How to succeed as an athlete at SC State University?

Between homework, campus clubs, internships, and many other college related situations that athletes have to focus on, I wanted to know how they stay successful at football while dealing with all these other important factors in college. According to exactsports.com, "You can balance your academics and athletics by mastering your time management in college, reaching out to your teachers, using every opportunity to study, utilize your campus resources, learning from your academic mistakes, and schedule classes that fit your athletic schedule." Also, according to ncaa.org, "An NCAA Student-Athlete Well-Being Study released last year, the number of student-athletes reporting mental health concerns is 1.5 to two times higher than before the COVID-19 pandemic. An NCAA Student-Athlete Well-Being Study in the fall 2021, which was released in May 2022, examined the experiences of 9,808 college athletes. Respondents reported elevated rates of mental exhaustion and anxiety. Mental health concerns were highest among demographic subgroups commonly displaying higher rates of mental distress (e.g., women, student-athletes of color, those identifying on the queer spectrum and those reporting family economic hardship). I asked three

I asked Patrick Jenkins, who is a senior Communications major, how does he balance school and athletics. He said, "You have to have the mindset in your mind that priorities come first with playing sports while in school. The way I think about it is if I want to play any sport I must have the grades, or I won’t even be able to play. I’ve always been active and loved playing sports so I just had to find a way to manage my schoolwork in order to continue playing." I asked him what keeps him motivated to go to football practice. He said, "I love sports and football has been my game since I was a little kid. I played basketball and football in school until it was time for college, and I knew football was where my passion was. Some people don’t like football practice, but I like it because it helps you compete and get better every day. " The last question that I asked him was if he must maintain a certain GPA to stay on the football team. He said, "You don’t need a certain GPA but to be eligible to play you must meet NCAA requirements. I can’t remember the exact requirements but I do know you have to maintain at least a 2.5 GPA and be a full time student."

I asked Jared Kirksey, who is a senior Communications major, the previous questions. Here are his responses. "Balancing school and athletics are all about time management. Some weeks are harder than others depending on assignments and also game schedules along with practice but you have to try your best to balance it; My motivation for practice is I plan on going to the NFL and I know that takes hard work and dedication. Practice is just another part of that work to get better each day; You must avoid failing classes in order to stay eligible. If not, you won’t be able to play the next season depending on how many classes you fail, so you have to pass as many classes as possible."

I asked Lawson Danley, who is a senior Communications major, the previous questions. Here are his responses. "Coming into South Carolina State as a freshman, it was difficult getting accustomed to my schedule with athletics in college. It was an immediate difference from when I was in High school, having a block style schedule and only having practice after school. Now being in my Senior year, what I’ve learned is that in college, you’re doing way more for football and more in school. Time management is a very crucial thing as a college athlete. You’re going to be doing a lot during the day and throughout the week, and if you don’t manage your time well you won’t be able to get your work done; What keeps me motivated to come to practice is honestly just my love for the game. I’ve loved all sports my whole life and growing up that’s all I ever wanted to do. I knew at an early age that whatever I did in this world, it would have someone to do with athletics. My dream was always to go to the NFL like my father did back in the 80s. The older I became, the more realistic my dream became and I understood the chances of me getting an opportunity to play professionally someday are slim. So, everyone doesn’t get to play the sport they love forever, so I take advantage and enjoy every next practice, meeting, or game because it won’t last forever." 

For the last question he said, "Yes, you have to maintain a certain GPA as well as passing a certain amount of credit hours each semester to be eligible to play that season. Each University has their own policies for their program, but every Division 1 University has to have the minimum requirements by the NCAA. To be eligible to play in the fall season, you have to maintain a core GPA of a 2.3 or better to be eligible, and you have to of passed at least 12 credit hours."

Patrick Jenkins

Jared Kirksey

Lawson Danley

Breaking/Spot News Story - Extra Curricular Activities of SC State Students

College campuses around the country offer students various activities to do, such as clubs, sports, marching band, choirs, student government, and community service activities. Knowing that SC State offers students these activities, I asked three SCSU students what do you do for fun while at college, what campus organizations are they a part of as well as what activities does that organization do, and what are their hobbies. I asked Amauri Allen, who is a senior communications major, what campus organization is he a part of/what activities does that organization do. He said, "I am a part of the Beta Delta, chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc. My fraternity is all about serving our surrounding communities and making the world a better place." I asked Chantelle Simpkins, who is a junior communications major, what she does for fun while at college. She said, "Some things I do for fun on campus are hanging out with my sisters. I usually go to events on campus like meltdowns or even games with them. I also enjoy going to the café with my sister because it gives us time just to talk."

Amauri Allen

Chantelle Simpkins

Extra Curricular Activities of SC State Students

College campuses around the country offer students various activities to do, such as clubs, sports, marching band, choirs, student government, and community service activities. Even though this story is based on college student activity interests, here is a link to 100 Epic College Event Ideas for Students on Campus [2023]. Some of the ideas from this website link include, "Host a music concert, a trivia night, movie night, service project, or charity walk/run." Knowing that SC State offers students these activities, I asked three SCSU students what campus organizations are they a part of/what activities does that organization do, what do you do for fun while at college, and what are their hobbies. 

