Personal Curriculum
The concept of a self study plan predates social media, but I first encountered the term “personal curriculum” on youtube. I believe that term originated on tiktok (a platform I do not use) and has since gained quite a lot of traction. I think there are lots of people (myself included) who want more out of their internet usage than what the current typical engagement offers. For myself, I tend to save lots of posts, videos, and notes for “later”. This “later” never comes and I end up continuing to scroll, rather than spend the 20-30 minutes actually reading/watching/investigating the thing that originally caught my eye.
So, I’ve decided to start this blog and create a study plan in an effort to force myself to not only learn new things, but to also create something of my own. This is not really intended for others to read or engage with (although you’re welcome to). It is instead a place for my thoughts and ideas to live. A place for me to return to and build upon as my interests change and grow. We’ll see what happens.
The Plan
I’ve been developing my personal curriculum to begin in “Winter Quarter 2026” as defined by my local University: January 5th - March 13th.
To do this, I’ve adapted a Notion template to cover the courses I’m interested in exploring for the next three months. Namely, Art History 101 and Intro to Watercolor. I’ll be building up my syllabi by pulling from my notes app, saved videos, and published reading lists from University courses. When I’ve completed my syllabi, I’ll make a dedicated post for them.
How and when I’ll be working on these courses requires just a little background information. I am employed full-time and I am also a mother to a six year old child. So, my time is extremely limited. Between my work schedule and my child’s school schedule, I have evenings, weekends, and Mondays available to me for things like household chores, family activities, outings with friends, and this project.
I’ve decided that instead of doing 20-30 minutes here and there, I’ll be dedicating several hours every Monday to my learning objectives. This will allow me to get longer readings and videos completed, as well as work on any assignments I create for myself. Mondays are typically much quieter as well - my daughter is at school and the other people in my life are at work. I’m hoping this will create an ideal learning environment.
I’m very excited to begin these courses next week. It’s been over a decade since I completed my master’s program, so a return to an academic style of learning feels refreshing and comfortable. I’m ready to learn and grow and get more out of my time on the internet (and my time on earth). Here’s hoping 2026 is better than 2025!