How to Start Your Writing Career At College

Sometimes it pays to get a head start in life. The years of college can go pass in a blur and while you are getting a degree, other people are getting ahead in their careers. College is stressful and piling on any more work can cause burn out, so here is a few ways to get your foot in the door of a writing career. So when you leave college, you have that all important head start.

1. First, go to one of the best journalism schools you can and write for the student paper, if there isn't a student paper, make one. Lots of people, including Richard Branson, got their start from doing a student paper. You will learn all the basics of journalism and will make invaluable contacts. You will also have a market for your publication: you're fellow student.
2. Start a Blog: Starting a blog had made many people rich and famous. Think Belle Du Jour. You will also get into the habit of writing regularly, learn what people are reading most and gain invaluable skills.
3. Write as much as possible: You probably won't get paid at first but you will find your voice as a writer and also learn the discipline of writing. Many people give up because of the sight of a blank screen.
4. Ask for feedback: Ask your most trusted friends and family for feedback on your writing. It's the only way you will get better. You will probably have some bad writing habits or overuse certain words. Only ask people who's opinion you trust. Don't take the feedback negatively, but as an opportunity to learn.
5. Write an e-book: There a number of e-readers out there. Amazon's Kindle has made it very easy for anyone to write a book and sell it on Amazon. Write fiction or take something you know and sell your wisdom to someone else. If you write 500 words a day, it will take you 160 days to get to 80,000 words. It is completely manageable to do that in a year.

How to Balance Love and Study

Are you presently in love? What a wonderful feeling isn’t it? It seems that you are smiling with me now. I know the feeling. “Love is a many splendored thing” as the song goes. When you’re in love, you are so happy, cheerful, blooming, beautiful, alive, and many more positive things that you can ever imagine. Just make sure, that person is a good influence to your life to be worth it.

If you are a student and you are in a romantic relationship, as if you are in cloud nine and nothing matters except that special someone of yours. Your education is the one that gets mostly affected or it’s the other way around, your love one is taken for granted because you’re too focused on your studies and you don’t give time for love.

Thinking wisely with a heart is the best solution so that neither love nor your education will suffer. If you are starting your college life, it would be good to do some planning. Yes, planning! In life, if you plan ahead of time you get better results. It’s about keeping all in balance. You don’t need to choose between love and study because you can balance them. Love should not be an obstacle to your studies and your studies should not be an obstacle to your love life. How? Well, here are some simple tips that you can do to make things in its proper places:

Time Management

There are certain things to be done on certain times. If you are at school, it is just proper to study and not to concentrate more on your love one’s presence. This doesn’t mean that you will not see him on weekdays especially when you are in the same campus. You just have to schedule your dates only on weekends. No dating on weekdays; No hanging out before the exam day; and do your homework first before texting or talking on the phone. Aside from time for love and studies, you also need time for your family, friends, and for yourself. Just don't focus on one thing; balance everything. When you do this, you will serve your purpose as a good student, lover, family member, and as an individual for a better future. If you have a good education, the best careers in life await you. 

Mutual Agreement

You alone cannot balance love and study. Your partner should agree with you on your plan to schedule everything so that you both will finish your studies. This is the best for both of you anyway. If you both graduate, you will have more opportunities in life and a better chance to be prosperous, and then love will be in the air. If one doesn’t agree, that is a sign that your present partner is not capable of understanding and giving importance to your goals in life and future. So, you better think twice.

Sticking to the Plan

A plan and an agreement without execution is useless. Make sure that you are dedicated to follow your plan which is to finish your studies with good grades and your special someone is your inspiration in achieving your goals.

Don’t give up love for your studies because who knows that person is the right person for you and don’t give up your studies either for love because love without thinking is nothing. You may end up losing everything. Balance is the answer to be successful in life. Yes it’s possible and you can do it!

By:  Ritchell Thibodeaux