Shooting pool at college

You can still play a lot of pool and still go to college and get out with good grades and a good game. I earned a bachelors and a masters in Engineering and neither suffered. As many other posters have already stated, it is all in how you schedule your time. What you will have to avoid is spending every other night at the pool hall till a late hour. It will kill your study time and prevent you from being sharp in class the next day. What I did, was play for an hour or two several days a week at the student union's pool room during breaks between classes. The rates were really cheap and it was great way to take a break from studying. Then, once a week I would go out and play in a local tournament in the evening. Also, as a final note, I don't play as well as any of the pros I know. But, I can say that structural engineering pays a LOT better than professional pool. Stay in school!
 
Having gone through this twice (2 degrees) here are my 2 cents:

1) Limit your play; extend your study. You can have a job in the future that can allow you to play more; especially if you own the company! ;o)

I have a friend that is a jam up player that is 7 classes away from a degree that started down that path and has not gone back yet. It makes me sick!

2) Just to keep you in stroke or in competative play, find a league to join or a weekly tournament to play in. Maybe your university has one or the other or both.

For what it's worth!

JMD in VA
 
Well, as long as you can still do well practice all that you can. If you manage your time well you can get in 2 hours a day I bet. Of course tests may make you skip a day or two here and there but..............

Eric.
 
BWTadpole said:
Well, this is going to be my second collegiate year shooting pool, and a second summer full of playing 5+ times a week. The only real concern I have with going back to school is that I will most likely have to practice less for money and time reasons. I didn't worry about this last year, because I had just started playing that summer, but now that I'm a bit more rooted in the game, I feel concerned about its effects on my skill level.

Does anyone have any suggestions or words of advice for playing during a school year?
Click to expand...

Having been in your shoes (sort of) and at the same school, I would advise against what I did which was play too much pool. Work on managing your time right and striking the right ballance. If you can pull that off, and not many can, that skill alone will serve you well in the future.

One other thing, having a non-pool playing girlfriend (actually this applies to friends in general) might be tough, find a pool player like I did.
 
Hi,

What is your major?

I don't see a problem if students enjoy a few hours of pool just like any other sports or activities.

We need to bring pool into school.
 
cuetable said:
Hi,

What is your major?

I don't see a problem if students enjoy a few hours of pool just like any other sports or activities.

We need to bring pool into school.
Click to expand...

I'm a MechE major, just going into the second year.

I really like the league idea that was brought up JMD. There was a TAP league around last year, so maybe I'll try to get into the next one. Anyone at Champaign know when the Jillian's leagues start back up?
 
i can offer my 2 cents here:

I'm getting ready to start my 4th year (of 5 years) in an Architecture Design major...a very very demanding major. I odnt know if any of you know about Architecture school but you pretty much live in your design studios - spend many a late nights there.

Anyways - I've been playing for about 6 years now but only really started getting serious about my play about a year and a half ago during my sophmore year in school. I spent a large amount of time playing in the student union at night until close (11pm on weekdays) and then would walk across the courtyard to the design studios to work until 1 or 2am.

I've changed those ways somewhat - I've now gotten to become good friends with the owner of the local pool room and make use of their $5 special during the days. In terms of class, on Tuesday and Thursday I was done by 2 or 3pm and would go hit up the pool room until 7 or 8pm for only $5.

And, with having this time kind of "set out" I was able to forego it if I was busy with school/ studio - or, use it if i was stressed out/ frustrated with studio.

Pool can be a good stress reliever in school - no question about it. Like everyone else said - find a GOOD room close to your dorm, apartment, house, whatever - maybe even one that you can walk to. help keep off that freshman 15. and then get to know the regulars - the owners or the managers if its a chain (like jillians) and let them know and realize that you're serious about your play. sometimes this will work in your favor with something as simple as them chipping in and paying your table time or possibly even backing you in a money match/ tournament. (i've had this done for me simply by networking and getting to know the room owner)

Good luck with school and stay in the game - but keep it sensible.
 
BWTadpole said:
I'm a MechE major, just going into the second year.

I really like the league idea that was brought up JMD. There was a TAP league around last year, so maybe I'll try to get into the next one. Anyone at Champaign know when the Jillian's leagues start back up?
Click to expand...

The only caution I would give you about joining a league is select your team wisely. Some teams only get together to drink and bang balls around with lil desire of going far. Others, are solid teams, but ask their players to dump/lose so the team as a whole makes it to the playoffs where then you may be allowed to play at speed. I speak of this from experience. Not trying to say bad things about league's, this or that. Just for what you are trying to do-keep pool in your routine while at school-unless you get on a team were you can achieve your goals/push your limits while not having to lay down, you may get discouraged or think it's a waste of time. Verses tournaments or even a couple hours of money games between studies.

Just a thought.
ez
 
StraightPoolIU said:
I don't know what your schedule or your campus is like, but the way I did it was I got a job working in the poolhall in the student union. I worked a few hours a week and I got to shoot all the free pool I wanted. Also, I maintain that shooting a lot of pool and getting good grades are not mutually exclusive. I probably shot more pool than I ever have when I was in college and graduated magna cum laude. College students have an insane amount of free time. Shoot pool between classes at the union. Shoot pool now while you're in college because you won't have nearly as much time when you're working in the real world. IMHO
Click to expand...
I did this too -- it is really where I learned to shoot.
I graduated with honors, but it did take me an extra year :) (but I also built my own house during the two part-time years that pushed me to the five year plan...) I didn't do graduate school.

