Being a student can be challenging, having to balance academic life with sports and social events. For freshman Avory Winans, this is especially true. Through this difficulty however, he has found a way to overcome this challenge.
Winans, a biochemistry major from Wooster, OH, manages to balance his classes, his involvement with wrestling, as well as other activities such as being involved with Sigma Theta Epsilon, the Christian fraternity on campus.
In an interview, Winans said that he balances school and wrestling by keeping a detailed schedule of what he is doing, such as classes, organizations, and wrestling, as well as any other events. This allows him to keep track of everything that he is doing. Keeping track of all assignments is absolutely necessary for any student to be successful in school. Also, scheduling well allows him to focus more easily in class, as well as any events outside of the classroom. When asked why he puts such an emphasis on school, Winans said, “I want to get an education to help me prepare for med school and my future career plans.”
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“My first priority is making sure work gets done and that I keep up with my good academic standing,” Winans said. This is key for most, if not all, students on campus. Winans makes sure that this is his first priority as well. Last semester, he almost made it onto the Dean’s List, which shows his dedication in the classroom.
When asked about his experience in wrestling so far, Winans said, “It’s been tough, a lot different than what I was used to. This year has been a huge learning experience for me and I hope to improve tremendously for next year.”
Winans wrestles in the 125-pound weight class, currently behind sophomore Seth Transue on the depth chart. Winans won his lone OAC match this season, an 8-4 decision over John Carroll’s Alex Reyes during an Ohio Northern win on Jan. 16.
Though wrestling season has been difficult, Winans has learned from it and uses his experiences to help improve his school career.
Balancing school and sports doesn’t come easy. Winans has a tip for any student who is having trouble right now: “Stay organized and make time for yourself. School is important, but you need to take time for yourself, too, every once in awhile.”