How My Ad-Sense Got Approved For My Personal Blog in 2017

I always wanted to write. But, the only problem was I didn't know what to write about. I am not an expert on anything and who would care about my opinion.However, I started a blog in 2015 and wrote 4 posts. Yes, that's right. For the whole year, I just wrote 4 posts and it got buried somewhere. 

In 2016, I got a triumph over my fear of driving. I got my Driving License. Well yes, that was my heroic tale. I was excited and thought of sharing it with everyone. I started another blog to communalize my experience. After that, nothing significant happened in 2016 and hence I did not get much to talk about.
This year(2017), before a tech interview, I was looking for my notes, that I made last time. But soon I discovered that notebook has turned into my daughter's scribbling pad. I thought of starting a Tech Blog where I will keep my notes ready. I opened Blogger to create a new blog and then I found out all my old blogs. I was stunned to see that my driving test blog has so many views! It was an amazing feeling! There are people who are reading my blogs, whom I don't know and who don't know me! There is no judgment and obligation and that's a relief. It occurred to me, that I don't have to be an expert to write. I have my share of stories to tell, my memories to look back.I can voice my opinion and my experiences. I started "My Little Bag Of Experience". So at that point of time, I had 4 separate blogs with 3-4 posts in each and with no or very fewer views for each post. 
I saw the earnings on the blogger left side bar and it was lucrative. Without any prior knowledge, I clicked on the link and applied for Google Ad-Sense for a blog with 2 posts. The status went straight into 'pending approval'. That Blog was a year old and thus I was allowed to apply. I started imagining myself earning a side income, once it is approved in two days. I was ignorant(Read it Stupid) of any policies or eligibility criteria for Google Ad-Sense approval. I did not know how the Ad-Sense works. 
In two days, I got an email which says:
"Thank you for your interest in Google AdSense. Unfortunately, after reviewing your application, we're unable to accept you into AdSense at this time. We did not approve your application for the reasons listed below. 
Insufficient content: To be approved for AdSense and show relevant ads on your site, your pages need to have enough text on them for our specialists to review and for our crawler to be able to determine what your pages are about.... "
My first reaction was "Okay, I need a few more posts!" So, I thought of merging all my blogs into one and I did that labeling each post for different categories.I decided, once I have 50 posts, I would re-apply. I googled "how to get Adsense approved". Well, the search results quashed my hope. I realized, it is impossible to get it approved for my journal. I did a few small changes in the look-n-feel of my personal blog and continued writing. On reaching 50 posts, I reapplied. This time, I was not hopeful. In 2 days, I got the reply.

Now, am I an expert on Ad-Sense after my single account got approved? NO, Off course not! I am here to share what I learned and to answer the questions that I asked. If you are thinking of starting a new blog and looking for answers to your naive queries, you are at the right place. 

Does Google Ad-Sense gets approved for a Personal Blog?

Yes, it may get approved, even for a personal blog.

Do I need to buy a custom Domain?

Not necessarily. Your blogger account can also get approved.

Is there any specific number of Posts required to get an approval?

I did not get that number in any policies or terms and conditions. But, in my case, it got rejected in 2 posts and approved in 50 posts. May be somewhere around 25 posts, it could have got approval. I should have tried.

Does Blog Traffic play an important role in getting Adsense Approved?

I don't think so. I am not yet aware of the tricks to increase blog traffic. I am still working on that. My blog traffic is minimal.

Is Google Adsense worth a try?

Being realistic, I no more consider Adsense as my alternate income. Adsense pays you if someone is clicking an Ad on your page. Well, nowadays, many people are using the browser options to stop appearing ads on their page. Even if Ads are there, who are going to click on those? Even I hardly do it!And then comes the CPC(Cost Per Click). It depends on the Advertisers who are bidding on keywords. What are the conditions and factors?Well, that's another story, I yet to learn.

To me, Google Ad Sense is an approval. I am here to write what I feel. I am learning daily and I am trying to share what I know. Adsense Guidelines is here if you are looking for help.

      "Start Writing, no matter what. The water does not flow until the faucet is turned on"

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Applying for an L2 EAD(Employment Authorization Document) on your own

Form I-765

I was talking to a friend recently and she is also working in US with L2 EAD. She had applied for EAD for the first time with the help of the lawyers at her husband's company. Well, it was sponsored by the company itself at that time. She got an EAD in FEB, 2015 for 2 years and she had to apply for renewal a few months back. During the conversation, it came up that she had to pay a $1000 for the renewal. I was surprised because I remember to pay around $400 for the same and then we realized that she had paid the rest for the lawyers' fees. That's why I thought of writing my experience of getting an EAD without paying anything extra.

This Link https://www.uscis.gov/i-765 has all the information needed for applying an EAD.  I just printed the I-765 Form and the checklist and took a print of all the required documents and wrote a cheque and sent across to the address and got my EAD in 3 months. So, I had applied for L2 EAD for the first time on August, 2015. I got my EAD copy on November, 2015. My current EAD is valid till Oct, 2017 and I applied for renewal recently. 

