varsity and training

[shane-bob]

So I’m busy applying to go to varsity and I've taken a year off to do what I like and I’ve found it difficult to get up early like I used to at 4:30 before school to go train because I don’t have to do anything anymore, so I go training at about 10 or so, and now the problem I face is, getting up early again in a few months time, but not only THAT! I’ll be facing a whole new sphere of education which will be more demanding! How the heck did everyone else get that balance? Any insight to my problem?

[Nofearnofun]

So I’m busy applying to go to varsity and I've taken a year off to do what I like and I’ve found it difficult to get up early like I used to at 4:30 before school to go train because I don’t have to do anything anymore, so I go training at about 10 or so, and now the problem I face is, getting up early again in a few months time, but not only THAT! I’ll be facing a whole new sphere of education which will be more demanding! How the heck did everyone else get that balance? Any insight to my problem?

Edited July 25, 2013 by Nofearnofun

[Rapunzel]

A while since I was at varsity but my cycling fell apart over the course of my varsity career and I spent over 10 years off the bike after that. Reasons were probably a combination of no routine, no discipline and a complete change in priorities which killed my motivation to get on the bike.

My general observation is that the more hectic your schedule, the more you get done.

[PhilipV]

You'll just have to learn to adapt. Get some discipline going. You've had your chilled year, now it is time to join the "real world" before you get toe the real "real world." Once you start working you wonder how you will manage with a real 9-5 and none of the off-time afforded by studying.

And you'll learn what is important.

 

I did the same, also took a year before studying, my best raing results was in my first year of studying.

Then I realised that cycling will never pay for my studies, and will never pay enough to make it my only vocation. That was when my studies became more important, and I prioritised my studying time above riding time.

 

Good luck and enjoy the studies. Work hard and play hard.

[Milkworx]

Compared to working, varsity is a jol, you have ample free time.

Depends on the varsity, but many times you have a gap of few hours in the day and you seldom finish after 4pm.

 

My advise, enjoy varsity as much as possible, gets loads more difficult after that...... (my parents always said that and I never believed them, but its the truth)

[dee_biker]

100% true. I wish I knew in my 6 years of varsity what I know now, 15 years later. At varsity I had soooo much more time compared to now, working 8-5 every day.

 

Now, it requires REAL commitment. I get up at 4am every morning to try and get my 2 hours in before work. Being married, with 2 children that is really the only time in the day I have.

 

Use your "troublefree" days for real hard training. Get up in the morning, get in your ride early, and if you have energy late afternoon, go for a easy or long ride.

 

Also, use your weekend to ride. Not to "kuier" like all the rest.

[P.A.K.]

I always get so jealous when I'm on my way to work and I see the students on their MTB's on their way to their morning ride. What I'll give to take an hour or two off work in the morning to go cycle

 

For 3 out of the 4 years I studied, I didn't have any class on Fridays. Never really appreciated that.

 

Anyways, it's time to get the discipline on track. If you find it easier, get some train mates too.

 

Also, you will need a Live Strong bracelet

Edited July 25, 2013 by P.A.K.

[Vanstone]

Varsity is the best training ground to learn how to balance your life. Learn quickly what is important and what is not. Know when to party (which is a very important aspect of varsity) and when to study. I managed to keep a swimming bursary and not fail a single subject. Do everything to the extreme, but not to the detriment of any of the other aspects of life. Remember, your are studying towards a career, so that should always take precedence over all other aspects.

[J0KER]

So I’m busy applying to go to varsity and I've taken a year off to do what I like and I’ve found it difficult to get up early like I used to at 4:30 before school to go train because I don’t have to do anything anymore, so I go training at about 10 or so, and now the problem I face is, getting up early again in a few months time, but not only THAT! I’ll be facing a whole new sphere of education which will be more demanding! How the heck did everyone else get that balance? Any insight to my problem?

 

It's easier in summer because it's not so f#@king cold. Also, try setting your alarm for half an hour before you actually need to be out of bed so that you can take your time. I you can squeeze an intense ride into an hour, do it first thing when you get home so it's over and done with for the afternoon so you can get to working or partying for the rest of the afternoon. Also, in your first year, choose work over partying at least until after your first semester so that you can become familiar with the amounts of work and then find a balance according.

Myself, I only ride on weekends as weekdays are too busy and the mornings are too cold,haha.

[Brian Fantana]

I really wish I can have all the free time I had for training when I was at university.

 

Count your blessings dude, at university, I cycled 6 days a week, played rugby for my Res' 1st team, and played golf for the university team. On top of that I got time for a proper party at least once a week. Those were the days.

 

Just make sure that you stay close to the university to ensure that you do not waste time commuting, and when your mates are watching series/movies go study. All about time management.

[J0KER]

But also, good job for deciding to study. It's really fun compared to school and you might meat your future best mates there.

[Dubber88]

Its all about planning ahead and managing/finalizing things way before you were to normally attend to something.

 

As an example, if you know next week is a hard training week, and assignments/tests are due, you need to divide up your free time the previous week, to average out the amount of hours you need to spend on your studies over a longer period.

 

Last year I did my Honours part time, worked full time in JHB and stayed in PTA.

 

Doing IDT session from 19:00 to 21:00 was nothing strange, and then to try and stuff studying in to 12:00 was a challenge.

 

Yes my cycling did take a knock, but I was still getting PB's on races.

 

My best cycling years were actually during my studying full time at UP. But most of my training took place either in the late mornings or early afternoons depending on the class schedule.

 

 

Good luck!

 

It's not impossible.

[Dubber88]

I had to carefully look at my nutrition to make everything happen. So recovery drinks were important, what you eat throughout the day, extra l-glutamine for the brain after workouts. Expensive supplements during exams were seen as an investment in my future.

Edited July 25, 2013 by Dubber88

[V12man]

So I’m busy applying to go to varsity and I've taken a year off to do what I like and I’ve found it difficult to get up early like I used to at 4:30 before school to go train because I don’t have to do anything anymore, so I go training at about 10 or so, and now the problem I face is, getting up early again in a few months time, but not only THAT! I’ll be facing a whole new sphere of education which will be more demanding! How the heck did everyone else get that balance? Any insight to my problem?

 

I had the benefit of a large (HUGE) room mate in first year - who was pretty disciplined about studying.. VERY hard to argue with when he hauls you physically out of bed and dumps you on the chair to study... just because he is studying and does not want to feel alone in his studies... which in the end he dumped and went to play pro basketball in the USA.

 

Set yourself a daily schedule and stick to it: Wake up, train, breakfast, class, study, relax, sleep - repeat till you are done.

 

I have 2 pieces of advice for all students:

 

1 - Go to EVERY lecture and PAY ATTENTION to the lecture.

 

2 - Make a habit of a short study period every day (1 - 2 hours) - pays dividends when it comes to exam time, and it's a b...tch to catch up some subjects because the volumes can be high - one of my second year classes (a known problem class with a 30 - 40% failure rate) when we arrived in class day 1 for the year, there was a pile of printed paper at each place about 10 inches thick.... then we thought the lecturer was joking when he said that was the first 2 weeks work... he wasn't joking.... and if you failed that class, you just added a year to your studies - although this was a feature of that course... fail 1 subject in the year, add a year to studies... if you lost more than 2 years, you got kicked off the course.