Memory is central to our identity. It helps to remember the good times with families, communities and organizations.
Memories are not just what we hold in our heads. They also take concrete forms and consist of documents, images and objects.
Generation Z has loved to use social media to collect their memories over the years. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat are prime examples of how social media can hold someone’s memories. But what ever happened to old-fashioned memory collecting when you made a photo album, collage or a memory box?
When spending four-plus years at a university, students sometimes rely on social media to collect their memories instead of printing images or making a memory box.
Hope Flanders is an incoming freshman at Florida A&M University. She’s excited about joining an historically Black university and establishing a life-time worth of memories.
“My family loves to express the fun and all the experiences they had when attending FAMU. My sister told me about how she met her husband on camps and the long-term friendships she made. I’m excited to start my journey and make my memories on FAMU camps this fall,” Flanders said.
“I never thought of different ways to collect memories throughout my college experience besides the photo album on my phone or through my Snapchat stories. I am passionate about taking photographs, so it wouldn’t be difficult to develop my photos and make a photo album to preserve my long-time memories from college,” Flanders added.
Creating a memory box during your college experience would be best because it’s like a treasure box. The box will help remind you about important milestones in your life that help you shape your future. When you’re sitting at home for 30 years, you can show your grandkids or family members images of your college experience.
Here are six ideas you should consider putting in your memory box:
- Travel souvenirs
- Special awards
- Collage letters
- Pictures
- Concert tickets
- Graduation cap and tassel
Kayla Carter, a FAMU alumna, made a memory book about her experience in college. One day, she got her Idea from Pinterest and decided to make a box to keep all her memories, especially from crossing a sorority.
“I made my memory box once I graduated from college and put all my accomplishments into a drawer. Once it was time to move back to Ohio, Atlanta, I realized I needed to find somewhere else to store everything I had worked so hard for in college. So, I decided the best idea was making a memory box that I decorated with FAMU colors,” Carter said.
Making a memory box starts with a shoe or wooden box. It does not matter, anything that would make you happy. Store your memories for a long time. You never know when you want to reminisce with your friends, children or grandchildren.