I’m a student athlete. It’s a balancing act.

I have to schedule my classes to accommodate soccer practice and games.

Sometimes I have to miss soccer practices because of a required class. Luckily for me, I don’t miss many games.

It’s hard to make school my priority when I miss important information my coaches give at practice because of classes or when I don’t get to train enough.

In the same way, soccer makes it harder for me to get my schoolwork done. With all of the practices, games and traveling, I have a lot less time to do homework.

I love soccer, but it is exhausting. After almost every practice and game, I am very tired. Sleep is all that’s on my mind. This makes completing schoolwork a lot harder. I never feel like doing it, but I push myself to get it done.

If there’s a bright side, it’s this: I feel like I work a lot harder with the limited time I have, whether I’m spending it on studies or sports.

Of course, I’m not sure I would manage my time any differently if I didn’t play soccer. How well I do in school comes down to how committed I am to getting my schoolwork done.

For student athletes, it all comes down to the urge to do well in school.

My coach requires me to turn in a progress report signed by my teachers every other week. This forces me to stay on top of my schoolwork or endure the consequences.

Soccer gives me more time with my friends. I hardly know anyone in my classes, so I’m basically quiet all day. Going to soccer practice brings me to life; it keeps me close to my friends.

Yes, soccer does give me less time to focus on school, but overall I think soccer is beneficial to my school-life balance. I am forced to work harder and I have more motivation to do well in school.

Plus, I have more time with the guys, which is always a lot of fun.

Jacoby is a freshman architecture and interior design major.