Being a student athlete can be one of the best bonding experiences a student can ever have. But bonds with teammates can also be a challenge for athletes. No matter your major or sport, you need to develop close friends who you can study with. These friends can also be the source for notes when you have to miss classes for away games.

It’s really not that hard to develop supportive friends in your major. Here’s how:

1. Sit in the front of the room. – Better students tend to sit up front in class. When you sit up front, you are by proximity joining with better students. Many coaches also require that you sit up front.
2. Introduce yourself. – Take the first step by introducing yourself to those around you. Get to know them as fellow classmates. There’s no need to make a big deal about being an athlete.
3. Suggest forming a study group. – Once assignments are given, ask your classmates if they would like to study together. This is always awkward at first, but you will find this awkwardness quickly disappearing.
4. Find a classmate who can help you with notes when you are not in class. Most students are more than willing to do this. Taking notes for another person can be a great way to improve on your own note taking.
5. Start hanging out with your academic friends. You will probably have a few close teammates who would also like to hang out with your classmates. That way you don’t have to “abandon” your teammates.
6. Think of ways you can help your academic friends. Maybe they will be allowed to join you at your athletic learning center. Invite them to any athletic events as special guests. Just talking about your sport will also be of interest to most students.

One of the fondest memories of college is the time you spent with classmates. If you aren’t proactive about connecting with academic friends, you may be robbing yourself of one of the true treasures of college.