[MUSIC PLAYING] DILLON POLLEY: ePortfolios can serve a range of purposes for students in different times during college and after graduation. Let's talk about why it's important to create and update your ePortfolio and how it can benefit you during and after college.
So why would you use an ePortfolio? An ePortfolio can be a useful platform for you to capture and share what you do in college. All the experiences you have while in college help shape you into the person you'll become by the time you graduate.
By adding experience to your ePortfolio each semester, you'll be better prepared down the road to discuss what you did, why you did it, and how it connects with your other academic and work experiences.
As a freshman, you'll start your ePortfolio and begin adding examples of your college work, your first year experience, your freshman writing portfolio, clubs, and student organizations.
As a sophom*ore, continue to add to your ePortfolio with work from your general education courses, important courses in your major, an internship, or work experiences. Make sure you are taking pictures and using these to tell your story.
When you were a junior, you'll begin taking more classes in your major, completing larger class projects, team projects, a second internship, research experiences. Maybe you'll study abroad or participate in service projects. If you're in a student organization, maybe you'll take on a leadership role. Include all of these.
Then, as a senior, you'll get your capstone course where you will edit and pull your ePortfolio together. This is where you'll go back and decide which items to keep and which you don't want to share anymore. You want to shape your ePortfolio to be your best work so you can use it for job searches or graduate school applications.
You'll have your resume, which is a static piece of paper with bullet points. And then in your ePortfolio, you'll have evidence that you can do all of these things you say you can do on your resume.
Why is it important to consistently update your ePortfolio? You experience and grow so much during college, so updating your ePortfolio every semester is important to make sure that nothing is out of date or not representative of who you are.
I hope you have a better understanding now of why an ePortfolio can benefit you and why it's important to make sure it stays up to date. If you need help, come to the ePortfolio studio. We're a peer-led space where students can get help with and feedback on their ePortfolio. Schedule an appointment or stop by on our drop-in hours.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