I asked Amauri Allen, who is a senior communications major, what campus organization is he a part of/what activities does that organization do. He said, "I am a part of the Beta Delta, chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc. My fraternity is all about serving our surrounding communities and making the world a better place." I also asked him what he does for fun while at college. He said, "For fun, I usually just hang out with friends, enjoying small road trips and discovering new music. Sometimes I may dance at the dance studio just to release some stress and just for the fun of it. I love to do contemporary dancing as well as hip hop." The last question I asked him was what his hobbies are. He said, "My hobby is fashion. I love finding new clothes and styling them in different ways. I found my love for fashion form my mother. My mother and my brother have a nice sense of style."

I asked Chantelle Simpkins, who is a junior communications major, the previous questions. These are her responses. "One organization I am apart of is Kinks N Curls. Kinks N Curls is an organization where we bring awareness to different types of hair and hairstyles. We hold forums like hair porosity and protective hairstyles. We also hold fairs to sell different things to raise money; Some things I do for fun on campus are hanging out with my sisters. I usually go to events on campus like meltdowns or even games with them. I also enjoy going to the café with my sister because it gives us time just to talk; When it comes to hobbies there’s not much that I do but I do like working out. I also enjoy eating a new place when I have the time. One more thing I like to do is sleep because a lot of the time I am tired from the things I do doing my day.”

Strategies to succeed academically at SC State

In order to succeed in college, there are certain strategies that you need to have. You need to know how to study well, get to class on time, organize your homework, as well as prioritize your study time for quizzes, tests, and exams. Also, as the semester progresses, you might be showing up later to class rather than on time. I wanted to know what strategies that SC State professors, as well as a student, would suggest to the university’s student body. According to lpsonline.sas.upenn.edu, "Setting goals for each semester can be a highly effective strategy to help you keep your academic priorities in check. The SMART approach involves ensuring that your goals are specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and timely. Here is an example of a SMART goal: Specific goal: Set aside at least one hour a day to read assigned course materials. Measure your progress daily by tracking your time through a study app (measurable). Ensure your goal is attainable by letting your friends and family know that you are unavailable during this set time and, if possible, turn off your phone. This goal is relevant because it will allow you to consistently stay on top of your readings, so you're prepared for class discussions and other coursework. This goal is timely because it allows you to track your progress daily, weekly, or monthly."

I asked two faculty members these questions: how students can organize themselves to complete their homework on time, besides faculty, who else can students ask to help them with their homework as well as study for quizzes and exams, and how can students prevent themselves from missing their classes. I asked a student these questions: how you organize yourself to complete your homework on time, who do you usually ask to help you with your homework and studying for quizzes and exams, and how do you prevent yourself from missing classes.

I asked Mr. Smith, who is a communications professor at SC State, how can students organize themselves to complete their homework on time. He said, "Make sure that you map out what you need to do and prioritize certain things, such as what I need to do most first, and then afterwards. I also asked Mr. Smith, besides faculty, who else can students ask to help them with their homework as well as study for quizzes and exams. He said, "At SC State, there are a lot of different resources, such the office of student success and also asking peers to help them. You can create study groups, use library resources as well as online resources." The last question that I asked was how students can prevent themselves from missing their classes. He said, "That's a hard question. I would say that students would have to prioritize coming to class. Once you prioritize that, then everything else will fall in line."

I asked Dr. Luke, who is the Director Office of International and National Student Exchange Programs, the previous questions. These are his responses. "Students need to develop a weekly schedule of all their activities from the time they wake up, to the time they go to bed for each day. They should designate specific times to do their homework, knowing that each hour for class they should be putting in two hours of study, including completing homework; Students should go to the student’s success center and seek help from tutors. There also some faculty that offer tutoring in their departments or recitals. and some departments have students support units in their departments; Students must be dedicated and committed to their classwork. Its a personal discipline commitment situation when it comes to students going to their classes. Students have to be committed to going to classes knowing that they are going to do better if they go compared to if they don't go."

I asked Emanuel Washington, who is a senior communications major at SC State, the previous questions. These are his responses. "I plan out the work that I have to do for the rest of the week, and then I see the due dates that their on so I know the pace that I want to do it at, or which class that I want to prioritize over another class. Then I make sure that certain household things are taken care off, so when its time to do my homework their are no distractions, or anything that would prevent me from doing so. I just need to take care of this stuff, like taking out the trash and cleaning the dishes, so that I can focus on my homework; My go to when I need help with homework, as well as studying for quizzes and exams is my classmate, Chantelle Simpkins. She is a very resourceful person and very smart, so when in need that is the first person I ask for help. The second person that I would see for help is you. You’re a person who maintains your grades well, you take school seriously, so you and Chantelle are my go to people when I need help with my homework; I set alarms in order to wake up on time. Since I work out, and have other prior commitments, waking up on time for certain things is definitely number one priority. Another thing that I do is plan my day ahead of time. For example, today is Sunday, so I have already planned Monday and Tuesday, between work, school and working out. This way, I know when I'm going to get stuff done. Also, I check my emails. Sometimes class gets cancelled and other things are subject to change, so I check my emails a lot and try to stay updated on things and try to maintain my schedule. Since I'm busy at times, checking my email can be resourceful."

