Before writing for Odyssey, I never was given the opportunity to write for fun. In classes, professors assign research papers, reflections, movie reviews and anything involving writing that most students don't like. We are never given the opportunity to write about something that interests us, a personal experience or even our favorite Netflix show. Writing for Odyssey gives college students the chance to write about anything they want, whether it's their school, their family or something very personal to them. Being an Odyssey writer lets us have freedom in our writing; we're not confined to a specific research topic or novel. Here are the reasons why I love writing for Odyssey:

1. Freedom.

In school, I never get to write about anything I want. Professors always assign a topic or give us a book to read that we have to write our papers on. Odyssey gives us the freedom to write about anything we want, allowing us to express ourselves.

2. Publish my own writing.

Odyssey is a great website to get work published on. Almost all college students read articles from here, and it's a great way to get your thoughts out there. There's nothing better than seeing the number of shares go up each week.

3. Experience.

I am an English major, but I never was given the chance to write about whatever I wanted in my classes. Odyssey provides college students with the opportunity to gain experience in writing for something that is unstructured where I do not have to follow a specific topic or assignment sheet.

4. Improve my writing skills.

Throughout college, many students struggle with writing papers for classes, especially the editing process. I myself have gone to the writing center on campus several times, just to do better on my papers. By writing for Odyssey, I am now improving my writing skills. I am submitting weekly articles, which I edit myself before turning them in. Writing for Odyssey has given me the chance to accept constructive criticism from editors and to understand the writing, editing and publishing process.