Hey,

USC's been great so far, I've been  wearing shorts every day and getting a nice tan.  The training's a  lot different, but I can already tell it's helping, and the  atmosphere's great.  There're so many fast guys here, it's hard not  to have really high expectations.  I mean, we hang out with Larsen  Jensen and Klete Keller all the time.  Anyways, hope things back home  are going good, I'll be sure to stop by when I'm back in town.  Here're the answers to your interview:

Did swimming in college enhance your social life during the first  couple of months?

-Yes and no.  No because swimming is such a huge commitment and most  people just don't understand it.  If it was a class it'd be 20 units  or more, so that doesn't leave a whole lot of time or energy for  socializing.  The 5:30am wake up time doesn't help either especially  when most kids don't even start to think about going out until around  9 or 10pm.  On the flip side, all the guys on the team are SUPER  tight.  We're practically brothers.  We spend all the time together.  I'm going up to one kid's house in Reno for thanksgiving, and we're  planning a summer fishing trip to my friend's lake house in Montana.  The fact that we're too committed to socialize with a lot of other  people makes that much closer.  I'd have to lean more toward the yes  side of this question though, I'd rather have 20 best friends than  200 acquaintances.


How do you like your classes?

-Haha, it's still class.  I like most of my professors, but I'm in  mostly intro level classes and we haven't started doing the fun stuff  yet.  I'm taking some pretty interesting things next semester though  so that should be a bit more exciting.

How is time management work when you are trying to include class,  social life and swimming?

-I learned really quick that procrastination will kill you.  You just  have to be really clear with yourself.  That whole "it'll be fine if  I do this essay tomorrow morning before class" stuff just doesn't cut  it anymore.  There are a lot fewer assignments, so each one is worth  more and the teachers expect you to put that much more effort into  it.  The swimming piece makes it harder, but there're also a lot of  resources available to athletes, you just have to make sure to take  advantage of them and stay on top of your work.

Any advice for our current senior class?

-Get your applications done early, it'll be a lot less stressful  later on.  Also, make sure you take time to really enjoy senior year.  Don't be one of those kids that are too eager to get out of high  school that you start hating it.  Yeah you've got a lot more freedom  in college, but you can never go back to high school, and there will  definitely be some things that you miss about it.

What do you love most about the college/university that you attend?

-Everything.  Football, LA, the sun, the beach, the smog, the girls.  I love being a part of something that's bigger than me.


Enjoy,

-Nick Buckles

Question -  Did swimming in college enhance your social life during the first couple of months?

Yes. As it turns out I have two very distinct groups of friends, swimmers and dorm mates. The swimmers are a lot of fun and my other friends allow me to take a break from the athletic scene. It's a greatest up.

Question -  What is the biggest difference when it comes to College swimming vs. Club and high school swimming?

The biggest difference is probably the training. We use equipment, and we specialize a lot more. I like the training a lot and everything seems much less intense then it did in high school because your practices fit into the times which work for a college student (as opposed to the times when the pools are available)

Question -  How do you like your classes?

I love my classes. Wheaton prepared me very well and I would tell any seniors not to sweat the academics for next year. The discussions and lectures are challenging and somewhat obscure at times, but it's so interesting and you have so many amazing resources available to you.

Question -  How is time management work when you are trying to include class, social life and swimming?

I've been fine. I am tired a lot of the time, but what's new? The hardest part is being in a dorm where everyone goes to sleep at 2 am and you have to get to sleep in time for 6 am practice. As far as a social life I've had no problems balancing everything. I do spend a lot more time working on homework though.

Question - Any advice for our current senior class?

Enjoy your senior year and go with your gut about where to go next year, it worked out perfectly for me.

Question -  What do you love most about the college/university that you attend?

The classes and the opportunities available to me.  I had a discussion the other day with author of Freakonomics, the book we are reading in class. It was amazing! And one of my professors is a noble laureate this year. Can you beat that? I also love being in the city and living on my own.

Hope this helps! Happy Halloween and tell everyone I say GOOD LUCK AT
SECTIONALS and I miss the girls!
Sarah