While studying

Studying has a way of measuring you against everything you haven't done yet: the reading you're behind on, the exam that's coming, the classmate who seems to find it all easy. Collecting what you have done is a way of keeping the other half of the picture.

What to collect

Exams and assignments you got through

Write down what you passed and handed in, and how you felt going into it. Results fade into a transcript quickly; the version where you were nervous and did it anyway is worth keeping.

Subjects that finally clicked

There's usually a specific moment when a topic stops being fog. Note it when it happens, because a month later you'll assume it was always obvious to you.

The work you were glad to hand in

Now and then you produce something you actually like. Save the essay, the project, the presentation you'd be happy to show someone.

The sessions nobody sees

The afternoon you stayed with a problem set until it made sense, or went to the library when you'd rather not have. None of that shows up in a grade, and it's most of the actual work.

When it pays off

• Exam periods, when it feels like you know nothing
• After a grade that came in lower than you hoped
• Writing applications, cover letters or a first CV
• Interviews and internships, when you need concrete examples
• Finishing a degree, and seeing what the years actually held

Start collecting

Add moments as they happen, a few sentences at a time. By the end of a term you'll have a record of the work you did, not just the marks you were given for it.

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