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Pros & Cons of Full-Time Blogging While Studying

Happy young blogger with red lips in hat with wide brim and stylish coat typing outdoors on laptop in the autumn park
Written by CB Community

Blogging while studying can be a great hobby. But there are pros & cons of full-time blogging while studying. Therefore, before deciding whether or not to go full-time blogging, the advantages and disadvantages of blogging should be considered first.

One of the many ways students can earn money while studying is by setting up a student’s blog. This online work for students enables them to not only make money blogging, but also share their thoughts and experiences with an audience. This may seem enticing, but before you decide to become a professional blogger while studying, it is important for you to know the pros & cons. Student blogging is not as glamorous as it sounds, and knowing the pros and cons of blogging will help you make a decision.

Advantages of Blogging for Students

  • Income. One of the benefits of blogging is that it allows you to earn money. Bloggers earn money by receiving payment for advertisements. The more popular a blog is among readers, the higher the revenue that a blogger receives. Blogging is, therefore, a great source of income while still in school, especially since the cost of college has been rising, and may cost as much as $25,000 a year.

 

  • Sponsorships. Apart from earning money, blogging can benefit you by receiving sponsorships. For instance, bloggers who have massive followers can be tapped by companies to do collaborations, such as in the case of travel bloggers getting asked by tourism agencies for feature articles, or food bloggers getting invited to do reviews by restaurants.

 

  • Work Experience. Another advantage of blogging is having an early start with acquiring working experience. As blogging can be a full-time job, it can teach many competencies that will benefit you in the long run. These can include self-discipline, creativity, and writing and communication skills among others. Furthermore, according to an article by Chron, blogging helps develop critical and analytical skills. In fact, the Huffington Post states that a solid blogging experience can be added to your portfolio once you graduate.

 

  • Self-Exploration. While the basic purpose of blogging is to connect with your readers by sharing content, it is also a way to explore who you are as a person. As you answer the question “What should I blog about?”—whether it’s information, your thoughts or feelings, or new experiences—you also get to know who you are as a person. Blogging is essentially a form of self-reflection.

 

  • Inspire Change. Finally, one of the advantages of blogging is that it can help you inspire change. Blogging for students is not just about earning money or beefing up your resume; it is also about using your blog as a platform for advancing innovative ideas and promoting progress. For instance, your blog can serve as a forum for discussion of social issues, or as a means for raising awareness regarding problems faced by you or your audience. In this case, you need to learn some tips on choosing a topic for a speech to determine the best subject for discussion with your audience.

Disadvantages of Blogging for Students

  • Time-Consuming. One of the major disadvantages of blogging is that it can be time-consuming. Like a full-time job, it requires you to devote time to blogging-related activities like brainstorming for content, researching, and everything that goes into the writing process including drafting, editing, and proofreading. Because of all these, blogging can take your time away from your studies and put your academic performance at risk.

 

  • Conflicting Schedules. Another disadvantage of blogging is that it can cause conflicts in your schedule. Though most bloggers control the amount of time they spend, there are instances when blogging may get in the way of your other activities, especially if it takes you away from school, such as in the case of travel bloggers.

 

  • Success Takes Time. Blogging is similar to a business in that it takes time to reap the benefits of your hard work. It may take months before you start to have a substantial following, and perhaps even longer before you reach your target income. If earning right away is your goal, then full-time blogging in college might not be the option for you as a working student.

 

  • It’s a Lonely Job. Because blogging is time-consuming, the blogging lifestyle can be very busy. Expect your social life to be at a minimum as you may have little time to spend in social gatherings, group studies, or extracurricular activities. Consider your computer as your constant companion.

 

  • Learning SEO. One answer to the question “how to be a professional student blogger” is SEO, or search engine optimization. SEO is a set of techniques in writing content that can improve the visibility of your blog and expand your readership. The catch? SEO can be complicated, and the techniques constantly change due to the dynamic nature of the internet, which means you have a lot of learning to do. For instance, Forbes reported on new SEO trends that emerged just this year.

Should Students Start Blog or Not?

Given the advantages and disadvantages of blogging, the ultimate question is “should students blog?” The answer depends on you. On the one hand, having a blog for students can provide you with income and sponsorships, work experience, and a way to know yourself and influence others. On the other hand, it is a time-consuming and demanding job that may distract you from performing well at school. But not all college students are in the same situation. While some can afford to blog, others may not be as free to do so. In the end, you need to review the pros & cons of full-time blogging while studying to know whether it is the right choice for you.

For more great topics on all things related to college life, check out the other blogs on College Basics.

About the author

CB Community

Passionate members of the College Basics community that include students, essay writers, consultants and beyond. Please note, while community content has passed our editorial guidelines, we do not endorse any product or service contained in these articles which may also include links for which College Basics is compensated.