I am delighted to announce that this blog has been selected as a finalist in the Education category for the Irish Blog Awards!

Ireland is full of bloggers. I’ve served as a judge for other blogging categories, and I am struck again and again by the confidence, creativity, and busy involvement of bloggers writing about everything from music to diets and back around to travel, gardening, and raising kids. There is a veritable army of fashion and beauty advice writers, and a significant contingent of blogs in many categories (arts, outdoors, eco/green, personal…) who are writing from a place of deep and abiding love for Ireland as the place of their birth or as the context in which they currently live.

Although Ireland is not the primary audience for my blog (as I’ve written about previously, there are some considerable differences between universities on this side of the world and colleges/universities in the United States), I qualify for the Blog Awards because I call this place my home for now. I'd also like to think that some of my topics (particularly study tips, volunteer/internship advice, and general extracurricular topics) would be applicable to students everywhere.

I am (to borrow a terribly British term) “chuffed to bits” to be counted among the fabulous Irish bloggers around me.

I’ll find out if I win in my category on October 4th. I promise to keep you updated!

In the meantime, here are a couple of thoughts/relevant-to-you lessons from this experience:

Start something. This advice is not just for students—it’s a universal. There is value in starting something—in coming up with an idea and in pushing through the work of creating something new and then making something of that idea. I had the idea for My College Advice when I was feeling “homesick” for college life. It’s now one of my favorite projects, and is giving a wonderful depth and range of opportunities for this year.
Go for the opportunities that arise. If you hear about something interesting, put yourself out there and go for it. In addition to being a nominee, I am gaining enormous insight and enjoyment from judging other blog categories and seeing what people are writing about all across the country. When something comes up that looks interesting and exciting, then go for it.
Learn all you can from whatever you do. As I said, I have learned a tremendous amount about layout and organizing a blog/website, as well as new insights for writing and polishing. The writing process itself has taught me an incredible amount about what I know—I continue to be excited by each new topic that comes to mind.

Thanks to all of you who have been loyal readers, and who have sent me comments, suggestions, feedback, or who have shared my blog with others. I so appreciate it, and I can’t wait to see what the future holds (Blog Award winner or not!).