There we were after every practice, 20 high school students of various sizes huddled together in the middle of the rink with our hockey sticks raised in the air.

Our captains would lead the gathered team in a tradition practiced for the past 20 years. Before leaving the ice, we would suck in the cold arena air, look above us into the teepee our united sticks would create and on the count of three, yell, “Hard work works!”

If our efforts were weak the first time, the captains would call everyone back in to shout it louder with more enthusiasm.

Those words rang through my head during every game. Skating down the ice, opportunities to catch a pass or get a shot past the goaltender would present themselves. If I wasn’t paying attention or was too tired to skate fast enough, someone else would catch that pass and shoot the puck instead of me.

Whatever happened was determined by the individual efforts of each of my teammates. We had to work hard to win.

I haven’t laced up my skates since last winter, but I was reminded of my hockey team’s phrase when I was eating lunch with a friend a couple days ago.

She talked about how difficult it is to be an engineering student and how she never has time to relax. She went on to claim communication students barely study and have all the time in the world to relax and socialize. As a journalism major, I hear this quite frequently.

Well, I am here to tell you something that will blow your mind. Ready? Communication students can have a challenging college experience, too. And like all majors, education can be challenging if you make it.

If you want to win and achieve your best, you follow through on every possible opportunity to do so. You remain dedicated and work hard to achieve the goals you set for yourself.

For engineering students looking to become the next Eugene Figg, a famous bridge engineer, you may need to stay in on Friday nights to study or experience a co-op internship with a civil engineering corporation.

Journalism students like myself can hone their writing skills by reviewing assignments with professors or interning with a news outlet or publication. Biology students can work in a lab, study with a tutor or even be a teacher’s assistant for a Marquette biology class.

No matter what your major is, the Marquette education is what you make it.

If “partying it up” is your motive, then chances are you will miss out on a vast number of learning opportunities. Marquette charges a pretty penny, so you might as well take advantage of it. An easy class doesn’t have to be easy, and even if attendance isn’t required, it is a smart move to show up anyway.

You have to prioritize what you are involved in and put education at the top of the list. Attend class, pay attention and take notes. Talk to other students. Get to know your teachers. Intern in your field. Join groups inside and outside of your major.

As Wayne Gretzky, the greatest hockey player of all time, said, “You miss 100 percent of the shots you don’t take.”

So, train hard. Take advantage of your legs and the stick in your hands, and when the puck comes to you in front of the net, wind up and blast it between the goalie’s legs into the back of the net.

As my hockey team says, “Hard work works,” and I believe it. Four years is a short time, but if you put effort into your studies and prioritize, much can be accomplished. What you get out of Marquette is up to you.