College students are always juggling, be it literal or metaphorical. 

College is a time of learning and growth. It is during college that students constantly juggle different aspects of life, including academics, social activities, and personal commitments. For most students, this balancing act can be a challenge. But for student-athletes, the stakes can be even higher, as they need to balance their athletic schedules, coursework, and everything else life may throw at them. My May Term was Here Come the Magic Clowns where I learned how to be a clown, juggle, make balloon animals, and do magic. Juggling was shockingly the hardest thing to learn.

However, many student-athletes at Morningside have to balance everything between classes, jobs, and of course their athletics. They also have the added stress of balancing the expectations placed on them both academically and athletically. This juggling act not only defines their college experience but it also tends to define their individual personalities sometimes.

College itself is a juggling act. All students experience it, whether they are an athlete or not. When I was learning how to juggle, I had to start with the basics of juggling two things at once, then when I was finally comfortable with the two I had to start doing three. There was one point where we had to try four objects at once, but that was too much for me.

Many student-athletes start with doing two things at the start of the school year; think interpersonal relationships and academics. However, once students get into their athletic seasons they have to start juggling three to four things. For most three things is just enough, if not too much. However for some, like Rachel Spier, four things (sometimes more) is the right amount. 

Similarly to how I had to learn from scratch when juggling, many student-athletes begin their college journey by balancing just a couple of responsibilities. For some, balancing one or two responsibilities at once is barely manageable, but for others like Rachel Spier, the ability to juggle multiple is second nature. Rachel Spier is a Senior at Morningside University. She is a double major, student-athlete, first chair in band, and the president of the national honors society Omicron Delta Kappa (ODK). Her typical day starts with waking up and feeding her cat Suki, going to class, and working at the Krone Center. Afterwards she has bowling practice, then she has band practice where she is the first chair for saxophone. She also has a job at the Hy-Vee pharmacy, but she doesn’t work there everyday.

Because Morningside is so sports centered, all sports games and practices are considered an excused absence. Rachel, and many other athletes, take this as an opportunity to catch up on homework over the weekend. Bowling tournaments happen from midday Friday to Sunday evenings, so the bowlers tend to make up their homework on the bus ride to and from the tournament. A bus ride can last anywhere from 3 hours to 9 and a half hours.

Rachel is a unique student in terms of everything she does and how she balances everything. During her freshman year at Morningside, she did her best to keep up with everything between schoolwork, bowling, and working at the pharmacy. Between then and now she has gotten many opportunities to participate in student groups and clubs that have, “made my Morningside experience all the better.” When asked about her experience with groups and which one has made the largest impact on her academic and professional careers she said, “the Connie Wimer Women’s Leadership group, CWWL, is a mix of interpersonal and intrapersonal skills that we as students get to improve on. The women in the group all have each other’s backs, and CWWL has made the largest impact.”

Graduate of Morningside Camrie Miranda, offered a perspective on how the experience of student-athletes differs from that of the average student. While Camrie acknowledges the hard work and dedication of her peers in sports, she also said, “many students who aren’t athletes are involved in other activities or clubs on campus. Few students are not involved in anything, but even those students tend to have social lives or are focused on schoolwork.” While on campus, Camrie was involved in many student groups as well as a member of the Symphonic Chorus choir, whereas Rachel’s time is consumed with bowling, work, band, and student groups. 

The life of a student-athlete at Morningside is defined by constant juggling. From balancing intense athletic schedules and the immense amount of coursework to maintaining personal relationships and participating in extracurricular activities, student-athletes are forced to learn how to juggle their responsibilities simultaneously. As easy as it seems, this juggling act is never truly easy. Student-athletes have to be resilient, disciplined, and have time management skills; all qualities that don’t just serve them during their academic careers but will continue to impact them throughout their professional futures.

While the challenges of being a student-athlete are unique, they offer invaluable lessons that extend far beyond the confines of college life. The dedication required to balance all things a student-athlete needs — athletics, academics, and personal commitments — shapes not just who they are through their college years, but also who they will become in the future. By supporting all students from student-athletes to choir and band kids to students who aren’t involved in anything, Morningside’s campus will not only thrive, but its students will leave with a degree and the tools needed to succeed later in life.

Oh and by the way, I still know how to juggle from that May Term.