I am in the process of letting go of my class notes from grad school. I pulled out this stack, about 18" tall altogether, of binders, folders full of handwritten class notes, sylabi, and various hand-outs. I haven't looked at these papers, other than to move them from spot to spot, since I got my degree. So, why am I still holding on to them, 14+ years later?
Why? To prove I attended school. In case I needed to refresh my knowledge of a subject. To use as reference. Have I ever done any of those? No. No and now that I realize that, they can go.
I have my degree and credentialing. I don't need the materials that helped me to get them. If I need to refresh my knowledge, I can take a continuing ed class or read an up-to-date text.
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6 comments:
While I didn't keep my college notes (my Home Ec class from OSU is celebrating 45 years later this fall), I do keep more recent nutritional research and other professionally-related information. But why? Most is easily available on the internet.
I'm still in university, but I've been holding on to my high school and college papers, thinking I might like to look back on them someday. Reading your blog has made me realize that chances are, in 20 years, I probably won't actually read them and should get rid of them now before I keep adding to them!
I appreciate the work of all people who share information with others.
I appreciate the work of all people who share information with others.
This one struck a chord with me. I hauled my university notes around with me for well over a decade before getting rid of them. I kept telling myself I might need to refer to them sometime. Well, eventually I tossed them all, and you know, in the 15 years since then I've never once had occasion to wish I'd kept them. It's sometimes hard to admit that something that was once so important is now worthless, but its a skill worth learning.
It's 2015. I graduated last year and this is just the post I needed. I've kept my terms papers and haven't gone through them once but this "feeling" that I might refer to them again has kept me from throwing them out. Thank you for your post and all the comments. Happy de-cluttering to everyone!
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