The diaries we tried to keep as kids gave us a creative outlet and always allowed us the opportunity to be honest with ourselves. We'd be diligent about filling in the lines every day, until it became every other day, until we inevitably forgot about it. This is considering the fact that no one read them; but what if someone did? Blogging has become a huge part of many people’s lives in the age of Web 2.0. In 2012, the number of blogs live online was estimated at 31 million, but we all know that they number has only grown since then.
Now, what about those who blog only for a specific purpose and not just about their every day thoughts? Some use blogs like out of touch grandparents use Facebook: posting about the casserole they just made or their point of view on how scandalous Kim’s latest selfie was. Other’s use it to document some of the most important points or events in their lives. As college students, this mostly includes our studies and our journey into adulthood. Part of being an adult is growing in not only knowledge, but also self-awareness and cultural respect. What better way to do so than actually immersing yourself in another culture?
Along their personal road to adulting, 290,000 American students studied abroad in 2013; similar to blogs, that number has been growing over the years. These two growing statistics relate to each other more than one would think. Moving back to the topic of the diaries we kept as kids for a few days, these blogs help students not only make a digital memory book to look back on, but also can provide other possible study abroad students with helpful information so that they may make their own informed decision about their chosen study abroad experience. True, they are too often filled with terrible puns, posed pictures, and terribly awkward stories about their host families.
Despite this, keeping a study abroad blog can be beneficial when demonstrating writing and organizational skills when applying for jobs. When an employer asks for a sample of work you have or what projects you've been apart of, hit them with your URL. BAM; on the spot samples. Or think about how your parents probably want a play by play of your day when you’re trying to save minutes on your unfortunate T-Mobile plan; an update a day keeps the parents at bay. With pictures, captions, and speedy wifi posting, the frantic calls and waste of data could be a thing of the past.
The best advice I can give to you as someone who has started their own study abroad blog is: ignore the “friends” you have who hate on the cliche of study abroad blogs and own the fact that you are there, why hide it? You’re abroad, it is a necessity to capture every moment (and never be afraid to add a little bit of cheese in the middle)!
