I'm sure everyone has seen an article or two shared by someone on Facebook from Odyssey but never actually looked into what this website is. Contrary to what some people believe, Odyssey does not claim itself to be some sort of news outlet. According to the organization’s website, “Odyssey is a social discovery platform committed to democratizing content creation while personalizing discovery. Launched in June 2014, Odyssey was founded to democratize the media business and elevate engagement, by magnifying broader perspectives and facilitating deeper conversations in and about the world.”

I get to share my ideas.

Odyssey is great for spreading your thoughts and ideas. Even if my articles don’t go viral, I can still be happy with the fact that I put my ideas out there. I get to feel like I’m heard. It’s a great feeling when your article is received well on social media and people are genuinely interested in what you have to say. Of course, not all the feedback or attention is positive, but the positive definitely outweighs the negative.

It teaches me responsibility.

Writers for this platform are not guaranteed paid for their work, even though they are required to put out one piece every week. Thinking about what you want to write about and submitting it can be stressful, but the weekly deadlines teach us a sense of accountability. If you don’t meet your deadline, you not only let yourself down, but your fellow writers and editors, as well.

We get to see and share different perspectives.

Sometimes the things we say can rub people the wrong way, but we take it on anyway. It can be scary to put your opinion or stories out there, especially with how quick people can be to pass judgments.

I get to be a part of something.

The staff at my university is incredibly encouraging and accepting, and that’s something that every young writer needs. Its amazing to see the articles that everyone produces. The topic range is so wide that you can never guess what articles the next week will bring.

They let you own your own ideas.

Odyssey is not restrictive on what topics you can or can’t cover. They fully support whatever you decide to publish, and don’t try to change what you say.

You don't have hours.

The only work you have to put in in a week is writing an article you would be proud to put your name on. You aren’t required to log any writing or brainstorming hours, so your daily schedule isn’t disrupted at all, and writing isn’t an inconvenience.

It's actually very fun.

Watching your articles go viral is an extremely rewarding experience, and it makes all of the nit-picking of an article worth it in the end. Having people appreciate what you wrote is an amazing experience, and it makes is so much fun!