How to stay at the top of your game in everything you do.

Being a successful student-athlete demands excellent time-management skills. It requires you to juggle the demands of your college coursework with your role as part of an athletic team. The five tips listed below help you master every area of your life with greater ease so you can be the success story you always hoped you would be as a student and an athlete.

Tip #1: Be Your Brand

Are you known for being a leader in class or on your team, or do you blend into the background? One of the ways that you can exhibit greater confidence is by mastering the brand known as you. Embracing your strengths and becoming the living embodiment of them is one of the easiest ways to stand out.

Tip #2: Guard Your Time

As a busy student-athlete, you likely have little free time. It’s essential to spend it wisely. Consider the amount of energy you expend doing things you’d rather not do. Then, come up with a plan that does the reverse of that by spending your time doing something you love that furthers your career.

Tip #3: Take Excellent Care of Your Body

You’re likely well aware of what needs to be done to keep you in shape to compete athletically. That means prioritizing self-care. Making sure that you eat nutritious foods, drink plenty of water, spend a great deal of time engaged in physical activities, and getting ample sleep. It’s how you take care of yourself physically.

Tip #4: High School Athletes Should Elect to Have SAT & ACT Scores Sent to the NCAA Early

Colleges aren’t the only establishments that should receive your test scores. The NCAA needs them, too. If you want to be eligible to participate, you’re going to need to have the results along with your GPA in 16 courses sent to the National Collegiate Athletic Association. Its code is 9999.

Tip #5: Have a Plan B for Every Plan A

Many college athletes have their dreams dashed by an injury. Know that at any time, this can happen to you. Mentally prepare by having a Plan B for every Plan A that you decide on doing. That way, you’re not banking your success on one thing.

Excelling at everything you set out to do requires discipline. By spending your time wisely, you’re able to achieve more than you ever imagined possible. It gives you more than one reason to hold your head up high.