I started doing CrossFit in San Diego at Outlier CrossFit when I first began college at SDSU and it has honestly been one of the best decisions I have made, not only for the fun and fitness gains that I have made from it, but also because of how it has helped me become a better student. Sure, taking time out of my busy student schedule to go to the gym has caused less time spent in the library, but it has also caused every hour I spend in the library to be more productive and beneficial. Whenever I look around at school, I see countless people frazzled and stressing out about some midterm or assignment that is looming on the horizon. Those very students are the one who buy three coffees and spend 7 straight hours in the library. Sounds dedicated and productive right? That is not the case at all because after a certain point into a study session, productivity hits a low and little gets done. At that very point is usually when I decide to go to CrossFit and workout. Walking into the gym, spending an hour with great people doing some lifting and getting a good sweat on helps my body decompress from the stressors of class. When I walk back into the library later on that day, I am refreshed and ready to take on the next assignment or project with a new vigor and heightened productivity.

If CrossFit has taught me any principle in particular, it is the fact that a lot can be done in a little bit of time. All those little 5 minute AMRAPS or 7 minute sprint workouts can seem so short on the board but in practice can seem like a marathon. I apply that same principle when I have little breaks in between class. For example, on multiple occasions, I have a 50 minute break between classes which to most would seem awkward because nothing can get done in such a short amount of time. When this time is actually utilized to do some work, that little break across the week can prove to be a huge help in getting all work done.

In addition to helping me learn how to manage my time and increase productivity, CrossFit has also helped me in another huge way through the community of the gym. As a college student, having access to anything other than clothes and school supplies can prove to be difficult. One specific example I can think of is when my car broke down and I needed a few tools to fix it. Normally I would have to take it to the shop and pay who knows how much to do a simple fix to my car, but thanks to the people I have met through Outlier Crossfit, my friend was able to bring a few of his tools over and help me fix it in less than hour an at no cost to me. It is these friendships and people that I have met that have made the transition from living at home and moving to a new place feel less like a big move and more like traveling to another part of the family.

Just the other day, I was in the gym talking with a guy whom I had known in the gym for about six months and came to find out he has been involved in the industry of environmental engineering which happens to my major and the field I am currently looking for a job in when I graduate in May. Here we are a few weeks later and he has gone out of his way and helped me more than I could have ever imagined to get me involved in the field and find a job which can prove to be a daunting task for a graduating college student. I never planned on meeting people like I did in coming to CrossFit, but I am forever thankful for the people I have met because as a result, all aspects of being a student have become easier and more developed by CrossFit itself and those involved in it.

By: Andrew Dunavent