Bittersweet End

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As the semester wraps up so do my blog requirements. One of which, this post, is to explain how my experience blogging throughout the semester has been, and how using social media to promote myself has helped me and how it has not, and what it has taught me.

Truthfully, when I heard I would have to create a blog and be forced to keep up with it over the semester I thought about dropping the class – no lie. I didn’t understand blogging, I thought it was just people going on rants. I was pleasantly mistaken. I didn’t really see the beauty in self-expression through blogging until recently. It has been my relief through finals, to be honest. When I would get really stressed out I would edit one of my blogs or post a new one and it would calm me down. Except for the other day when my computer froze after I had spent an hour and a half perfecting my new blog post and I lost every bit of it. Other than that (small now but huge before) mishap I have grown to love it. Not going to lie, I had to look to other links on how to get started (10 Social Media Tips for Bloggers) helped me the most.

I think what people don’t understand about blogs and blogging is that it is the pure freedom to be whoever you choose to be. You can talk about whatever you want, whoever you want, and write a book about it on your blog if you wanted to, and that’s okay. In fact, it’s pretty normal. With social media it’s quite a bit more restricted. Unless you’re one of those annoying lengthy posters on Facebook, in which case, I recommend blogs. Earlier in the semester I would take five minutes to post a blog and be done with it and now I really put time and effort into them. I was nervous to really open up at first because I have always been what I like to call a “closet” volunteer. I never really told people about this side of me and how much it means to me until now and it has really brought me closer to a lot of people. After positive feedback I am trying to really develop my voice and build a following so I can convey my absolute passion for volunteering to others.

Thanks to social media it has allowed me to promote my baby blog in the making.  I had no intention of ever keeping it until I had people start texting me asking when I was going to update my blog or when I was going to post something new, and if they could post it on their twitters or share it on Facebook for their friends and followers to see as well. It inspired me to keep it (however, now I don’t have class requirements and I haven’t decided if that’s good or bad yet). Apparently, people enjoy hearing me talk about how to get involved and things I have gone through as a volunteer. I just have to keep reminding myself to keep up with it and post on my twitter about it regularly.

I had been shying away from the organization that grounded me and I had no idea how to get back into the swing of things. I got the wild hare to post on my blog and on Twitter that I was looking to start a UNICEF group on campus (See Thought Leaders/Volunteers Wanted for details) and I am slowly but surely getting emails from people excited to get involved and wanting to know more. I wasn’t expecting that at all, but I am thrilled to watch it unfold, which is another reason I have decided to keep blogging. I want to share with everyone how to start a club on campus or at your school and my experiences throughout to give anyone that extra little push they need to get going. I just want to inspire people to be better because everyone has the capacity to be an amazing person.

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From a business standpoint I think it could potentially serve as a second resume or say things about myself and my character that weren’t properly portrayed in an interview. Especially seeing as my original plan has always been to get my Masters degree and work at the corporate offices for UNICEF. I have one foot in the door from networking from my UNICEF trips to the corporate offices in high school and have people waiting for me to graduate and I think this is only going to help me network more.

With that, I say goodbye to blog requirements and cheers to holiday break.

Be on the lookout for upcoming posts from being home!

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