A lot can happen in 18 months. Some highlights from my life in the past year and a half include starting a new job, getting promoted, blogging for the World Advertising Research Centre, publishing my first paper, setting up shop on Elance, joining Toastmasters, and beginning my studies with the UK Writers Bureau.

Throughout all that and a whole lot more, Varsity Blah has been on my mind. Writing on this website was an amazing experience and it’s clear many of you felt the same way:

“Your consistency and passion for the site is awesome and I quite enjoy the intellectual and thoughtful spin you put on things that all of us are encountering all of the time.”

“I have really enjoyed reading your blog entries. I feel a strong personal connection to the message.”

“It’s refreshing to read the work of someone who transfers their views so effectively.”

“You write very well and I definitely appreciate the things you speak about here.”

“It’s quite amazing that you write so well. I’m impressed. It’s quite inspiring.”

“I really feel you have set a standard that will inspire other writers.”

“Your blog keeps getting better and better!”

“I really like your line of thought. Keep positive!”

“You’re doing good things. Good things will happen for you.”

With support like this, it’s no wonder I couldn’t help myself. What am I talking about? My brand new blog! Over at www.eugeneyiga.com, I’ll be publishing personal development book summaries and reviews every week. So make sure you subscribe to free alerts or follow me on Twitter to be notified when I do. Are you ready? Then let’s begin!

“The skill of writing is to create a context in which other people can think.” – Edwin Schlossberg

I’ve been blogging for just over two years and have had an amazing time doing so. Not only has it opened up a lot of doors for my freelancing, but it’s also been so much fun! Sadly, after over a hundred posts, it’s time I said goodbye. Yup, it’s the end of Varsity Blah.

But not to worry. I’ve added a new page with all the posts I’ve written nicely categorised for you to remember or discover for the first time. I’m also working on some exciting new projects and will let all of you know as soon as they’re ready to launch.

Otherwise, I wish you all well. Take care and I’ll talk to you soon!

“Writing is the only profession where no one considers you ridiculous if you earn no money.” – Jules Renard

(To download your completely free copy of the South African or International edition of Work in Progress, right-click and save the relevant link. Then open, enjoy, and repeat as needed.)

A lot of people have asked me how I managed to design this blog. Well, I can’t take all the credit simply because it helps to have some creative people involved. But it also helps to know what you want to achieve. Blogging for Dummies recommends the following:

Theme – Every website needs to have a powerful theme that conveys what your brand is about and what the website is trying to achieve.

Design – Colours, graphics, features, and fonts need to be chosen based on what appeals to the users and based on features they want.

Layout –This needs to be as simple as possible to navigate and be consistent from one page to the next. Clearly visible links to Home, About, Contact together with a Site Map and Search feature are key.

Content – Much like the design and layout, the content needs to be in line with what the readers expect. It must be updated regularly to keep things fresh.

Feedback – Once the website has been set up, ask potential browsers and people you trust to give it a “test drive”. The honest critique can help improving aspects you might have overlooked.

(To download your completely free copy of the South African or International edition of Work in Progress, right-click and save the relevant link. Then open, enjoy, and repeat as needed.)