You’re probably reading the title and thinking "Come on Meredith, you’re a writer for Odyssey. That obviously makes you biased." That's true, but let me explain.

A few months back, an acquaintance of mine uploaded a “finsta” (fake Instagram) post that included several complaints about Odyssey. Although I don’t remember exactly what they said, the gist of the post concerned how annoying Odyssey posts can be.

And honestly? I completely agree that they can be annoying.

So many articles use blatant clickbait, offensive language, and controversial topics for the sole purpose of starting arguments. I’ve seen titles as ridiculous as comparing a hot dog and hamburger when trying to talk about the gender vs. sex issue. Many of my own articles have covered sexist, racist, and generally horrible articles that arguably shouldn't have been posted.

In addition, many complain that the articles are poorly written, not edited, and all around a waste of readers time.

My suggestion? Don’t read them.

I've personally seen all the work that my community's editors put into our articles. And when I joined the executive board as the Community Health Manager, I saw how much effort and attention gets put into fixing even the smallest errors.

I think Odyssey has had some faults in the past year, but that is not a representation of the entire organization. When I was interviewed for my position on the executive board and began working with my editor-in-chief, the first thing we discussed was how we truly wanted to turn the stigma around. We wanted editors to communicate with writers so their writing improved, and we wanted writers to think of stronger topics that’ll catch readers eyes without becoming clickbait.

In my own Odyssey community, I have yet to see an offensive, poorly written, or all-around uneducated article. I have been an Odyssey Creator for around 8 months now, and as a writing major it only has improved my writing. Odyssey forced me to pick up my laptop and bang out a 500-word paper weekly. It taught me to think critically, work with others, and speak my feelings. Odyssey gave me a voice I may not be able to have anywhere else.

Odyssey has kickstarted my writing career. I’m now an editor for a magazine on my campus, a consistent writer for another, and on my way to even bigger and better things. And I have Odyssey to thank for that.

So frankly, I’m not sorry that Odyssey annoys you. But I am sorry that you haven’t found something like Odyssey that can create such a wonderful community and overall experience.

Every social media platform has its quirks. YouTube has clickbait, Twitter has racist, sexist, and homophobic content. Yes, maybe once in awhile some inexperienced writers will post an annoying piece on some sorority or something that doesn’t quite matter, but nobody is perfect.

I will keep writing, because that’s what I believe in, despite a few hiccups.

Thank you for reading, here's a "Friends" gif to lighten the mood.