By Eleanor Stettner | Talon staff

Participating in athletics and extracurricular activities help Tallahassee Community College students develop more effective academic habits such as time-management, and can relieve stress.

Spenser Hanson diving to home plate.

Students who participate in sports are not only healthier but perform better academically, according to a collection of studies from the Washington Post, BBC, and the CDC. A quick five-minute walk can show immediate results.

Spencer Hanson is a baseball player at TCC who said participating in sports helped benefit his academics. 

“Partaking in sports that busied my schedule helped me with my time management,” said Hanson. 

Hanson said athletics helped him practice good time management.

“Being able to balance practice and homework was tough at first,” said Hanson. “But practice makes perfect.”

While athletics and other non-academic activities help with time management, they are also found to help with leadership skills and teamwork.

Besides sports, other activities such as art help students relax from the stress of homework and tests. According to a 2017 study by Harvard Health, forms of art help produce serotonin which stabilizes the brain’s hormones and makes one happy.

TCC student Callista Mueller uses her free time to sketch, paint or take photographs. 

“Art helps calm my nerves before big tests or assignments,” said Mueller. “Being creative allows my mind to take a break from the stress of school and work.”