Summary of the Second Semester
As the second semester comes to an end, so does the blogging journey for now. I’ve definitely made progress in areas I struggled with during the first semester, although there are still aspects I need to keep working on.
Let’s start with what went well. One major improvement was in academic referencing for blog posts. I definitely feel more confident with this compared to the first semester, which I’m really happy about. Back then, I often developed my topic first and only then started looking for academic references, which forced me to rewrite and edit already written content. This time, I did the opposite — or at least worked more in synthesis. I focused more on research and references early on and letting the writing flow from there. This made my posts feel more coherent and consistent overall.
I also remember struggling with referencing citations and images last semester, and how time-consuming that was. Practice has definitely helped — I’ve become faster and more efficient in this.
Another positive development was a new perspective on blog writing — not just my own, but also those of others. This turned out to be a kind of self-learning tool, helping me explore the topics I genuinely care about in a deeper and more academically sound way, which I could then apply to my design work. Reading other people’s blogs also gave me insight into mini-articles on topics I hadn’t really considered before. I now see our blog site as a mini knowledge library, where I can research a topic and, if needed, dive deeper using the sources the author has already compiled.
That said, not everything improved the way I’d hoped. Last semester, I wanted to be less descriptive and more engaging in my writing, but I still struggle with that. Especially when it comes to my Instagram blog . In both blog platforms, I tend to write rather long texts, trying to fit in as much information as possible and then struggling to keep things concise. I want to include everything and find it hard to prioritise what’s more or less interesting, the texts sometimes feel less personal or emotionally engaging.
One possible solution, especially for Instagram, might be to create short videos where I explain urban design topics in a more accessible way for a wider audience. But then another issue comes up: actually posting. As an old man once told me during a run in the park: “It’s not about intensity, it’s about consistency.” And that’s exactly where I struggle. I set high goals when I feel inspired, but when life gets busy and the inspiration fades, I find myself postponing and not finding the time to get back into it.
Still, I’d love to continue blogging. I believe it’s important not only for sharing knowledge but also for building personal visibility and professional identity.
