I remember repudiating once the popular claim that ‘Blogging is for all’. I stand by my opinion that ‘Blogging is NOT for all’. However I strongly believe that blogging is a must for:
• Students
• Teachers
• Parents
• Small business owners
• IT professionals
• Unemployed people
• Ardent travelers
• Artists that include actors, musicians and fine artists
The list would be too big to include every other; anyone and everyone who believes in sharing their beliefs, ideas, information, skills and knowledge should blog.
Blogging requires passion to share and passion to learn. Don’t you think students should fall into this category if not already in? Students, especially college students are willing learners of new technology, new ideas and are equally adept in sharing them with their friends. That is why I strongly advocate them to enter into the world of blogging which is also known as blogosphere.
I have been a blogger since 2005. I have noticed active involvement in blogging among students of western countries. I am sad to know that Indian students are not so active when it comes to blogging though they are enthusiastic social activists. I mean students of India are keen participants in social media sites that include FaceBook, Twitter etc. They are quick to catch up with new social networking site as soon as it launched which indicates clearly their interest in sharing and learning.
I give below several reasons why a student should blog:
1. Though politically I am an Indian, I firmly believe I am a global citizen. Blogging was the reason for this concept. Students can reach out to frontiers hitherto unknown to them through blogs. Trust me, I am saying with deep conviction.
2. Students are a special race. They live as if they belong to others and strive to impress others with their appearance, style, knowledge, skill and achievements. Blogs act as perfect platform to showcase these qualities and attitudes.
3. Blogging opens up and brings global readers. Blogging is no longer just for the self but the whole world. For example, when you blog about new findings in the healthcare industry, experts in the same field reverts back to you asking you questions that put you in direct contact with scientists!
4. When students write a blog post about a book they are reading, other students ask them questions and also recommend books on similar subject.
5. Vacationing at popular holiday destinations is frequent among students. Blogging about such vacations, food and lodging, places to see, is fun and would expose students to blogs of similar nature.
6. Electronic conversations appeal to students more than to anybody else. They pickup English vocabulary; learn to apply new phrases in their writing.
7. Students who blog tend to build up smoother rapport with their teachers. Opening a dialogue, students connect to their teachers directly; ask doubts that they are not free to do so in classrooms. I would say blogging helps them to teach each other outside the confines of the classroom.
8. We read about global citizens, we speak about global collaborations but do we sincerely put in effort towards them? Create a blog on such lines and see how many people across the world reach up to you offering suggestions, acknowledging ideals. Blogging opens the doors for profitable collaboration in education and career.
9. Blogs give students a voice that has high frequency to reach remote corners of the world. Through blog students tell the world their thoughts on modern education, their learning needs and methods.
10. Blogging requires persistency to attract global readers. Blogging helps students to build up their determination and perseverance through quality content, frequent posts and comments on blogs of likeminded people.
11. I have a blog since 2006 on earning money online. Thus far, I have written 1063 posts, each averaging about 150 words. That equals to 160 thousand words. I think I could have written a thesis. As on date, this blog is ranking number one on Google search results for the title keywords, “Income Opportunities”. I am just saying that persistency pays. As somebody said, blogging is a marathon, not a sprint.
12. Blogging certainly improves your writing skills and language. Let us accept a fact; English is not our mother tongue. Since it is highly imperative to achieve a certain level of proficiency in English, Indian students should improve their English grammar and vocabulary. A dictionary in hand or an ear to the BBC is not enough. Reading blogs of native English people is absolutely essential. If you come across blogs of them related to your field of interest would greatly help in improving English language.
13. Blogging improves your creativity in several ways like blog designs, templates, layouts, color combination, font style and size, images insertion and video clips placement. I am telling you from my experience as a blogger, you would be amazed at your knowledge of creativity after one year of blogging.
14. Confidence level shoots up to great heights which you believed is not possible for you till date. Of course, every blogger would be intimidated at the beginning; no one is an exception. However, persistent blogging on subjects and topics that excite you would certainly build your confidence on your fields of interest.
15. If you have strong opinions about the politicians should run your country, you can blog about it and it will surely attract politicians and the news media. You get connected with them and you can become a successful political journalist or even a politician!
16. Developing organizational skills comes naturally to bloggers. You need to search the Internet for information required to blog. In the process, you have to note down the resourceful web sites from where you gather information, have to store them in your hard disc in such a way to retrieve it quickly when needed. Such information organizing comes handy to students while preparing for information, participating in seminar and building resumes.
17. You can earn money! Yes, I mean it. Who doesn’t need money these days? Students are always short of cash-right? Blogging pays and it can be really big, as big as a king’s salary provided you learn all the aspects of blogging including researching the Internet on subjects, composing a keyword rich blog post and promoting it to the targeted readers across the world.
Watch this slide show about how to earn money by blogging.
I have helped a musician to create his blog to showcase his concerts and skills, a microfinance professional to let the world know the opportunities that exist for self-help women group and a passionate travel blogger who blogs his travelogues.
Myriad people from diverse fields find blogging as an ideal platform to launch their business, offer their services and be available for business opportunities 24/7. Of late, I have helped a bunch of engineering graduates to create their blogs in which they blog about their research and development in Robotics that they were desperately looking for ways to let the world know.
I once published an article for Technorati.com, Internet’s number one blog search engine. The article was titled, “The Power of Blogging for politicians”.
Students are very intelligent these days when it comes to Internet skills. If only they convert their online time to productive uses, they can become assets to their parents.
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