How to build a student portfolio

What do good sample portfolios have in common? Check out what are the components to include and learn how to see if your portfolio accurately represents you. This article details out how to build a student portfolio.

What are the components of a portfolio?

Here is what a portfolio basically contains, ordered from the start to the end: 1. An index of the contents 2. Your profile or personal statement 3. Your skills and key achievements 4. Your resume 5. Examples of your work Notice that with the exception of the index, the components are ordered from the most important to the least. This prioritisation also makes sense.

What items to include?

Student portfolio examples can include the following: 1. Academic and extra-curricular achievements 2. School and community activities Your achievements Undoubtedly, you are proud of your achievements. Your portfolio is a good place to display these. Include all your academic certificates like the completion of your education, public and private exam certificates, etc. 'Show off' your sport certificates too, if you have them. Do you play piano or dance ballet? Include the last graded exam certificate and any other certifications beyond that. Unless you have all your certificates in one place, think of all the extra-curricular or non-academic achievements which you have. Your participation The more active you are outside of the classroom, the more you must have participated in school and community events. If you don't have certificates for these, do you have other forms of documentation as evidence? These can be newspaper clippings, clippings off your school yearbook, web clippings or screenshots (from the school blog or website, etc.) and so on.

Check your portfolio

Does it represent you accurately? Since your 'career' as a student and community resident is represented in a book or file format known as a portfolio, you would understandably put in your best effort. You will agree that it in fact represents a big part of your life. Therefore, include your key milestones in it and whatever else that is necessary to make that representation accurate. Keep it relevant and try to make it positive. Get a second opinion Pass it on to someone whom you trust to 'check' it for you. Call it a portfolio assessment if you like. You may have missed out some items or included items which either don't belong or misrepresent you. This person can be a teacher who knows you well.