How to be the best student lifestyle blogger you can be – advice, tips, tricks (collab)

Student life can be brilliant, funny, and challenging. My memories of university hold some of both the best and worst times of the past few years and it is definitely an experience that shapes you as a person. However, as much as it feels like you’re all experiencing this together, student life can be wildly different. This makes it an absolutely brilliant time to start a blog, find a community and write what makes you happy!

This is a collab post led by Amy Jane, on how to share some advice and tips with other bloggers. I’ll be focusing on how to be the best student lifestyle blogger, and hopefully some of this may help you! The other lovely bloggers included in this collab are Just Sophie and Earth to Connie, each writing about their own area of blogging expertise and sharing fantastic advice. Have a read below and make sure to check their posts too!

1. Have a posting schedule and take advantage of scheduling apps

Student life can be hectic. Early morning lectures, late nights, copious deadlines. Taking advantage of scheduling apps and having a clear blogging schedule is one of my main tips.

When I started blogging in November 2016, I was studying in Paris for my Erasmus year. This meant my life was pretty busy and yet I wanted to find the time to write about my experiences and start this blog. In reality, recognising my level of deadlines and committing to one post every fortnight became a realistic goal (as opposed to my original desire to write all the time).

Some of the best scheduling apps are Buffer and Hootsuite, although it’s important not to let this become too costly. Alternatively, most blog sites (including Blogspot and WordPress) have a scheduling feature built in so you can write a post now and choose when you want it to go live. There’s plenty of posts online on how to stay organised as a blogger and make the most of resources at our fingertips so my advice is spend a little time discovering what works for you – and then let them do all the hard work!

2. Be honest about your commitments

As much as blogging can be an all-encompassing, time consuming hobby, try to remember that at the end of the day it’s exactly that – a hobby. Writing a post, connecting with other bloggers or promoting your own material may feel more exciting than finishing an essay but it’s important to remember what should come first.

This year, when balancing my finals at University and the stress of a graduate job hunt, I discovered simply telling people I was busy was enough. No one will unfollow you or stop reading simply because your availability has changed due to real life.

https://twitter.com/sophiebremner_/status/999000475805548544

3. Use your Network

One of the first things to surprise me about blogging was how relevant my writing was to my peer group. After certain posts, particularly my one of #selflove in March this year, I received messages from people I hadn’t spoken to in years to say how much they connected with the issue. Basically, if you’re currently a student or recently finished studying, becoming a student lifestyle blogger can be a wonderful way to make new connections within an existing group or meet new friends!

You may have friends who have a passion for photography or editing, friends who are SEO wizards or who want to find their own tone of voice online. Being a student is a fantastic time to try new things so don’t be afraid of asking friends for help or sharing ideas – it can lead to very exciting things.

4. Stick it on your CV

Having your own blog can give you a variety of new skills – commercial awareness, an understanding of SEO, writing skills, photography and editing tricks. It can improve your organisation as well as build an online profile in a positive way. It’s a healthy hobby that more and more employers are recognising – whether you have 10 followers or 10 thousand, it’s a hobby you can be proud of discussing in an interview.

5. Student Lifestyle can be a broad term – so don’t be afraid of focusing on a niche (or changing your focus constantly!)

My first year of blogging was in Paris so, naturally, my posts were relevant to exploring the French culture, taking tourist trips and the reality of studying abroad in another language. I shared it on my personal social media accounts because it was relevant to my peers who were also studying abroad and experiencing Erasmus life in all its beautiful, stressful glory. However, that doesn’t mean you need to stay committed to one ‘niche’ because blogging is a chance to express yourself. This past year, alongside completing my finals and graduating University, I wrote about how to be supportive, advice to my Fresher self, #selflove and my uncertainty of what to do next. The term ‘student lifestyle’ is a broad one but it’s a great opportunity to experiment with each post.

Write about fashion or makeup on a budget, write book reviews on class texts, write about University trips or challenging lectures. You can write about friendship struggles, tips on the best night out, how to ace an interview. ‘Student Lifestyle’ can mean exactly what you want it to. Have fun!

I hope this blog post has sparked some ideas and given you some tips to try with your own blogging! Any other advice? Regular snacks. Don’t be afraid to share it on your personal social media accounts. And don’t spend too much money – a personalised domain or fancy theme can be lovely but shouldn’t be prioritised over food…

Check out the other collab bloggers here:

Amy Jane – Blog – Twitter

Just Soph – Blog – Twitter 

Earth to Connie – Blog – Twitter