I joined Odyssey almost exactly a year ago in October, 2015. I had began working on a personal blog shortly after graduating high school. It was terrifying at first. I was worried about what people would say and think of everything I said and wrote. Would they think I was a hopeless loser in general for even trying? After my first post, I was met with a lot of encouragement to keep writing, so I did. I officially started at Columbia College Chicago a few months into blogging. That is when I started to notice these articles all over my Facebook page. They were all from some website called "Odyssey". At first, I ignored it. I just assumed it was like a smaller version of Buzzfeed. Until, one day I read an article that really related to my life at that particular moment. I was a few weeks into college with piles of homework and responsibilities building around me. I was in a strange city with strange people. Everything felt wrong. This is not what I thought college was going to be like. I broke up with my high school sweetheart, and my best friend was living thousands of miles away. I needed something to save me from a nervous breakdown, and I found it. It was an article about Freshman year of college: expectations vs reality. I wouldn't say it saved my life, but it made me feel understood. I didn't feel like some random idiot who wasn't prepared for the changes college would bring. I researched Odyssey and applied to join. From there I began writing articles as a Content Creator, and I was eventually promoted to Editor-in-Chief of the Columbia College Chicago chapter of Odyssey. But my time at Odyssey is coming to a close, and I felt it was so important that before I left I made one more effort to impact the lives of my fellow creators and hopefully some readers out there.
When you join Odyssey, expect to be inspired...
I am inspired daily by my team of Content Creators. They are talent writers, of course. However, they are even more amazing people. They stand up for social justice. They support each other in spreading their personal messages. They allow each other to disagree with their opinions. They drive conversation in the world.
I am also inspired by other Editor-in-Chiefs around the world, whom I have not met outside of cyberspace, but I still have a lifelong connection with. They have kept me going through hard times. Being an editor can be very demanding, and at times draining, but these incredible humans revitalize my thirst for success.
When you join Odyssey, expect to be challenged...
You will be challenged as a writer and a human being. You obviously improve your writing as you begin very frequently, but you also improve because you are allowed to try your hand at different genres. Editors do not assign topics, so you are truly able to explore parts of your craft you wouldn't be able to elsewhere. As a human being, you will find what you are passionate about. When you are at the computer on Saturday afternoon, and your article is due in a few hours, you know it is time to choose a topic. It is physically painful to try and write about something you don't care about, especially when you don't have to write about it. There is no teacher waiting for your paper on last night's debate. You don't have to write about it, so you don't. You'll find that the things that are easy to write about are the things that matter most to you. Perhaps that is why this is so easy to write. I am very passionate about Odyssey.
When you join Odyssey, expect to learn a new appreciation for social media...
Odyssey does not pay for marketing. It is all social media promotion here, folks. The world of social media seems mysterious and dark, but of course, it's not. That is not to say it is super easy to make your article get tons of page views and go viral. There is no science to virality. However, you can increase your views and interaction by taking the correct actions. I'd love to share them, but you have to join to understand. *Insert winky face here.*
When you join Odyssey, expect to become more prepared for your future career...
It doesn't matter if you are a journalism major, an English major, a Public Relations major, or even a biology major. If you use Odyssey correctly, you can develop a wonderful portfolio to show future employers. Because your content is completely up to your discretion, no one is stopping you from developing a personal collection of amazing science articles. "Blogs" are now more than commonly added to people's resume information so that employers are able to see their written work and communication.
When you join Odyssey, expect to make connections with people you would have never met otherwise...
You develop a very close relationship with your own school's community at Odyssey. You are always chatting and having discussions in your group chat, but you also are meeting each other in person from time to time. Our in-person meeting was amazing. Our community stayed and talked for an hour after our meeting finished. These lives have been brought together through Odyssey and they wouldn't have been without it. We can be connections for each other in both our personal and professional futures. That is pretty amazing.
When you join Odyssey, expect it to be hard to say "goodbye"...
I wish I had the perfect words as I depart from Odyssey. I wish I could say the perfect things to my team to make them understand why I have to leave them, but I can't. There comes a point in life where you have to move on to the next chapter of your professional career. That time has come for me, but it doesn't make it easier to leave these incredible people and experiences behind me. With a heavy heart I will submit my final words at Odyssey. Until I write the next chapter....
