Scrapbooking the College Years

College is a time unlike any other. For many, it was the first taste of real independence. College is a time of exploring and discovering who you truly are, gaining experience and knowledge in a chosen field, and simply preparing for life in the “real” world. Since college is such a unique time, it only follows that the memories contained in those years would be unlike any other. Whether you have hundreds of photos or none at all, remembering your college years within the pages of your scrapbooks is something that shouldn’t be overlooked.

Where to Start
Begin by assessing your photograph collection. If your college experience is currently underway or recently completed, you likely have plenty of photographs to work with and you’re ready to begin selecting your products and recording your memories. If not, you may need to work a bit harder. If you have just a few photographs, consider the following:

• Create a montage layout using photos from all four years of college. Include the basic facts in your journaling and consider capturing some extra funny (or extra heartbreaking) stories in hidden pockets or under photographs.


• Choose one or two photos and journal about your experiences during that time. For instance, perhaps you have a sorority headshot. Pair that special photo with journaling about the events and emotions from your time during that year.

If you find yourself without any photos to work with, try the following:

• Visit your university’s website for photos of the campus, college logos, sports photos, and more.


• Try using photos from a reunion or later event and match them with retrospective journaling.


• Visit your college’s library (or contact them) to see copies of the yearbook(s) from the years in which you were enrolled.

Products and Design
Once you’ve gathered your photos, the fun can really begin. The college years have been overlooked in the scrapbooking industry, but this trend has slowly started to change in the past year or so. K&Company offers a line of university albums and papers. Sports Solutions offers a line of papers featuring university mascots. Check out the following sources to obtain these and other products:

• Scrapbook stores near the location of your college. Many offer university-themed paper, stickers, and even albums.


• Your university bookstore. Often schools will carry exclusive products related to your university. You might not find 12”x12” scrapbook paper, but you’ll likely find stationery, stickers, and even logo rubber stamps. Consider purchasing a photo album that could be adapted into a unique mini-album.


• Your university’s alumni association may carry special stationery and items that are available exclusively to alumni.


• Your sorority headquarters. Again, try for stationery, stickers, and more. Some sororities even offer scrapbooking supplies and albums.


• Your own local scrapbook store. Even if you went to school out of state, it’s likely that your store owner will be able to special order items for you that are specific to your college or university.


• Don’t forget that you can always use generic papers and patterns in your school or sorority colors for a still memorable approach.

Meaningful Memories
Despite some roadblocks, gathering the photos and products may still be the easiest part of scrapbooking your college years. If they happened some time ago, it may be hard to capture more than the basic details. Consider scrapping the following topics for truly memorable scrapbook pages:

• How did you feel on your first day of college, or when you moved into your dorm/sorority house?
• What were your emotions on graduation day?
• What was your major? Why did you choose it?
• What are your funniest college memories? (I chose to capture the time I dressed up like Britney Spears and did a lip-sync routine in a dorm talent contest.)
• What was the biggest obstacle you faced while in college?
• Did you join a sorority? Why or why not?
• What was your favorite class? Who was your favorite professor? Why?
• What were the lessons you learned in college that came outside of the classroom?
• What was the best thing you did while in college?
• Did you take a memorable spring break trip?
• What were your college “routines”? (i.e. late nights in the library, movie nights in the dorms, etc)

Take the time to reflect on your college experience using these questions. Then, put pen to paper and write out those memories. Add your photos and special products to create a collection of truly memorable pages.

Most of us only go to college once, and the undergraduate years especially are a time like no other. Be sure to remember these special years in your scrapbook. You’ll be glad you did. And some day—perhaps when they are getting ready to start their own college adventures—your children and grandchildren will be glad you did, too.

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