Imagine Magazine - Johns Hopkins - January/February 2014 - (Page 40)

one step ahead Academia and Endorphins: Balancing School and Sport Eliel races both professionally and as a member of Cal Cycling, UC Berkeley's racing team. 40 imagine Despite a number of term papers due in the next two days and a looming presentation tomorrow morning, I decided to get out and spend three hours pedaling through the biting December afternoon. Riding and racing my bike have become so integral to my daily routine that if I don't ride, my productivity wanes, my enthusiasm waivers, and I find myself pining for the loamy trails in the hills rather than focusing on my work. When I find the balance between school and riding, however, all seems right in my world. While the undergraduate experience is often billed as a time for students to explore their interests and discover what they are truly passionate about, it is also a time to isolate those passions and immerse oneself in the development of expertise in one field or another. There is an established group, especially at my university, who maintain that you can truly master something only if you devote 100 percent of your time to it. I, however, firmly believe that it is possible to achieve great things in multiple, disparate arenas. Last semester, an academic advisor told me that I was spreading myself too thin by expecting to graduate with a good GPA in four years while simultaneously chasing a professional cycling career. Trying to decide which part of my life to pursue resulted in an existential crisis. In the end, I concluded that letting go of either aspect would leave me empty and unfulfilled. I realized that while my advisor probably saw my cycling as a distraction from my schoolwork, my sport was an essential part of my day-to-day happiness and actually helped with motivation, focus, and discipline. I believe that athletics and academics are mutually beneficial. When I start my day with a tough, intervalfilled training ride, the resultant endorphin high leaves me energized and focused throughout the day in a way that no amount of coffee ever could. Adding training hours and race weekends to an already busy class schedule has taught me how to manage time efficiently, by Eliel Anttila and I have even improved my procrastinatory habits simply because I can't stand doing work after coming back from an out-of-town race. And when the hours on the bike become mind-numbing and dreary, I can look forward to my classes to rejuvenate my mind. There are times, of course, when one aspect must take priority over the other: midterms come in waves, and races sometimes fall on the same day as physics lectures. Sacrifices must be made on both fronts, and it is in these situations that I can see the validity of the "single focus" argument. But whatever I lose by dividing my efforts is more than compensated by the satisfaction that comes from doing what I love. Similarly, loving what I do makes me do those things better: the happier I am, the faster I ride, and the better I do in class. And this is all to say nothing of the tangential social and emotional benefits that come with the feeling of excelling at the things you enjoy. College has shown me that fundamental personal happiness attracts both positivity from those around you and opportunities in every facet of life, from research positions to social experiences to equipment sponsorship. Occasional imbalance is unavoidable. A research trip over winter break will force me to take two weeks off training, while the National Championships this summer are smack-dab in the middle of one of the internships I wanted. Sickness might keep me off the bike, or a huge race weekend might result in my forgetting a reading or two over the weekend. I have discovered that finding the perfect balance between academics and athletic endeavor is only difficult the first time: once you understand both how to do it and what being a successful student-athlete feels like, the balanced state becomes a sort of equilibrium to which you will gladly and inevitably return. Eliel Anttila is a second-year geology major at UC Berkeley. In addition to pursuing his academic interests, which include hydrogeology and geomorphology, Eliel is also a U23 Pro cross-country mountain bike racer. When not looking at rocks or riding over them, Eliel can be found hiking, climbing, and driving boat taxis during the summer at Echo Lake, CA. Jan/Feb 2014

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Imagine Magazine - Johns Hopkins - January/February 2014

Big Picture
In My Own Words
Legal Discovery
Order in the Court
Think, Debate, Change the World
Voice of the Students
What Young Inventors Need to Know about Patents
A Practice and a Passion
The Science of Crime Detection
The Medical Examiner Is In
Selected Opportunities and Resources
Wild in the City
Off the Shelf
Word Wise
Exploring Career Options
One Step Ahead
Planning Ahead for College
Students Review
Creative Minds Imagine
Mark Your Calendar
Knossos Games

Imagine Magazine - Johns Hopkins - January/February 2014