Somewhere between my sophomore and junior years of college, my Facebook news feed became inundated with articles written by talented writers on Odyssey. I took great pleasure in reading pieces written by fellow students that resonated with me and my life. It was captivating to see my own experiences reflected in the writing of others and I always looked forward to the next article to read.

At the time, I didn’t know how Odyssey worked, and I assumed you had to be part of a group or club at your respective university to write for Odyssey. However, this idea came crashing down when I saw a post from a friend inviting others to apply to become writers for Odyssey. I immediately reached out to her and asked a plethora of questions regarding what writing for Odyssey would entail.

In the summer after my junior year, I decided it was now or never. I applied to become a writer for Odyssey and it has been the best decision I’ve made to date.

Writing for Odyssey has been personally rewarding. I don’t do it for the shares or views. I don’t do it in the hopes my articles go viral or I gain a ‘fan-base’ because of my writing. Rather, I write to share my ideas and stories with others.

Those who write for Odyssey truly care about the work they produce and write to spread their thoughts, and I absolutely love what I do. My Odyssey community has also introduced me to some of the most wonderful people at my university, most of whom I wouldn’t have met otherwise.

Moreover, writing for Odyssey has helped me improve my own writing. Coming up with interesting stories to produce and creating a meaningful relationship between my experiences and the experiences of others, has forced me to write with a broad audience in mind. With weekly deadlines, I am constantly thinking of new stories to write and this has kept me more accountable and I’ve learned to manage my time around my writing as well.

If you’re considering writing for Odyssey, you should.

Yet, keep a few things in mind. If you want to do it for the fame, hundreds of shares and a loyal following behind your writing, then you should look elsewhere. Though, if you’re passionate about sharing your ideas for the sake of writing and being a more creative individual, then writing for Odyssey is the right choice for you.