By Rory Cunningham ’18

THE ROUNDUP

With athletes around campus verbally committing to colleges as early as sophomore year, school work can become less of a priority for them.

Varsity soccer player Sam Fletcher ’18 and volleyball player Nate Thompson ’18 both have already committed to their respective colleges, and they spoke about what it has been like to make an effort to keep school a priority even after committing.

“It is hard to stay motivated with my study habits when I know the grades don’t matter so much for college anymore, but I try to keep them up because they personally matter for myself,” said Fletcher, who will be playing soccer at University of California Santa Barbara.

Fletcher said he spent a majority of this last summer and much of this first semester training for his incoming college athletic career.

He added that because of this, his schedule in and out of the classroom has been extremely busy.

He said he has found extra time for himself by taking a slightly easier schedule than he normally does, so he can keep his grades up while also training for college.

Thompson, who has committed to play volleyball at Princeton University, agreed.

“It has been difficult at times to keep up my with my school work since my commitment,” he said.

Initially, he said he saw some decline in his study habits but he said he has really been getting back on track with his studies, so that he will be prepared for college curriculum.

Thompson added that the main reason he chose Princeton as his college volleyball destination was due to its tremendous academic reputation and its quality program.

Princeton is a part of the Ivy League, with a 6.5% acceptance rate, and also a school with a very rigorous curriculum.

“I plan on setting aside more time for strictly studying so that I can keep up with school there,” Thompson said.