College is already stressful enough and I already have so much work to do. Add volleyball on top of this and it makes studying and homework that much harder to do. I know I have to manage my time because I have far away games every week and practice every night. On top of that I have had tournaments every weekend so there is no time to catch up. I feel like I have no time to do anything. My daily routine is get up (usually after several touches to the snooze button) go to class, eat, do homework, eat, volleyball, shower, do more homework, bed. Repeat everyday. Now don’t get me wrong I love volleyball and the girls are all super nice and I have fun, but sometimes I just need a break.
So it’s Tuesday and the only class I have is at 8:30. I have the rest of the day to do my homework and study for my huge Italian test I had the next day. But wait, I didn’t have all day, I had to leave at 2:30 in the afternoon to go on a long bus ride for three hours just to play one volleyball match. I spent all my time from eleven until two doing my homework and making colorful flashcards for my Italian test. As I got on the bus I was overwhelmed with exhaustion. Class at eight thirty kills me and I usually go straight back to bed when I get back to my dorm, but not today. Today I made better use of my time and did my school work. So instead of doing the smart thing and studyon the bus I took a nap. This nap was definitely needed and when I woke up I felt rejuvenated.
After the nap we still had about an hour on the bus so I thought I probably should start studying. I was definitely putting off the studying because I am awful at languages and I was slowly dying of nervousness and anticipation of what the test would be like. I am awful at languages and so I had good reason to be nervous. However, as I was studying I realized I knew everything. My Italian teacher is so good and actually teaches us the material. I calmed down and realized I had nothing to worry about. All I had to do now was my math homework and read two books for two different classes. Oh the joy of homework. So as soon as I was calm about Italian I had new worries to think about.
Luckily my game only took an hour and a half and we were back on the bus by 9 ready to make the three-hourride back to campus. I was freaking out about all my homework. I would have no time to do it. The next day I had a full schedule of classes and practice that night. I had no idea what I was going to do. I had not brought any other homework on the bus assuming I would need the whole time to study Italian, but as I soon learned I had made the wrong decision. I wouldn’t get back to campus until at least twelve thirty and I was in no mood to do homework when I got back.
As I was starting to feel my anxiety level rise my coach made a comment that made me instantly smile and mentally scream “THANK YOU”. What you ask did she say that made me so happy after being so anxious and overwhelmed well just the best news to ever come out of someone’s mouth. She said “No practice tomorrow”. Ah after those words left her mouth I put away all my work and fell asleep knowing I would have time to do everything the next day. Never in my life have I been so happy. Maybe that’s an overstatement but hey when you are overwhelmed and slammed with homework any extra time you get is a miracle and makes you overjoyed and bursting with happiness.
Nice post. I'd still like more detail--why not let us actually hear the coach talking to you? Why not actually recreate that moment? But I think this post does a better job than the last one of figuring out what moment really matter and which don't--you don't for instance, give us a description of the game, which isn't important for this story.
ReplyDeleteFor the record, you did a great job here of recreating the stress of the moment. I felt anxious for you just as I was reading it!
I always feel stressed out because of field hockey and having 8:30 classes everyday. I feel like I never get any sleep. I wish i had a moment like you when she said practice was canceled. That never happens for the field hockey team. Your introduction to this story was perfect. The first paragraph gave me a good idea about what was going on through your day to day life. Especially when you said, "My daily routine is get up (usually after several touches to the snooze button) go to class, eat, do homework, eat, volleyball, shower, do more homework, bed. Repeat everyday." Good details !
ReplyDeleteYou definitely portray the stressful college life well. I feel like I never do anything but go to class, eat, go to track, do homework, and sleep. I also like the exaggerations you use such as when you said you have never been happier in your entire life just because your practice was canceled. I know the feeling and sometimes something as little as no practice can turn a bad mood around.
ReplyDeleteI can definitely relate to this, not with sports, but with work. You do a great job of representing how a lot of people are probably feeling right now. I felt anxious for you as well, and I even felt relieved for you when you told us she said 'no practice'. You did a good job of letting us know what you were really going through and made it relatable.
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