Electives Only: Curating a Curriculum You’ll Love
Have you seen this trend on TikTok? Personally, I read about it on Substack. Is that a flex or no? Creating a personal curriculum for back to school season is a cute trend online where you create your own syllabus for the season — electives only. Pick what you want to learn, structure it however you want, and assign yourself “homework” to make life feel a little more special. Do it for a month, the whole fall, or when you’re just in need of a reset. So, how do we get started?
Pick Your Subjects
Your subjects can be anything: poetry, cozy home cooking, skincare, foreign cinema, script analysis, budgeting… What sounds fun? What have you been wanting to try, would make life feel more interesting, or more “you”?
Make it Official: Name Your Courses
Optional step: instead of saying “I want to host a dinner party,” you could enroll in Hosting & Hospitality 101. A few examples for “enrollment”:
The Cozy Living Seminar: Candles, Crockpots, and Contentment
Mastering the Perfect Study Playlist
Zine Making 101: Tiny Books, Big Feelings
Digital Spring Cleaning (Even If It’s Fall)
Letter Writing as a Love Language
Create small assignments that are low-pressure, high-reward tasks. Read a new play at a coffee shop, host a themed party, shop your wardrobe and wear an outfit combination you’ve never tried, or maybe write an intentional thank you note.
Grades? Goals… How do you want to feel by the end of this season? More grounded, more playful, more confident? Let the curriculum support that goal.
A Sample Personal Curriculum.
I’m still scheming, but here’s a peek at what I’m planning for my own course list this fall:
Sourdough 101: From Culture to Crust
Course Load: Participate in a weekend intensive to learn the process, begin the care and keeping of my own starter, and bake weekly/bi-weekly loaves. Next semester: learn how to cut even slices.Blogging 232: Boldly Posting Thoughts & Typos
Course Load: If you’re reading this, self-explanatory ;)
Laugh Lines 354: Directing Comedy
Course Load: I’m directing a comedy! Nice!Beginner French 102: Un Petit Peu Va Loin
Course Load: Micro, daily app-based lessons. Using phrases (to myself at least) as I go about my day.
Hot Girl Walks, A Practicum
Course Load: Less gym & less sitting. Celebrating cooler days with walks after work & at lunch time.
Make sure to watch your course load! Have fun, you can drop a class anytime, take a break, or add a class halfway through. Cheers to life long learning!
