As a busy college student, staying motivated to keep up with hobbies and non-academically focused passions is hard. With piling up classwork, internships and leasing season coming up, writing is relegated to the back of my mind. Being in Her Campus has allowed me to place more importance on writing and growing my skills, while still being productive.
As a STEM major, technical, scientific writing is the main writing style I use, but it’s not all useless for personal writing. Technical writing techniques have allowed me to notice possible mistakes in my writing, mainly in terms of style and legibility. Technical writing also places a lot of importance on sources and objectivity, which I’ve found to be useful when writing more factual pieces. Even in personal writing, analyzing how articles are read is important to know how readers will perceive the piece.
I’ve been writing for Her Campus for about 2 years now, and my writing style and skills have definitely changed. My approach to writing articles now is much more rooted in my personal experiences and beliefs, and I’m proud to say I write more authentically. Focusing on my interests and how I could relate to others has allowed me to be more detailed and focus on my audience more. I still value my interests over what I think a general audience would like to read, though.
Strangely, being president of my chapter has also helped me grow. It’s allowed me to focus more on reading other members’ articles, and being introduced to other writing styles and voices has given me a broader perspective on different topics. I’ve also been able to talk about my leadership experience and what I’ve learned throughout my time within the organization!