Here's my hard earned advice:
1/ When you set up your class schedule, also plan your study schedule, and your recreational schedule (pool) and then stick with your plan.

2/ Plan to do a lot of your studying in blocks of time between classes, and do it in the library or labs, depending on the courses -- the important thing is to do your studuying in a study-friendly environment -- dorms often are not.
3/ Don't skip classes to play pool.
4/ Always align yourself with some kind of 'study buddy' -- not someone you are attracted to, nor someone who is fun -- you are looking for the studious type that takes good notes and does well academically.
5/ Always establish a relationship with your professor -- not to 'brown nose' but rather to make sure they know who you are and that you are sincerely interested in their class. If they are convinced of that, then they will help you succeed -- it is probably why they went into the teaching field!

Good luck and stay focused -- your pool game will improve too!!
 
BWTadpole said:
I'm a MechE major, just going into the second year.
Click to expand...
MechE? Pshhh...you'll have all the time in the world to play pool. I thought maybe you'd be foolish enough to major in EE. ;)
 
jsp said:
.....be foolish enough to major in EE. ;)
Click to expand...

You called ?

Dave, didn't play much pool at the U, but drank like a pool player :D :eek:
 
I played pool at the University Of Dayton "UD FLYERS" yeah..

I got a chance to play on the billiard team...was a walk on..i walked up to the pool room/bowling area of UD and the Billiard team was playing i walked up to the only free table and started shooting ...the coach of the team..walked up to me and said you shoot pretty good would you like to take a look at our practice..i said sure..well 30 min later me and the Billiard team Captain played a race to 9 and i beat him 9 to 5, the coach was so excited to have me want to play..he later that night offered me a small scholorship..about a 400 dollar stake but to me that was like 4000 since i was all alone in ohio..to bad i caught GBS and was in the hospital for 3 1/2 months .. a pitty i didnt ever get a chance to run in to Corey Duel in ohio when i lived there i used to go to airway and someother pool rooms in Dayton. oh well.
 
pool

1pocket said:
I did this too -- it is really where I learned to shoot.
I graduated with honors, but it did take me an extra year :) (but I also built my own house during the two part-time years that pushed me to the five year plan...) I didn't do graduate school.

Here's my hard earned advice:
1/ When you set up your class schedule, also plan your study schedule, and your recreational schedule (pool) and then stick with your plan.

2/ Plan to do a lot of your studying in blocks of time between classes, and do it in the library or labs, depending on the courses -- the important thing is to do your studuying in a study-friendly environment -- dorms often are not.
3/ Don't skip classes to play pool.
4/ Always align yourself with some kind of 'study buddy' -- not someone you are attracted to, nor someone who is fun -- you are looking for the studious type that takes good notes and does well academically.
5/ Always establish a relationship with your professor -- not to 'brown nose' but rather to make sure they know who you are and that you are sincerely interested in their class. If they are convinced of that, then they will help you succeed -- it is probably why they went into the teaching field! what aiming system did you use???

Good luck and stay focused -- your pool game will improve too!!
Click to expand...
 
Skip class to play pool as long as you can still get straight A's.

I did, and then I spent 3 1/2 years just playing pool after college, then got my M.A. from Columbia and my C.Phil. and Ph.D. from UCLA. I also managed to win the ACUI regional four years in a row in California and finish in the top four all four years at the nationals. Oh, and I beat this year's ACUI national champ giving him the 8-ball two weeks before he won the nationals.

So, like I said, skip class to play pool as long as you can still get straight A's.
 
You just have to manage and deal. I shoot pool at my college in my spare time. I'm a top shot in the school, but I try to make arrangements to play a guy named Frank who works in the area. He's been shooting pool for like 40 years, and pretty much makes me pay for each mistake I make.

Try to find someone in the area thats just as good//better than you and make arrangements to always play them. This way, even though you might be playing and practicing less, each session is a little more intense than just practicing drills by yourself.
 
BWTadpole said:
Well, this is going to be my second collegiate year shooting pool, and a second summer full of playing 5+ times a week. The only real concern I have with going back to school is that I will most likely have to practice less for money and time reasons. I didn't worry about this last year, because I had just started playing that summer, but now that I'm a bit more rooted in the game, I feel concerned about its effects on my skill level.

Does anyone have any suggestions or words of advice for playing during a school year?
Click to expand...

You have to take your head out of the books every once in a while. Way back when, I played a little pool and a lot of pinball while still managing to get a 4.0. In the junior college I attended, I won the school championship and thereby earned a trip to the regional finals in Delaware. It was a blast and when I think back to my college experience I remember the trip to Delaware and very little about Jung and Freud.
 
acedotcom said:
You have to take your head out of the books every once in a while. Way back when, I played a little pool and a lot of pinball while still managing to get a 4.0. In the junior college I attended, I won the school championship and thereby earned a trip to the regional finals in Delaware. It was a blast and when I think back to my college experience I remember the trip to Delaware and very little about Jung and Freud.
Click to expand...

Freud couldn't run three balls.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top