

- A month later, "I tell you my roomates have NO lifeskills" This coming from a kid I was convinced had none. He now washes, cleans, shops...for everyone.

- "No, Dad, I'm telling you seriously you have NO idea how hard they work us" This coming from a kid who did two a days at home...for fun.

- "This is really hard but I'm seriously thinking about giving up baseball..." This in a week when he went 0-fer, and struggled to balance tests, papers and baseball. The next week he hits a couple dingers in a game, gets an A on his tests and life is good again.

- "These guys are really, really good..." refering in awe to the players on his team. A year later "He's not really that good..."

- Typical...missed monday required running due to lab, so the running was rescheduled to 5:30 am BEFORE a 8am test...and he actually liked the idea becasue it "go the blood going to his brain for his test"

- In the weight room early one morning and Kobe Bryant shows up and wants to work in...I'm pretty sure this never happened at home.


44
.

quote:

Tennessee has Thornton Center for its student athletes- is this common in D1?

Many colleges (not just D1's) provide study facilities for the student/athlete. My son had excellent facilities (including computer classrooms) and tutors available in almost every class.

quote:
Many colleges (not just D1's) provide study facilities for the student/athlete.

Did not mean to post it Yet. LOL

That's what I fealt most comfortable with.
The Fact that they had good Study Facilities, And Tuders.
And small class sizes.

First year, got 2-3 calls a week, first semester.

2nd year... Got a call when he first arrived, saying he was safe, and then not until HE's painted with a LETTER on his Chest and thinks he might be on ESPN during a football game... telling us to watch... LOL

My biggest concern, I could call him at my bedtime (I'm on west coast, he's on East coast) and he would just be going out for the evening. (fortunately he stays on-campus ... mostly)

Think a couple of these posts show one of the major differences between D1..and D3. Son at a D3, and must maintain a 3.25 GPA at a very tough academic school....there are no tutors, and no study halls....he gets it on how own...or he doesn't....he usually does, but has a lot of "all nighters". He is still required to report early every morning to run, and afternoons for weight training....think this is what makes a D3 athlete special.....but that's another thread!

As with SDBB, son is on the other coast....so I think we see less, but probably worry more.....and that's one thing we learned from last year....and as sophomore parents we are trying to put into practice....less worrying....it's usually works out.....

It's nice to see, that although our players go to different places and play for different types of programs, the parental/player discussions remain the same.

OB44's post brought one to mind.

Freshman year:
"These upperclassman are "beasts". They are huge".
Junior year:
"The freshman have a lot of work to do to get in baseball shape".

SDBB states:
"2nd year... Got a call when he first arrived, saying he was safe, and then not until HE's painted with a LETTER on his Chest and thinks he might be on ESPN during a football game... telling us to watch... LOL"

I love it!

It is true that spring travel can be tough. They bring their laptops and books, of course, but sometimes it is hard to get work done on the road anyway. If it is possible to choose classes in the spring term that don't meet on Fridays, of course, that helps, but it isn't necessarily possible to do that much schedule manipulation.

Last year we gave S a digital tape recorder, small, in the hopes that he would have friends record any important lectures that he had to miss. I don't think he ever did that, but he sure seemed to like the tape recorder!

This year I have a junior baseball player (small D3), and a freshman musician (large DI). Have their freshman years really been as different as it seems to me, or have I just adjusted and stopped worrying?

Both seem pretty self-sufficient to me this year, but I guess I do worry about the junior's academics a little - upper division classes can be very challenging! I can hardly believe though, the extent to which I can now embrace the "sink or swim" view of their "growing up" - either they will figure out how to handle all the challenges, or they will learn a good lesson from their occasional failures. Seriously, I think I have learned as much as they have in the past two years!

Julie

Son has finished his mid-terms in his first semester, and he is doing exceptionally well. Interested in Biomedical Engineering. Also at a highly academic D3. Similar routine during the morning with some of his teammates, weight training from 7-9 p.m. every other night, working some other sports games as a stastician/announcer. Has been fighting a 'cold' for about 4 weeks and still came home with the sniffles and a cough! The kids are passing it around just like in high school and grade school. Also fighting with 'shin splints'. Eating right, just doesn't always seem to happen!

Second semester in the spring is going to be glorious, with several labs running for two hours, one until 7 p.m. and the other until 6 p.m on Fridays. Baseball is going to be very, very interesting this coming spring. I can see why some kids don't finish playing their sports in college. D3 is, or has to be defined as, the true place for a student/athlete. Boy I've missed him these last few months. We're really glad he's home for Thanksgiving, although he's been with his friends mostly.

At my sons D1, Freshmen have MANDATORY study table during the baseball season. I think its a good 12 hrs a week.
They have tutors there for help and its quiet. After Freshman year, your Mandatory hours are determined by the GPA you acheived the year before. Son has no Mandatory time, but goes in one or two times a week for help or just quiet study time.

During the actual season on trips, its up to the student.
Get all your assignments from Prof and get them done on the bus or plane or in the hotel. Most of sons Prof's put everything on line, which helps alot!

Like Tiger Paw Mom said, you'll be amazed at how MATURE your
son will get!!!!!

What is sort of amazing is the fact kids actually ever graduate with the time committed to athletics. Probably 30-40 hours a week most of the time. A teammate now in pro ball, returning to finish his degree this fall, commented how easy school was without baseball. Athletes with degrees should be proud of their accomplishment.

I agree!

quote:

Originally posted by Dad04:
What is sort of amazing is the fact kids actually ever graduate with the time committed to athletics. Probably 30-40 hours a week most of the time. A teammate now in pro ball, returning to finish his degree this fall, commented how easy school was without baseball. Athletes with degrees should be proud of their accomplishment.

I agree too!
Most of son's friends, now 21, in college have taken on part time jobs to help offset expenses. They are not doing half as well as son.

I am happy my son is a student athlete. If anything it has taught him discipline and responsibility that he will need as he becomes older.