A Day in the Life of a Student-Athlete:

I have my morning routine down to a tee. Rowing has made the mornings I can “sleep in” a luxury I am not willing to shorten. My alarm goes off at 8:15, I’m walking to breakfast at 8:30, and then I walk from Mac to class at 8:50.

At 9 am my first class, a requirement for the Arts and Sciences Honors Program, begins. Already in my practice clothing, I learn about the classics, and find myself wondering if Odysseus’ crew was as sore as I am that day after rowing him across the Mediterranean. Between the end of class at 10:15 and my 11 am, I try and get some reading done so I don’t have quite as much to do that night (an early bedtime is a must). Sometimes I even fit in a bagel for a second breakfast to hold me through practice. At 11, I head to Devlin 008 to learn about America’s evolution and place in the world.

From there, I walk to Alumni Stadium, where the vans pick us up to head to the boathouse. Practice starts at 12:20 and for the next two hours I find that all the stresses of classes or friends or family dissolve into the glistening water of the Charles that I am fortunate enough to row on. The focus and intensity of the sport is incredible; in the boat I’m truly part of something larger than just myself and 7 other athletes.

After practice ends and we’re driven back to campus, I grab a quick lunch at 2:30 before heading to my genetics class at 3. Because I come right from practice, this hour and a quarter goes more slowly than my morning classes. Sweaty and often still recovering from whatever difficult workout we did that day, I am so thankful I find the subject matter interesting.

At 4:15 I head back up to upper campus where I live and at last shower and change. Often I have to take a 30-minute nap to restore my energy before I embark on the uphill battle of homework. From then until about 6:30 I try and finish my reading and get some studying in for pop map quizzes in my political science class.  For dinner I meet up with my friends and use that as my study break.

 After dinner, I get as much work done as possible until about 10:30 when I get ready for bed. My bedtime always comes up faster than I’d like, and sometimes it even feels early, but I always make myself fall asleep. My alarm goes off at 6 the next morning, I walk to practice at 6:10, and (since the river is still frozen) I’m running by 6:35.

While my schedule is packed, I wouldn’t trade it for all the sleep-ins in the world. I have cherished being part of a team at BC. It has given me a community I am so grateful for and has helped me see all the incredible opportunities BC has to offer. 

-Cecilia Milano '18