How to Start a Blog When Studying Abroad
April 30, 2012
•AIU Study Abroad, Information Technology (IT)
• 1 Comments
Starting a blog takes time and research, so it can be difficult to begin one while you’re already studying abroad. To make the process easier, try these tips for getting started quickly.
Decide where you want to post your blog. Does your school have a study abroad blog for students like you? Would you rather join an existing site for study abroad bloggers or create your own? Check out the following options.
- Join a study abroad site. Take a look at TheStudyAbroadBlog.com or StudyTourismAbroad.com if you’re interested in contributing to an existing study abroad blog. These sites can also serve as good examples to guide you when you start writing.
- Register at a general blog website. Creating an account at Blogger.com or Wordpress.com, for example, allows you to post without having to create your own website. It also can make you part of a large community of bloggers.
- Create a blog from scratch. To do this, you’ll have to register a unique domain name. You can try GoDaddy.com if you want them to host your content for a cheap monthly cost. Once you create your website, you can use a content management program such as WordPress to start posting. Starting your own page takes more effort, but it lets you maintain full control of your site.
Plan ahead. It seems like a silly tip to make sure you have an internet connection, but finding internet in another country always requires some research and decision-making.
Start by researching how common internet cafés are where you’ll be traveling. If you don’t want to part with your smartphone, find out the pricing for overseas service. Otherwise, try finding a phone once you arrive to ensure that it works in the country where you may be studying.
You may want to consider taking a netbook or small laptop. Ask yourself if you’d be able to keep it safe and whether you’d be willing to carry it around.
Get creative. To come up with topics, figure out which parts of your trip you’re most excited about. The more enthusiastic you are about your subject, the more engaging your writing could be.
Keep your posts concise and only blog if you have something specific to discuss. Focus on the highlights—don’t let your blog turn into a record of your daily activities.
Connect Your Camera. Whether you take pictures on your phone or a camera, make sure you have a way to transfer your images to your blog. Including photos is one of the best parts of blogging on a study abroad trip because it allows the people back home to see what you see.
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