So, below is the step by step directions to apply for a L2 EAD or renewal of L2 EAD.

1. Download the form I-765 from Form I-765 (PDF, 289 KB). Take a print.

2. Download the instruction sheet to fill the I-765 form from Instructions for Form I-765 (PDF, 332 KB)

3.  Download the form G-1145 to get an email notification or a notification on your mobile number once received.  Form G-1145, E-Notification of Application/Petition Acceptance (PDF, 229 KB)

4. Fill in the I-765 form.
    For fresh application:
    Tick off ' Permission to accept employment' at 'I am applying for:' section
    Put I-94 Number at 10 (Alien Registration Number)
 
   For renewal application:
   Tick off ' Renewal of my Permission to accept employment' at 'I am applying for:' section
   Put A- Number at 10 (Alien Registration Number)
The Eligibility Criteria, for L2 EAD is a(18)

5. Check for filing fees at https://www.uscis.gov/forms/our-fees and write a cheque for the same amount. As of today's date, the fee is $410.

6. Get ready with the below supporting documents:

• Filled Application form I-765
• Filing Fee Cheque for $410
• A copy of I-94 (front and back)
• A copy of last EAD copy (front and back) for renewal
• 2 recent color photographs
• L1 Visa copy
• L2  Visa copy
• L1 I-94
• Marriage Certificate Copy

7. Send all the documents to the USCIS lockbox address. Address depends on the category that you have chosen.For category a(18) address is available at : USCIS Phoenix and Dallas Lockbox facilities chart

8. Check the EAD status at https://egov.uscis.gov/casestatus/landing.do

Edit1: Got my renewed EAD copy in exactly 2 months. But since my L2 Visa was valid for 1 year (11 months to be precise), got my EAD for 11 months this time.

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Behind-The-Wheel Driving Test at Santa Clara California on March 2016

I was reading anything and everything available on Google, regarding driving test experience at Santa Clara, before my Behind-The -Wheel test. I promised myself that I will share my experience once I get my License. Hopefully, it is going to help someone who is going through the same phase.

Well, my first-time experience was not so good. I had booked my first Behind-the-wheel test, right after clearing my written exam, at San Jose DMV. I took a morning slot, around 8:30 AM, at Santa Clara DMV, within a month time gap. I thought that a month of driving is enough to get a license. But sometimes I can be so wrong!

I took a driving class of 6 hours to learn the traffic rules and to get the initial confidence of hitting the road with our own new car.  I started driving on weekends and a few times on weekdays with my husband. As the D- Day was approaching, I was getting nervous and was not sure if I were ready for the test. Finally, the day arrived.

My First Driving Test - A BLUNDER!

We reached 15 minutes before my scheduled time and was waiting in the queue. At the counter, they checked my fingerprints and the insurance document, registration document and my husband's license. Once everything verified, I was told to wait in my car, in the lane, meant for driving test. 2 cars were already there, waiting before me. My turn came and an Inspector came for my test. I had to sign my "Driving Performance Evaluation Score Sheet". She checked all the documents and started my "Pre-Drive" Test where I was checked if I knew all the controls of my car. Once satisfied, she sat inside the car and told me to drive ahead. There was a very clear instruction that she was going to tell me where to take a right or a left. If nothing was told, I had to follow the road and traffic rules.

We hit the road and she told me to take a left turn along the "Granade Ave". At "Flora Vista Ave." she asked me to take a left turn. Now, did it ever happen to you when you get confused between your left and right? If not, believe me, you are lucky! Unfortunately, I was not among those lucky ones. I said "Okay" aloud. But inside my mind, I was ready to take a right turn. Near the intersection, my Inspector again repeated that she wanted me to take a Left turn. Then it struck me that I did a big mistake and I panicked!I had already missed my left turning lane and some car was waiting there to take a left turn. I was not sure what I needed to do and then my inspector intervened and asked me to wait till all the traffic clears and then to take a left at the "Flora Vista Ave.". I knew that I had screwed up my test. I was asked to enter the DMV and park on one of those allocated slots. She explained to me that I should not be that nervous and drive more and then again take a test and it was over.

My Second Driving Test - A SUCCESS!

After my first awful experience, I was not willing to go for the test unless I was absolutely prepared. I continued driving, but only on weekends. 3 months passed and  I didn't book any appointment. Then one day, suddenly I realized that I would never feel confident enough for the test.So, I told myself " bring it on"! I booked an appointment, again at Santa Clara DMV after 3 weeks time. Although I got advice from many people to take the test at Las Gatos DMV as apparently, it is more strict at Santa Clara. But I took a chance. I started preparing, both ON road and OFF Road. I saw a few videos and the common mistakes that people do in driving test. I started searching for the routes that they usually take the driving test at Santa Clara. I took a print out of the routes and drove on those roads, 2 days before my test. But I was still worried. Reluctantly, I searched in Google if anyone else has faced the problem of getting confused between left and right and if there is any workaround. I was really surprised to find out that it is a common syndrome. Well, that is a different story that I will tell some other day. Somewhere I read to repeat aloud LEFT or RIGHT before taking the turn so that my brain can hear me clearly and can act accordingly.

