It’s summer time and undoubtedly some of us have just a little too much free time on our hands. In no way is this a bad thing, but sometimes all of this free time can bring around boredom. If you are frequently finding yourself with plenty of time on your hands and no good way to spend it, it may be time to start a summer project.

There are  many options when it comes to starting a summer project, but the one we are going to focus on today is building a blog. For a number of reasons, summer seems like the ideal time to start posting your writing to the world.

Benefits of Starting a Blog

Along with being a productive way to eliminate some free time, writing a few times a week will keep your mind sharp during a period when it is usually going to mush. Not only will blogging keep your brain from going to mush during the summer, it will dramatically improve your writing skills (practice makes perfect, right?)

Aside from the immediate rewards of starting a blog, there are plenty of other long term and short term benefits a blog can bring. For one, writing for and operating your own blog looks tremendous on your resume. In times when it is increasingly difficult to find employment, every little edge over your competition helps.

Not only does having a blog look great on your resume, it can lead you to opportunities that you never would have had otherwise. Forming connections is a huge part of landing a job, and I can’t even begin to tell you how many people I have met simply by running CollegeThrive.com. Connections, both online and off can be your ticket to landing that perfect job after college, remember the old saying, “it’s not what you know, but who you know”.

Putting aside the professional advantages for a second, running your own blog can be fun and a great way to express yourself. Not to mention, if it gains enough traction, a blog can become a great source of income for you. And we all know college students can always use some spare cash.

Getting Started

Before you go out and buy a domain name and start blogging, understand that a blog can be a huge time investment, and while during the summer you may have plenty of time, when classes start back that time might disappear. Be sure to think ahead and make sure you’ll have adequate time for blogging during the school year. There is nothing worse than watching something you put so much work into die a slow death in the blogosphere.

Now that we’ve got that out of the way, here are some great resources if you are interested in starting a blog.

• WordPress.org – The best “self-hosted” blogging software out there. It’s free and has more support, information, and resources than any other blogging platform.
• Blogger – A blogging platform in which the users blog is hosted on Blogger.com. This option will cut the cost of paying for a web host, but is also very limiting.
• WpBlast - A company that offers free WordPress setup and installation. Can save a lot of headaches if you’re not computer savvy.
• Blogussion – Amazing tips about everything related to blogging.
• WpBeginner - A great website with resources and tips for new WordPress users.
• ThemeForest - Beautiful premium WordPress themes that help make your blog stand out form the crowd.

Conclusion

Running a blog can be just as rewarding as it is difficult. If you decide to make the plunge, give it 100 percent and focus more on the long term rather than short. As always, when starting something new, be sure to thoroughly research before you begin. Having a blog is a great experience, and one that can bring lots of benefits. So, if you’re ready, dive on into the blogosphere!