Teens Meet Outreach

You’re getting home after an 8 and a half hour day at school and you drop your heavy book bag at the foot of your study table. You lay on the bed to rest for a few minutes and wish you can snag a nap but you can’t because you have to complete your 2 essays that are due the next day and your part of the group project, due at the end of the week.

Let’s face it, school, at whatever academic level, is always stressful and we all wish a lot of things just to avoid doing the work. Like opening your brain and depositing all the information you need to succeed in life, or easier, waking up and finding yourself living in your dream house, working at your dream job and just having everything you’re currently educating yourself for. My favorite is going through the stressful learning process and actually enjoying it. Yes, there are a few of us like that.

Time and again, we wish we could have something outside of school and academics that could serve as a getaway for us for a while. (You can’t deny your occasional imaginations of vacations you can’t afford). But can blogging possibly be the getaway?

Well, let’s define the word, shall we? According to dictionary.com, the full meaning of the word “blog” is “weblog”, it means consistently logging activities, thoughts, opinions, and events on the web. It’s also referred to as an online journal, which makes it largely about the author – his/her life, ideals, likes/dislikes, and so on. Participating in blogging activities makes you a blogger.

As a blogger, you get to write, or better still, log (because a blog doesn’t always have to involve writing) things that are of interest to you and the list is endless. If eating is the best thing that has ever happened to you or watching movies excite you; if you love animals, or you just enjoy fashion design, you can definitely blog about these things and that’s the fun part of blogging. What better way to relieve yourself of academic stress than, for a while, focusing on things you love, things that make you happy? You get to take your mind off school work for a while and help educate other people with the information you post online. I think that’s really cool.

However, blogging might not be as easy as it sounds. Depending on your goals for the blog, it can be another commitment, just like your academics. As much as it can be a hobby, blogging is a full-time job for others and therefore is taken seriously. It involves consistency and sound content and as you build readership and followers, you begin to feel obligated to update your blog and owe your readers good content even on days you don’t feel like it. This may sometimes feel like a burden in addition to academic stress.

Good content involves a professionally or standard website design, intellectual and interactive topics, accurate and fact-checked information and more. Whatever you’re blogging about, you want to make sure that your blog is a positive addition to the internet, with sound content that’ll equip people with the right information.

That being said, blogging as a student with a whole lot of coursework can be well-managed with good time and stress management skills. Consistency on your blog doesn’t always have to be every day or every week. Although weekly updates are usually advisable, it’s up to you to pick a time block that works well for you and stick to it. Say bi-weekly or even monthly. That way, readers who love your content, know when next to check again for new updates.

When you’re not updating your blog, interact with your readers and followers, no matter how much or little they are. Your aim for blogging might not solely be to have followers but when they come, try to keep them.

If you’ll be away from the internet for a while, maybe a huge exam coming up that you have to study for, put that out on the blog and set a time when you’ll be back. Reach out to other student or full-time bloggers to learn more and for the community.

Don’t forget, your academics are your priority and that shouldn’t suffer so manage your time well.

Take some time out to rest and maybe, treat yourself. It’s always worth it.

Happy blogging! 

Are you a student and a blogger? I’ll like to hear from you in the comments below.

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