October 19, 2018
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Yale University opened enrollment for a free ;psychology of happiness'-style class online available to the public.
Everyone can usually stand to be a little happier, right? A little more on top of their game? A little more #boss like? There’s a very popular class at Yale University teaching students how to do just that, and they’ve opened it up to the public to take for FREE online.
The class, which is being called online “The Science of Well-Being,” opens enrollment today, The New York Times reports. As soon as you create an account online, which you can do here, you’ll have access to all of the course information without having to drop the wad of cash it would normally cost to take a class at the Ivy League university.
Oh, and if you want some tangible proof of your learning — or a piece of paper listing your name AND Yale on it — you can shell out $49 for a certification of completion confirming that you’re a Yale-educated wellness pro.
RELATED READ: Is the desire for happiness making us miserable?
The class, which is taught by Laurie Santos, a Yale professor of psychology and cognitive science, delves into what psychological science says about happiness. Further, according to the class description, “the purpose of the course is to not only learn what psychological research says about what makes us happy but also to put those strategies into practice.” The class will first explore general misconceptions about happiness, then teach strategies for improving happiness. Students will be assigned to incorporate one “wellness activity” into their daily lives for four weeks.
“Students want to change, to be happier themselves, and to change the culture here on campus,” Santos told Well and Good. “With one in four students at Yale taking it, if we see good habits, things like students showing more gratitude, procrastinating less, increasing social connections, we’re actually seeding change in the school’s culture.”
The course currently holds 4.9-star out of five rating on Yale’s registration website. One review out of 323 stated: “Exceptional course to understand the empirical science behind real well-being. Prof Santos' conversational teaching style is easy to follow – just great. I have recommended the course to others.”
This *free* opportunity comes just in time for the holiday season, which promotes a theme of happiness, but oftentimes gets washed away by stress.
