A Blog?!

Why on earth is Julia starting a blog?

Posted by Julia Gersey on December 30, 2023 · 1 min read

Yep, a blog. While I work on my computer daily, not every keystroke translates to code or homework. Instead, it’s been scholarship applications, research papers, REU opportunities, and lately, PhD programs. Beyond my academic-related work, I enjoy writing and volunteer as a department editor for the ACM XRDS Magazine.

What is the purpose of my blog?

  1. Help others

That’s it - whether it is helping a computer science student find an REU opportunity for the summer, helping somebody with a Raspberry Pi project, or helping someone understand how grad school admissions work. I have learned tremendously from other blogs, forums, and articles during my journey, and it would be truly fulfilling if I could give back my knowledge to others. If someone can gain something from what I write, my job is complete.

The first few posts will focus on (1) finding an REU opportunity, as I just helped ~15 students with their REU applications, and (2) applying to PhD programs since I have recently undergone this process myself. Beyond that, I would like to write about various topics like creating a portfolio website (and hosting it for free), side projects involving Internet-of-Things, and modifying 3D printers for improved performance. I aim to have this blog not only to exercise my web development skills and increase my typing speed, but to challenge myself to grow as a writer while explaining academic topics in an informative, simple, and fun style to help others along their journey.

Cheers to 2024!