College can be a very stressful and busy time, add being an athlete to the mix, and for some that may seem impossible. With all of the responsibilities of being a regular student you also have to balance practices, competitions and workouts. Student athletes do not get enough credit for all the hard work they put into both school and their sport. In order to find out more about what it’s actually like to be a student athlete in college, I decided to interview a member of Kent State University’s Women’s Golf Team, Michaela Finn. Finn is a senior at Kent State University and will be graduating in the spring of 2019. Her hometown is Angelholm, Sweden and she is majoring in Fashion.
Question: What is an average day like for you?
Michaela: Usually I have workouts in the morning, then I have class, meeting up with professors to see what I have missed and talk to them about upcoming events, go to practice and then when I come back home I am either trying to catch up on school work or getting ahead since I will be leaving for another trip the very next week.
Question: What would you say is the hardest part about being a student athlete?
Michaela: I believe the hardest part is to have time to be a regular person at the same time, not only to take care of your sport and your body completely but to have good enough time management that when time comes, you can still function and compete and perform when you are under so much pressure.
Question: What do you enjoy most about being on the Golf team?
Michaela: I enjoy being around my teammates and how they always challenge me to be a better golfer.
Question: How do you manage to balance all the obligations you have to your team, schoolwork and maintaining a social life?
Michaela: I honestly do not think I can do it all, but there always have to be priorities and accept that you really cannot have a social life. If you are not having the right priorities then it will catch up to you and you’ll be in an even worse situation.
Question: How do you think being a member on a sports team has affected your college experience?
Michaela: I believe that it has been a great experience, I feel like I am a part of a family, and I’m not only talking about within my team but the whole athletic department and the athletes at KSU, I feel like we are one big family.
Question: How has having support from family or friends helped you be a successful student athlete?
Michaela: That has played a significant part, especially when you are going through a hard time with either your own performance or you are so stressed that you don’t think you will get through another day, it is always good to have someone there to help you take one step at a time. Because after being in college for four years I know I will always get through it no matter how hard it is.
Question: What do you consider to be your greatest accomplishment while being apart of KSU’s golf team?
Michaela: I honestly do not know, maybe the combination of trying to be a good student with great grades, still doing charity and being in organizations that benefit the university. To be able to manage all that and still perform at a high level is something I am really proud of.
Question: What are you plans post-graduation?
Michaela: After graduation I am planning to turn professional and move down to Florida, but first figuring out VISA so that I actually can stay in the country and pursue my dream towards the LPGA.
Question: If you could give advice to someone considering playing a sport in college what would it be?
Michaela: Well, first of all, knowing what you are getting into when you sign, it will be a full four years of time for only your school and your sport, it is a lot of pressure and a lot of stress to handle. You have to be fully committed, and if you commit it will also be the greatest four years of your life.