It is no secret here that many students at Siena Heights University are student -athletes. Student-athletes on all campuses face the challenge that most other types of students do not face. These students have to worry about monitoring how they use their time, make sure everything is done both in the classroom and on the field or court, and they have to be able to catch up on any classes that they might have missed due to a sporting event that they partake in.

With all that being said, here at Siena Heights, we have advantages as student-athletes. Our professors know that many students here participate in intercollegiate athletics and most of them are very willing to work around those athletic schedules. On top of that, our professors have office hours that allow students to come in and get the help that they need, and to catch up on any missed classes.

I’m not saying that it is easy to be a student-athlete. I am not trying to discredit those that excel in both the classroom and on the field at all. I am saying that being a student athlete is not an excuse.

You hear it all the time: athletes complaining about how tired they are, and how they don’t want to go to class because practice was hard. I’ll be honest, I am guilty of that sometimes. But, let’s first put this into perspective. We have the opportunity to play the sports that we love at a very high level, and many of us are getting scholarships to play these sports. A little fatigue is surely worth the thousands of dollars that are put towards your education.

Also nobody is forced to play sports. You chose to be here and chose to be a student-athlete. Although we are all guilty of complaining, let’s remember how lucky we are to be student-athletes at Siena Heights University.