Women's golfer Jacqui Ngo has one of the highest grade point averages among UCI student-athletes. As the new school year begins, the Women's Golf Coaches Association (WGCA) All-American Scholar shares tips that have made her academic journey successful.
 
1. ALWAYS carry snacks in your backpack.  There will be days where you'll run from practice, straight to class, back to workout, onto another class, and finally to a group study session.  Having snacks will tie you over in between meals and will give you the energy you need to survive the day!

2. Put your phone on silent and face down behind your laptop (or where you can't see it) when you're studying for a big midterm.  Give yourself a block of time where you can't check your phone and it's just studying.  It'll really help you get focused. 

3. Create a photo album on your phone filled with pictures that make you happy.  This album is something I like to take a quick look through if I'm ever feeling overwhelmed with school or practice.  For example, I have a whole album dedicated to my dog on my phone.
 
4. Keep a sweatshirt/sweater in your backpack for the days where the AC is blasting in the classrooms (also works as a pillow if you need a quick nap at the couches in Al Irwin)
 
5. Study in groups with your teammates or other classmates.  You'll be able to hold each other accountable and bounce ideas off of each other. The group study rooms in Mesa Court are great for this (I like the Conejo Suites in the towers)
 
6. Good places to refill water bottles: SET Center and Al Irwin (get ice in sports med), Cafe Espresso across from PSLH (on the left of the kiosk), any soda fountain in the Student Center, and there are other various filtered refill stations throughout most buildings (map)
 
7. When possible, take notes by hand!  I know computers are so much easier, but writing down the material really helps you remember and recall what's happening.
 
8. Don't forget to take a break.  It's easy to get caught up in everything that's going on, so take the time to go hang out with friends or watch a quick episode on Netflix.  Breaks are never a bad thing.
 
9. If you're ever feeling overwhelmed by the amount of things you have to do, just take it piece by piece.  It can be hard to figure out where to start when there's so many things to do, but just starting is the best advice there ever was.  Breaking down your to do list into smaller tasks and just diving in will help you be productive and feel less overwhelmed.
 
10. Get involved and get the most out of college! Go support other UCI teams or join some clubs. Being a student-athlete doesn't mean that we are just students or just athletes;  we're so much more than that!  School and sports are very important, but don't forget that there's a lot happening on or around campus that you can get involved in.

Have a great year Anteaters!