For class this week, we had to research some already existing blogs that we found inspiring for a new project that we are working on. When given the task to come up with ideas for blogs we wanted to research, I already had one in mind. I immediately knew that I wanted to focus on a travel blog, but more specifically, a blog that was all about studying abroad. This is because this past summer I had the opportunity to travel abroad to London where I took a full course load and worked as a press assistant at a communications firm. I feel that I have a lot of knowledge and content to create a similar blog, so I took to google to find some inspiration.
One blog that I came across and found very interesting is called “The Study Abroad Blog” (http://thestudyabroadblog.com). This site offers a plethora of articles regarding all things that come with studying abroad. The target audience of this blog seems to be college students, which is made clear by all the tips and advice that the articles offer.
The cool thing about this blog is that it really offers advice for every aspect of studying abroad. From budgeting tips to what camera is best to bring, this blog site has it all.
One post that I found really interesting and helpful, coming from someone who has already studied abroad is one entitled “Transitioning Into Life Abroad” (http://thestudyabroadblog.com/transitioning-into-life-abroad/). I was initially hooked by this post because of the reliability of the title. As I have already previously mentioned, I have studied abroad and I know how difficulty the initial transition can be. That said, however, I think this would also hook others into reading this post because this is a major fear for those who are considering studying abroad.
The post itself talks a lot about the “W-curve” which also intrigued me because of my familiarity with this theory through my communications classes. Essentially, the w-curve focusing on transitioning into a new environment and how an individual adapts.
Overall, the tone of this article is great. It is relatable, comforting, and honest. Sometimes studying abroad can seem like a fantasized experienced, however it is not all sunshine and roses if you know what I mean. It can be very challenging at times. It’s an exhausting experience that will teach a person not only how to live in a new country, but it will also teach them a lot about themselves as a person. It will force the individual to grow and become a more open-minded person.
As for the layout of this post, I really enjoyed it. The actual text box of the post is quite tight with a nice sized font, so it makes it easy to read. At the end of the article, the post includes a brief biography of the author which is something I also enjoyed. It allows for the reader to get a better sense of who wrote the post, in turn adding to the comfort factor.
I will most definitely be using this site as a reference for my upcoming blog project. I enjoyed the quality of the writing mixed with the simple layout of the page. It was an easy read that I felt was very relatable.
Inspiration Log 