For busy graduate students, the idea of adding another item to a seemingly never-ending to-do list is daunting. And for a long time, the idea of keeping a journal was, for me, just that: another thing to add to my to-do list. But when I started journaling again last Spring (somewhat casually, I might add), I realized that journaling doesn’t have to be an everyday practice to be worthwhile.
I started by writing down the details of a dinner I had with a friend. I wrote out a list of everything that was overwhelming me after a particularly long day. I made note of some things I read and wanted to remember. I started small, often going days or weeks without opening my notebook again. But there was something so grounding about writing things down that I kept going back to it, writing more and more frequently whenever something striking came up.
It’s been three months now since I started, and I’ve already been able to look back on the feelings I’ve had and the worries I’ve since managed to solve. Keeping a journal, even sporadically, has reminded me of the significance of writing things down, of keeping time.
Since I’m enrolled in the one-year English MA program, my time as a graduate student has been short and intense, filled with big and small moments I’ve been trying to keep track of. Keeping this small, imperfect record of my life as a grad student has already proved meaningful. I can only imagine how grateful I’ll feel for these glimpses into my life in the years to come.
So, although the idea may feel like a chore, like yet another thing you feel you should be doing, journaling, however infrequently, is a pretty great gift to give to yourself, especially in this wonderfully overwhelming time of life.