One thing that makes me unique as a student at Mississippi State is that I am a chemical engineer and also a student athlete. 
Before I say anything, it should be known that I have a 3.97 GPA that I have had to work very, very hard for, so my academic career has been no cake walk.  But I know a lot of people think student athletes are babied, selfish and lazy, especially when they have every leg up in college.  There is a big stereotype that student athletes have it easier than other students.
And before I say we don’t, I must admit there are many advantages. We get free tutoring, free printing, financial aid and advisers to look out for us. For most of us, we have people buy all our books and put them in a box for us every semester so we don’t have to worry about it. We even have attendance checks for classes to make sure none of us skip class for which there is oftentimes severe consequences when we do. 
But, there are major commitments many students are unaware of.  As a senior in chemical engineering, I spend roughly four to five hours a day doing homework, studying and preparing for the next class.  This is not special by any means as I know plenty of students who do the same. But I also spend at least four hours a day involved with athletics in some way.  That means I have 20 hours a week less than other engineers to get the same amount of work done. I don’t get to turn in less homework or shorter papers just because I’m an athlete; I just have to take it out of my free time. 
Then there is the athletic season and all of the traveling.  I will miss just about every Friday and every other Thursday due to meets in the spring semester.  And I’m not even good enough to go to the three big week-long meets. 
Everyone knows how hard college is, especially when you skip classes. Now skip every Friday for an entire semester. And many of us miss more than that.  Then there are injuries and fatigue from practice. It is hard enough to get up the gumption to do homework on a Tuesday when you have been to four classes already; it is even more difficult when you just got through with a grueling three hour practice with another hour of rehab on top of that. Now imagine the unthinkable happens and you tear an ACL and have to crutch around for two months or you tear your Tommy-John and can’t bend your elbow for three. Dealing with the pain and hours of rehab every day and still having to limp to class without ever missing a beat, it’s what’s expected. 
Don’t get me wrong; college athletics has been one of the best experiences of my life, and I wouldn’t trade it for anything.  I have been to almost every SEC school and many colleges in other conferences, as well. I have met amazing athletes and seen wonderful feats of athleticism including national and world records. But the next time you see me walking across the Drill Field, know that my life isn’t as easy as you might think.