Jock; noun: “a person trained to compete in sports.” However, there’s typically a negative connotation that accompanies that word. When hearing the word “jock,” the first thing a lot of people think of is “dumb.”
But, the recent Rensselaer grade report begs to differ with that assumption. For the Fall 2004 semester, RPI student-athletes compiled an average GPA of 3.17, a note-worthy accomplishment by itself. However, combine that with the fact that non-student-athletes managed only a 3.07 mean GPA and that this is the sixth consecutive semester this has happened, and some of you might have to read this paragraph again to make sure you read it right.
“How can this be?” some of you may exclaim. “I know,” the more cynical of you will answer. “They don’t have ‘real’ majors. They study Communications and Management.”
For those of you that share that sentiment, let me ask this: how would you feel if I dropped a five-pound book of case studies on your desk and told you to read, analyze, and critique each case? And then, after completing this task, you must present your findings to a real-world business executive for review and grading?
Once the word “read” left my lips, your eyes would almost certainly bug out of your head. The fact of the matter is every major on this campus requires work, whether it be in the sixteenth-ranked School of Engineering or the sixth-ranked Lally School of Management. Besides, not only did students from the 23 varsity squads average a Dean’s List-worthy 3.17, but over half of the teams also recorded a 3.2 or higher, and only one group posted less than a 3.0. Regardless of major, that level of achievement requires work.
“Okay,” you now say, “so how do they do it? With the amount of hours athletes dedicate to practice, games, and traveling, how could they possibly manage such a high GPA with a course workload comparable to mine as an engineer?”
The answer can be summed up in one word: structure. A student-athlete’s day is so packed with academic and athletic responsibilities that time management becomes a way of life. Athletes make a schedule, stick to it, and maximize every second of their day. Doesn’t that sound like what our high school teachers told us was the key to success in college?
It is. And that’s why student-athletes excel in the classroom and on the playing field. Athletes don’t waste their afternoons glued to their computer screens or to their X-box controllers, only to hastily put together a homework assignment mere hours before it’s due.
So maybe next semester when the grade report declares student-athletes have once again outdone the rest of campus, instead of scoffing, “Get a real major,” maybe you should ask one of them for some time management tips.