This time I had booked a slot at 2:30 in the afternoon, on 8th March,2016. We reached there on time and repeated all the steps as before. Only, this time, I had to pay $7 for the re-test. After the initial checking, the inspector got into the car. He gave me the same instruction as before and we hit the road. I drove for almost 20 - 30 minutes and returned to the DMV and my inspector told that I can take my Driving License at counter D. I was ecstatic!

 A few pieces of advice from my bag of experience!

• Know the roads and the routes well before taking the test. It builds a confidence and reduces confusion when you are actually taking the test. Here is the list of routes for Santa Clara Driving Test, that I had taken print of and practiced. Also, it includes the route that I had to take, during the exam.
• If possible, book an afternoon slot when the roads are relatively empty and the people on the road are driving in a more relaxed way.
• Need to be accompanied by someone with valid California Driving License on the Behind-The-Wheel test day, even if you are driving well and do not need assistance.
• Carry the below documents without a mistake:

1. Appointment Print
2. Learner License
3. Car Insurance
4. Car Registration

• Know your car! Below are the things that are checked as per the PRE-DRIVE CHECKLIST.

1. Driver Window
2. Windshield
3. Rear-View Mirrors
4. Turn Signals Front/Back
5. Brake Lights
6. Tires
7. Foot Brake
8. Horn
9. Emergency/Parking Brake
10. Arm Signals
11. Windshield Wipers
12. Defroster
13. Emergency Flasher
14. Headlights
15. Passenger Door
16. Glove Box
17. Seat Belts

• Be Conscious and check the mirrors every 5 seconds
• Emergency Vehicle approaching: I knew that I need to slow down and stop at the right curb if any Emergency Vehicle is approaching with sirens ON, in my lane. But I was not sure if I need to do anything if it comes on the other Lane. I did a few research and YES we need to stop at the right curb if we are in the opposite lane and there is no divider. But, no need to stop if there is a divider in between and the emergency vehicle in on the other side.
• Any single critical error implies unsatisfactory result. Critical Errors include the below:

1. Intervention by Examiner
2. Strikes Object/Curb
3. Disobeys Traffic Sign/Signal
4. Disobey Safety personnel or safety vehicles
5. Dangerous maneuver
6. Speed
7. Lane violation
8. Auxiliary equipment use

• No test on Highways and no parallel parking test. Only need to reverse along the curb, without hitting.
• Total 15 errors are allowed which are not critical

So that is all I had. All the Best for your test! Driving can be terrifying for some people like me! But at the end of that fear, there is a rewarding experience awaiting you. The story how I learned my driving is long and boring. But you can have your own tale to tell.

Good Luck and Drive Safe!

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Santa Clara Driving Test(Behind-The-Wheel) Routes

Through Homestead
Route 1:
=========================
L on Granada
R on Pomeroy
L on El Sobrante Av (Reverse & Curbside Test)
R on Kiely Blvd
L on Benton
R on White Dr
R on Las Palmas Dr @ STOP sign
R on HomeStead
R on Pomeroy
R on Granada
R onto DMV Office and Park

Route 2:
=========================
L on Granada Ave
R on Pomeroy Ave
L on El Sobrante Av (Reverse & Curbside Test)
L on Alpine Ave
R on Fresno St
R on Kiely Blvd
R on Homestead Rd
R on Pomeroy Ave
L on Benton St
R on Flora Vista Ave
R on Granada
R onto DMV Office and Park

Through El Camino

Route 1:
=========================
L on Granada
R on Pomeroy
L on El Sobrante Av
R on Via Dondera
R on Cala Blazas
L on El Camino Real
R on Lawrence Rd (Not onto Lawrence Freeway)
R on Warburton Avenue (Reverse and Curbside Parking)
R on Pomeroy
R on El Camino
L on Flora Vista
R on Granda
R onto DMV office and Park

Through Both El Camino and Homestead

Route 1:
=========================
L on Granada
L on Pomeroy
R on El Camino Real
R on Kiely Blvd
R on Home Stead Rd
R on Qunice Avenue
L on Brook Dale
R on Pomeroy
L on Benton
R on Flora Vista Ave
L on Granda
R onto DMV office and Park

Route 2 (My Driving Test Route)
=========================
L on Granada
L on Flora Vista Avenue
R on El Camino Real
R on Pomeroy Ave
L on Benton 
R on Keily Blvd
R on Homestead RD
R on Pomeroy
L on Benton
R on Flora Vista Ave
L on Granda
R onto DMV office and Park

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