Student-Athletes

By: Jonathan Davis

Personal Experiences
So far on my own I have figured out how hard it is to be an athlete in college. The amount of time that the sport
takes up everyday requires a lot of dedication and on the other hand you still have all your school work that you
have to take care of. You really have to take advantage of the free time you have away from your sport and do all of
your school work. I play baseball and it takes up about seven hours of my day, Im in class for about four hours a
day and I also have to eat about four to five times a day. Then I have to get my rest which means I have to go to bed
no later than ten thirty, so that leaves me about three hours of free time a day.

My Day and What I Do

I start my day every day by waking up at five twenty for a six am workout. My
morning workouts lasts until about seven thirty, then I have to rush to eat breakfast
and make it to my eight am class on time. My days right now is off season are a lot
easier than my days will be while Im in season. I will be traveling a lot and will be
having to do much of my homework and studying while Im on the bus to and from
games.

Graph on how my day goes

About 10% of my day is eating, 15% of my day is working out, 25% of my day is
class and study hall, and about half of my day is practice.

Percentages of Student-Athletes Graduating in

the NCAA

Retention and Graduation Rates

Among the biggest challenges facing UALR are its retention and graduation rates,
both of which are low. UALRs full-time freshman-to-sophomore retention rate in
Fall 2008 was 62%, placing UALR 13th among the 15 peer institutions identified in
UALR Fast Forward. UALRs six-year graduation rate for the 2002- 2008 cohort of
first-time, full-time freshmen was 20.6%, the lowest among the four-year
institutions in Arkansas and the lowest among the 15 peer institutions. While
UALR does face some specific challenges in regard to retention and graduation
rates because of its large number of nontraditional students who work and have
families, the fact that UALRs peer institutions, which have similar student
clienteles, have stronger rates indicates that the institution can and must improve.
The average freshman retention rate, an indicator of student satisfaction, is 77.5
percent.

Time Management
How I manage my time is tough but I find some time in my busy day to get a lot of
work done. I have about a two hour gap in my two classes on Monday,
Wednesday, and Friday and I usually dont get up from my desk that whole time.
After practice everyday I have about an hour and a half and if Im lucky Ill get
about two hours of free time. While I have that free time I have to eat and still
shower which takes up about thirty to forty-five minutes, so Im left with only about
forty-five minutes to an hour.

NCAA and Their requirements for D1

Division I
40 percent of required coursework for a degree must be complete by the end of the
second year, 60 percent by the end of the third year and 80 percent by the end of their
fourth year.
Student-athletes are allowed five years of eligibility and athletically related financial
aid.
All Division I student-athletes must earn at least six credit hours each term to be
eligible for the following term and must meet minimum grade-point average
requirements related to the schools GPA standards for graduation.

D2
Division II
24 hours of degree credit must be completed each academic year to remain eligible. At least 18 of those hours must be
earned between the start of fall classes and spring commencement, and up to six hours can be earned in the summer.
All Division II student-athletes must earn at least six credit hours each full-time term to be eligible for the following
term.
Student-athletes must earn a 1.8 cumulative grade-point average after earning 24 hours, a 1.9 cumulative grade-point
average after earning 48 hours and a 2.0 cumulative grade-point average after earning 72 hours to remain eligible.
Division II student-athletes must complete their four seasons of competition within the first 10 semesters or 15 quarters
of full-time enrollment.

D3
Division III
While there are no minimum national standards for establishing or maintaining eligibility in Division III,
student-athletes must be in good academic standing and make satisfactory progress toward a degree as
determined by the institution.
Division III student-athletes must be enrolled in at least 12 semester or quarter hours, regardless of an
institutions own definition of full time. Waivers are available for many of these rules, including progresstoward-degree standards.

Bibliography
http://devzone.positivecoach.org/resource/article/time-management-student-athletes
http://0-search.ebscohost.com.iii-server.ualr.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ccm&AN=1041818
99&site=eds-live
Razorback Reporter. Razorback Reporter. Web. 18 Oct. 2015. <http://razorbackreporter.uark.edu/>
http://www.livestrong.com/article/540517-does-participation-in-sports-negatively-affect-academics/
NCAA.com The Official Website of NCAA Championships

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