Ex-students - what did you do with your notes?

Gingernutmeg

I graduated from uni last year and I'm thinking that it's time to have a bit of a clear out. At last count, I had about nineteen very large, very full foolscap folders filled with all of my uni notes, essays, handouts etc, and tbh I'm getting a bit sick of moving it about. I haven't had any use for them since I left uni, but I'm just wondering what other ex-students have done with them - did you keep your notes, or did you bin them, and if you kept them have you ever needed them? Is there a set time you should keep them for? I've got all of my essays etc on a memory stick (somewhere lol) so I'll always have those, but is it worth keeping notes?

Sorry if this is a bit of a pointless thread but like I said I'm at the point where I'm sick of seeing the boxes (and boxes ...) of old uni stuff but I'm just wondering whether I'll regret it if I chuck it all away. Oh, and I'm not interested in selling them to those dodgy sites either lol So what did you other ex-students do?

ScottyBoy_2

I kept mine, I did computer science and they are often still useful when I forget certain things.

Depends on how relevant you think the notes will be in future, with me as technologies move on I get rid of notes that are no longer relevant.

Hope this helps and Merry Christmas.

fermi

I've still got all of mine.

They are still potentially useful, and have been useful for refreshing the memory on some topics over time. I tend to find that going over the notes and bringing back the memory of when you first learnt or explored a topic seems to make that process of relearning quicker and easier.

Depends on whether they are relevant to what you do now I suppose?

I'm not sure I quite have the heart yet to get rid of them, even if they weren't useful.:o

melancholly

i gave in recently and threw the lot out (well into recycling!). i kept some that might be relevant (i'm now in research so there is a chance that they might be useful). it was a bit sad actually, seeing so much effort just get thrown out, but i had boxes of stuff just taking up too much room.....

poorandindenial

I got rid of mine seven years after my last graduation. Apart from marked essays and dissertations that is, I still have those for some silly sentimental reason.

I studied law so most of my stuff is out of date now.

Zazen999

For my first batch of studying - the whole lot got mouldy in a flat once so all had to go.

for the second batch, I've kept a few, which I think I might need and burnt the rest [we have a wood burner so anything is game for free heat].

I keep some theory as I do still use it - esp psychology & management theory. but then again, I'm a sad case - but I know some of the theory stuff I haven't found on t'internet so until I know I can I'll keep the notes. My lecturers has ways of digging out really obscure stuff so I don't want to lose it.

Gingernutmeg

fermi wrote: »

I'm not sure I quite have the heart yet to get rid of them, even if they weren't useful.:o

That's how I'm feeling, if I'm honest lol

Thanks for all of the replies, it looks like I'll hold on to them for a bit longer then!

Mike1989

Meh when I finish I'll get rid of my notes. As studying history I have generally buy at least one book which is the core text for each module. So if I want to refresh my memory or need to research a topic if I ever go into teaching, I'll just read the book as notes are okay as long as you got everything noted down. Threw away my Early Modern Europe notes from last year, also threw away my Indian notes as I'm not going to be studying those two modules again.

But depends if your a computing person, eg programming or networking, they coudl come in useful at some time or another. History though you kinda need to read and generally you'll keep some grasp of the main concepts of the main periods of history studied.

mcspanna

Graduated in 2002, still have my books and copy of dissertation (and, I think, some of the essays in electronic format) but have never had need for the notes (honestly can't remember if I still have them!) my degree was social science related and I do have a job in that sort of area.

HTH

TDQO

I keep all my core notes e.g. on actual mining but I've ditched the ones from 1st yr chemistry, IT etc as they're very basic and simply not relevant to my work. Not to mention that the info can be found quicker on google!

scubaangel

I ditched my own notes but kept quite a few of the handouts and pretty much all the books from my first attempt at uni, Im doing OU at the moment and am keeping only the books and stuff the OU send this time around, any notes get dumped in the recycling as soon as I know Ive passed a course. But since I moved home I simply dont have the space to keep it all even if I would have liked to.