With finals quickly approaching, there is seems to be much work to get done and not enough time in which to do it.

Time management is key at this point in the semester.

“Sometimes I feel pressure as an athlete,” said Abby Sanders, a junior volleyball player. “For example, my parents expect me to be able to handle everything from school, volleyball, and any extra curriculars while looking for a job. They expect me to do the absolute best I can because I’m here for an education first and to play volleyball second.”

Student athletes seem to have a lot on their plates between practices, games and other clubs they are involved in, which makes one wonder how they have time to prepare for finals.

“We cancel all team activities during this time. We also cancel all activities during the days before the finals, so that they have plenty of time to focus on their studying,” Chris Heery, head coach of the women’s basketball team explained when talking about preparation for finals.

Heery went on to talk about how although the NCAA has a grade point average that players must meet to qualify to play in on game day, he sets the requirement higher.

The women’s basketball team practices eight to 10 hours a week, as well as the men’s basketball team. It takes great time management skills to handle everything going on in athlete’s lives.

The coaches monitor their student athletes to make sure they are attending class and keeping up with their assignments.

The women on the basketball team study majors such as business, psychology, communication studies, pharmacy, and education.

“For the past four years, the women’s basketball team has had a 3.4 GPA. We are very proud of that,” Heery continued.

“As a team we monitor our players’ academics throughout the semester to make sure they are in good standing heading into finals,” said Izzi Metz, head coach of the men’s basketball team. Hopefully there is not as much pressure felt by our players during finals time because they have been doing well during the semester.”

The men’s basketball team contains students studying subjects such as mechanical engineering, biology, communication studies, business, as well as psychology.

“We have a team GPA around 3.0.  We regularly meet and discuss academics with our players, plus monitor their grades with progress report and speak with University College,” Metz said.

“Our coaches are very supportive of us. Most girls ask upperclassmen in their majors for tips and how best to manage their time with the classes they’re taking,” Sanders said.

“Coach does everything he can to make us aware of supplemental instruction sessions and encourages us to do everything we can to get the best education we can.”

Matt Kaster, a junior baseball player, weighed in on the matter of being a student athlete when preparing for finals.

“I think finals are tough on every student regardless of playing a sport, and if you prepare with the time you have, that the added stress isn’t needed. With good time management and study habits, playing a sport shouldn’t add too much,” Kaster said.

He advises students to be organized, disciplined and stick to a schedule.

“Planning out what you need to do and completing them allows you to balance your sport as well as work and free time but without it leads to chaos,” Kaster continues.

Sanders added onto her own advice.

“Start early. The worst thing to do is to wait until the last minute to start studying for finals. These test are worth a good percent of your grade so the earlier you start the better. Also, studying in groups can make things easier and gives you the opportunity to ask about something you don’t understand.”