Balancing Greek Life and School while being a Student Athlete

By: Zoé Hlady- Kappa Alpha Theta 

People ask me all of the time about how I balanced Varsity athletics with Greek life and academics this year, often they ask for advice, and I never really know what to tell them because there is no concrete system or layout to how I manage my time that I can describe to them. I think what it comes down to is what you care about and what you love to do.
Personally, I’m someone who wants to do everything all at once, and I have trouble giving things up, so between a full course load, five varsity practices a week, and spending time with my sisters, I am stretched very thin, I won’t lie about that. But each of the things that I have chosen to take on are so important to me, so the time commitments don’t matter. There is always a way to make things work. It comes with drawbacks, I will get stressed out over games or over exams, and the lack of time for myself during exam periods, but the beauty of being part of a family of girls is that we love each other and we are there for each other, and that makes it so much easier. It is stressful, and it is time consuming, but your sisters make it worth it. These girls, they make you want to make time to come out to an event on an evening the night before you have a morning practice the next day.
One of my very first games, I would say about ten of my girls came out to watch and cheer me on, and many of them went straight to an event right after, but they made the time to come and support me beforehand. One of them, whom at that point I hardly knew, came over afterwards, after she had already gone home across campus, brought snacks and tissues, and listened to me vent and comfort me when I was upset about the outcome and circumstances of that same game. She’s since become my Big, I’m living with her, and I love that girl with my whole heart.
I’m grateful for the experience I’ve had having to manage my time between sorority life and athletics. I’ve learned that while there are only 24 hours in the day, and that time is scarce and valuable, it is possible to make time for the things that matter the most. At the beginning of my new member experience, I doubted myself. I didn’t think there I would have enough time to give 100% to all of the different things I was doing at the time, but I spoke with one of our senior sisters and she helped me work out how to manage my time in a way that would benefit all areas of my life. Time management is key, not just now, but in the future after we graduate and go off into our respective fields, time management is very likely going to be a major factor in many of our successes. So in taking on too much, and not wanting to falter in anything, you learn to allot time to things, to multitask, you learn how you can be the most efficient in your studies, how you can incorporate physical excellence into your personal time, and various other tools that will help you to achieve your goals, whether it be academic or athletic, or philanthropic. It all comes down to what works best for you, and figuring out how to fill your schedule to make everything fit. And when you get too stressed out, or you need help with an assignment, or a workout buddy, your sisters are there.
​To anyone who is having doubts about participating in Varsity Athletics as well as Greek life, I would say that if those things are important to you, you have the ability to make time. And it is completely worth it, because not only do you get to do everything that you love, and with who you love, but it teaches you how to function on a higher level, and that is a lesson which I consider to be invaluable. So I would say do it. Jump in head first, because you are more than capable, and even if you do fall, your sisters will be there to catch you.