Day in the life of a D3 athlete
Published: October 31, 2022
Author: Madelyn Stephen
Have you ever wondered what a day in life consists of for a student-athlete at Greenville University? Well, let's just say it’s a busy one!
My name is Madelyn Stephen and I’ll take you through my day here at GU as part of the Women’s Basketball Team. But first a little about me. I am from Edwardsville, Illinois which is about 40 minutes from Greenville. I came to Greenville University because I loved the close-knit atmosphere and diversity on campus when I came on a visit. My high school was double the size in students compared to Greenville, so I knew that the class sizes would be good and the professors will be there to help with anything. I am now a senior here at GU and I double major in Business Management and Marketing.
Morning Routine
My first class starts at 10:30 so I will set my first alarm for 9:30. Do I ever wake up to that first alarm? No, so I will have to set about five more alarms, and I will eventually wake up to one of those. For my morning routine, I do the usual:
- Brush my teeth
- Brush my hair
- Put some makeup on
- Pick out an outfit
Then, I head to my first class at 10:30, which is marketing case studies. On the way to class, I will also grab an energy drink and granola bar, since it's an essential part of my morning routine. Marketing case studies is probably my favorite class out of all of them. In this class, we go over case studies and talk about what we can do to market the product better.
Daytime
After my first class which gets out at 11:20, it's time to head to work. I get the chance this semester to work in the marketing department as an intern. For this internship, I usually work about 1-2 hours a day doing anything from graphic design, to designing social media posts to creating video content for GU to organizing photography sessions. I usually get off around 1 pm and then it's finally time for lunch. My next class will then start at 1:30 and I have two classes in a row so I don't get off till 3:30. Those two classes are business case studies and corporate finance. In business case studies, we hold debates over case studies, and in corporate finance, we do a lot of financial accounting problems. After that, I have a two-hour break in which I get a nap in or do homework if I have a lot of it.
Evening/Nighttime
Starting at 5:30 the team begins weightlifting. Depending on the day since we are in the preseason, we either do weightlifting or open gym, which is usually 6-8 pm. After weightlifting, which usually ends at 6:30, my friends and I will head to the Dining Commons to get dinner. Some days we will treat ourselves and go out to eat, especially if it’s a Tuesday, we are always at Taco Tuesday at Los Amigos. After dinner, it is time to relax, and this consists of either hanging out with friends or doing homework. Then, I take a shower and hit the bed.
Season Overview
This year for the Panthers and the coaches should be a good year. We have a good mix of returners as well as a good class of newcomers. The Panther’s first game is on November 8th against Monmouth, which will be a home game. Conference play for the Panthers doesn't start till January, so the non-conference games should get us prepared for when the conference season starts.