Click this link to listen to the audio story

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Breaking/Spot News Story - Strategies to succeed academically at SC State

In order to succeed in college, there are certain strategies that you need to have. You need to know how to study well, get to class on time, organize your homework, as well as prioritize your study time for quizzes, tests, and exams. Also, as the semester progresses, you might be showing up later to class rather than on time. I wanted to know what strategies that SC State professors, as well as a student, would suggest to the university’s student body. I asked Mr. Smith, who is a communications professor at SC State, how students can organize themselves to complete their homework on time. He said, "Make sure that you map out what you need to do and prioritize certain things, such as what I need to do most first, and then afterwards.” I asked Dr. Luke, who is the Director Office of International and National Student Exchange Programs, who else can students ask to help them with their homework as well as study for quizzes. He said, “Students should go to the student’s success center and seek help from tutors. There are also some faculty that offer tutoring in their departments or recitals. and some departments have student support units in their departments.”

Mr. Smith

Click the link below to hear the audio version Mr. Smith's interview

https://on.soundcloud.com/xtZyz

Breaking/Spot News Story - How to maintain and increase college students health and wellness

Many college students know that college life is stressful. Between assignments, projects, quizzes, final exams, and not getting enough sleep, college can be a lot to deal with at times. Knowing how stressful college can be at times, I asked two SC State students a few questions considering their health and wellness. I asked Jared Toby Kirksey if he considers his health and wellness an important aspect of his life. His response was, “As an athlete my health and wellness are very important parts of my life, I have to maintain a certain weight and try to limit myself with going overboard regarding bad foods because I know depending on what you eat you can feel like that in your next game or practice. I asked Emanuel Washington if he considers his health and wellness an important aspect of his life. His response was, “Yes, I consider health and wellness important in my life. I think it’s imperative that one takes their health seriously, especially while still young. The older we get the more we have to maintain our bodies, but if you never did that when you were younger it would be much harder. Overall, being healthy promotes longevity, less joint pain, better cardiovascular health, etc."

 Jared Kirksey

Click the link below to watch his interview 

Jared Kirksey - Health and Wellness

            Click the link below to hear the audio version of this interview

            https://on.soundcloud.com/4H6mf  

How to maintain and increase college students health and wellness

Many college students know that college life is stressful. Between assignments, projects, quizzes, final exams, and not getting enough sleep due to some of these things, college can be a lot to deal with at times. As time goes on, especially if we don't focus on our health and wellness, having more mental breakdowns will become our new reality. According to usnews.com, "In a Gallup poll that surveyed more than 2,400 college students in March 2023, 66% of reported experiencing stress and 51% reported feelings of worry "during a lot of the day." And emotional stress was among the top reasons students considered dropping out of college in the fall 2022 semester, according to findings in the State of Higher Education 2023 report, based on a study conducted in 2022 by Gallup and the Lumina Foundation." Knowing how stressful college can be at times, I asked two SC State students if they consider their health and wellness an important aspect of their life, what do they do to maintain their health and wellness, and which year of college do they think made their health and wellness the most unbalanced.

I asked Jared Toby Kirksey, a senior communications major, if he considers his health and wellness an important aspect of his life. “As an athlete my health and wellness are very important parts of my life, I have to maintain a certain weight and try to limit myself with going overboard regarding bad foods because I know depending on what you eat you can feel like that in your next game or practice.” I also asked him what does he do to maintain his health and wellness. " In order to maintain my health and wellness’s exercise and try to eat and drink in a balanced way." The last question I asked was which year of college does he think made their health and wellness the most unbalanced. "My freshman year of college of the year because of Covid I wasn’t able to work out the way I wanted so I gained weight and was eating very unhealthy and I turned it around my sophomore and junior year."

I asked Emanuel Washington, who is also a senior communications major, the previous questions. These are his responses. “Yes, I consider health and wellness important in my life. I think it’s imperative that one takes there health seriously, especially while still young. The older we get the more we have to maintain our bodies, but if you never did that when you were younger it would be much harder. Overall being healthy promotes longevity, less joint pain, better cardiovascular health, etc. Personally, for the maintenance of my health and wellness I work out 4 times a week. I try also run or do some form of cardio twice a week. Ever since I started lifting and running, I’ve felt better, look better, and I’m more confident as a young man. Being obese/overweight is detrimental to your health, if you can fix it in any way possible, I would encourage anyone to do so. The year of college that made my health and wellness the most unbalanced was junior year. Even though I lift and run consistently, my diet is not the best. Currently I am on a bulking phase, meaning I’m eating everything in sight to gain weight. Honestly eating healthier would be better but at this point I just want the scale to move up.