Honors College Fellow Michael Fuhrman is a history and psychology double major from Bryant, Arkansas. As an Honors College intern who has entered (literally!) hundreds of student blog posts, he knows a thing or two about what makes for a good one — and why you should take the time to do it well. Read on …
So, one of two things happened to lead you here. You either had an incredible experience studying abroad, working an internship, or serving the community and want to communicate to the whole world how amazing your experience was, or you got some money from the Honors College and now they say you owe them.
Welcome to the world of blogs! Every grant or fellowship here at the University of Arkansas Honors College requires a post-experience write-up in which you outline your experience and prove to the Honors College that you used its funding ethically and productively. However, these blogs are not just clerical formalities that need to sit in some file never shown the light of day. Blog posts are a great opportunity to turn your experiences into marketable moments. Here are some reasons why blog posts are important and how they can be used in a professional way:
1. Serve as great addition to a LinkedIn profile
2. Articulate your experiences for interviews
3. Lay the groundwork for a personal portfolio
4. Showcase your abilities as a communicator
5. Demonstrate a diverse set of skills (especially for STEM or non-writing majors!)
Not only can your post give you a great example of your abilities to write and communicate effectively, it also gives you the chance to reflect on your experience and articulate how you would communicate the impact of these experiences in an interview. Here are some tips to make sure your blog posts leave an impression and show your personality:
1. Start in the action: leave the back story for later and get into the moment
2. Reflect on moments that stood out to you the most personally
3. Keep action as the guiding force moving through the story: try not to drone on specifics
4. Explain how this experience has changed your view of your field/the world/etc…
5. If you can, show how the skills/things you learned in this experience can apply to other sectors of your academic or professional life
Taking these blog posts seriously and giving yourself the time to create a product that you are proud of will not only give you better experience in communication skills but set a foundation for personal statements for graduate school, nationally competitive awards, and many other applications.
Be sure to take a dive into the Honors College Blog and Honors Stories to see a whole collection of blogs from Honors College students. But if you don’t want to look for yourself here are a few of my personal favorites:
- Sydney Nichols on the history and development of Crystal Bridge’s sister site The Momentary.
- Savannah Seupaul on nest hunting in Costa Rica.
- Mary Fuhrman on her study abroad in India with the TEXT Program.