In the spring of 2018, Yale Psychology Professor Laurie Santos unveiled a new course: “Psychology and the Good Life.” The subject was happiness.
Santos’ course was a blend of abstract and concrete. It combined both positive psychology with the real-life applications of behavioral science. And it debunked popular notions of what makes people happy (like the luxury Mercedes-Benz status symbol) and helped students understand the habits they should build to lead truly happier, more fulfilled lives.
The course was launched in the US – home to supposedly only the 29th most happy population in the world, according to the 2019 World Happiness Report – at one of the nation’s most elite and high-pressure colleges.
The reaction was unprecedented.”Psychology and the Good Life” became the most popular class ever taught in Yale University’s 317-year history, and garnered both national and international media attention. The university reportedly had trouble staffing it – pulling fellows from the School of Public Health and law school to meet the demands. Santos told the New York Times that a remarkable one in four Yale students were then taking the course. For reference, while most large lectures at Yale never exceed 600 students, “Psychology and the Good Life” had enrolled 1,182.
After waves of people began asking for access to the course, Santos designed an iteration for the online learning platform Coursera, The Science of Well-Being, available for free to non-Yale students. To see what it’s like, I enrolled.
The course covers the following topics in weekly installments:
Weekly installments include video lectures, optional readings, and “rewirement” activities to do each day to build happier habits. Research suggests that if you do these rewirements as prescribed, you should get a boost in your mood and overall well-being.
What to expect from the class
To make the class warm and inviting, it’s shot in Santos’ own home, with a handful of Yale students in the audience so you can see how the material lands with other people. It feels intimate, and Santos’ tone is friendly and conversational. To me, it felt relieving – watching a group of unguarded people gather en masse to commune over the shared topic of personal happiness, and how to use intellect and research to untangle it (some of the most contemporary research was conceptualized and coined by Santos herself).
Thankfully, for the busy amongst us (who may feel especially drawn to this course), there’s absolutely no required reading. All the information you need to know is summarized within the lecture. If you do want deeper context, Santos provides links to complementary readings. And there’s also no grade penalty for a missed assignment deadline, so you can work at your own pace if you can’t or don’t want to meet the suggested deadlines. In other words, this class is about well-being – and necessarily operates against the grain of traditional academia in its quest.
Sign up here for free, or keep reading to learn about my experience.
My experience taking the class
I should disclose that I enjoy online classes. In the Character Strengths Test you’re invited to take at the course’s outset, “Curiosity” was my most dominant trait out of its twenty possibilities. But, despite being a candidate of least resistance, I was really surprised by how much I enjoyed a few weeks in the course. It felt immediately and concretely useful – an assertion that’s best contextualized by mentioning that most of the class legwork is completing daily “rewiring” tasks designed to build those research-backed habits into your life that will make you happier post-course.
Here’s what I liked:
The only thing to note is that, while you can take the class at your own pace, you’re encouraged to implement the rewiring techniques on a weekly schedule, since research shows that increasing your own well-being takes daily, intentional effort over long periods of time – meaning this six-week class is a great opportunity.
Should you get a certificate? What does it include?
If you choose to earn a certificate for the course ($49) when you enroll, then you’ll get access to all course materials, including graded assignments. Upon completing the course, your electronic certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page and, from there, you can print your certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile.
If you choose to audit the course, you’ll still have access to all the course materials but you won’t be able to submit assignments for feedback or a grade.
You can upgrade to a paid certificate at any time during or after your audit. Once you pay for a course certificate, you have 180 days from the day you paid to complete the course.
If you pay for a certificate in a course you’ve already taken, any grades you already earned will be saved, but you may need to complete more coursework that wasn’t available in the audit version (if applicable).
If you can’t afford the fee, apply for the course’s financial aid. Click on the Financial Aid link beneath the “Enroll” button on the left. You’ll be prompted to complete an application and will be notified if you’re approved, but applications take at least 15 days to be reviewed.
This content was originally published here.
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