For some of us, the high school or college days have long passed but we still long for (or appreciate) the structure of learning and excitement of that “back to school” feeling. If that’s you, here’s something you might be interested in — the idea of a personal curriculum.
Introducing the personal curriculum ✨
So what is a personal curriculum? It’s a grown-up version of your traditional school schedule or curriculum. It’s a collection of classes, electives, and study subjects tailored to what it is you want to learn about — not what you have to learn about.
Think of this as a way to organize your learning and make it more fun at the same time. If you’re someone that struggles to set and work towards goals (hi, that’s me!) then this could be a really great way to stay on track and make progress.
The personal curriculum trend found popularity on TikTok, but the reality is that many people have had personal learning goals and projects for years — this just gives us a new way to reframe it. 📚
How I’m building my own personal curriculum
This isn’t just an idea I wanted to introduce to you and then run — it’s something I’m actively working on myself. See, I love the idea of organizing my life and learning something new BUT find it really hard to stay focused.
So… I’m building my own personal curriculum! And I thought I’d break down the steps so you can follow along if you want to do this too.
1. Set a goal
Before you come up with a learning plan, you first need a goal. Decide what it is that you want to work on the most and come up with a realistic yet slightly challenging target to motivate you to get there.
Coming up with a goal can be so hard — especially if you’re anything like me. Here are some example goals to get you thinking:
- Learn more about my culture
- Develop my cooking skills
- Understand what goes into building a successful business
- Make my own clothes
- Learn a new language
- Take better care of my mind and body
- Understand more about the history of art
- Improve my fitness levels
- Launch my own business
- Embrace self care
- Become a better friend or partner
Choose one of the above or let it inspire you to find your own!
You can have more than one goal, but if you’re just getting started I’d recommend sticking with one. You can add other subjects apart from one that matches your main target, so don’t worry about being stuck only learning science, or business, or art.
2. Select your subjects
Okay this is maybe one of the best parts — choosing the subjects or topics you want to study. Here, you’ll create a syllabus (the subjects you’ll study). Be guided by your main goal(s), but don’t feel restricted — sometimes electives are the best part!
You can stick to traditional subjects like “art”, “math”, or “history” if you like, or dive a little deeper into something more specific. Here are some of my favorite subject or topic ideas:
- Arts and literature
- Media studies
- Science and nature
- Food tech
- Health and wellness
- Business and marketing
- Personal finance
- Connection
- Personal growth
(These are also the subjects I’ll be sharing some class ideas for later on!)
3. Create your classes
Underneath your subjects will sit your classes. These are more specific than your topics and go into more detail. They could be introductory, research-based, practical, or expert level — it all depends on how much you know about the subject right now and what your learning goals are.
Here are some examples of classes you could create:
- Media studies —> Filmmaking 101
- Food tech —> Basic cooking for beginners
- Health and wellness —> An introduction to mindful movement
- Business and marketing —> Social media in 2026
- Connection —> How to make friends in your 30s
4. Make a reading list
With every course topic or class comes a reading list. And while we don’t suggest running out and spending $$$s on dry textbooks, it does help to have some reading or research material available. Luckily, you can find almost everything you need online for free, or from your local library.
Making a reading list is maybe the hardest part of creating your personal curriculum — especially if it’s a topic that you’re new to.
Here are my tips on how to build a reading list:
- Look for bestsellers in that topic, industry, or niche
- Consider newsletters, influencers, and creators
- Expand beyond reading — add podcasts, videos, movies, and other media
5. Give yourself assignments or homework
Reading, listening, and watching are all great ways to learn, but something really clicks when you put it into action. Give yourself some assignments so you can try out what you’ve learned.
These assignments don’t have to be “write an essay” or “create a slide deck”, although they can be if you want. Here are some other ideas for creative and hands-on assignments:
- Write a letter to a friend
- Create a vision board
- Journal for 5 days
- Interview someone
- Cook a new recipe
- Write a poem
- Create a pattern or drawing
- Visit a museum
- Write down your life goals
Your assignments can be anything productive or useful related to your class, so don’t feel like you have to stick to the traditional. This is your own personal study remember, so you get to be in charge of what your practical assignments are!
6. Document your progress
As soon as you get started, document your journey! Keep a record of your learning to not only keep track of what you’ve done and learned so far, but to act as motivation on days where you feel less inspired to learn.
There are lots of different places you can track your progress, so choose the one that suits you best. Some great options include:
- Notion
- Spreadsheet
- Word or Google Doc
- Planner or journal
I’m personally going to be using a combination of a physical notepad and Notion!
Subject and class ideas for your season of personal study
I feel like narrowing down your subjects and choosing classes is SO difficult, especially if you love learning and don’t want to restrict yourself. Keeping your classes simple at the start can really help, and you can always adjust them as you go.
To help you get started, here are some fun and creative ideas for classes in different subject areas — just tailor them to your learning level and specific tastes!
Arts and literature
- The history of art
- Watercolor painting
- Poems from the 21st Century
- The role of art in modern culture
- Traditional English classics
Media studies
- The art of filmmaking
- Popular media in the 2000s
- Media and culture
- Podcasting 101
- How to write a great script
Science and nature
- Understanding the solar system
- Birds in their native habitats
- Dinosaurs 101
- The history of space exploration
- Flowers and fauna
Food tech
- Baking for beginners
- The art of personalizing a recipe
- Foraging for ingredients
- Air fryer essentials
- Traditional recipes for fall
Health and wellness
- Heart health 101
- An introduction to self care
- Running for fitness
- Sleep routines
- Nutrition in your 30s
Business and marketing
- An introduction to entrepreneurship
- Search engine optimization (SEO) in 2026
- Artificial intelligence (AI) 101
- Storytelling in marketing
- TikTok essentials
Personal finance
- Budgeting 101
- An introduction to investing
- Cash vs. cards
- Preparing for a big life change
- Finance for beginners
Connection
- How to make friends
- Online communities
- How to contribute to discussions
- Gratitude and generosity
- Building your own book club
Personal growth
- Self confidence 101
- Public speaking for beginners
- Goal setting and tracking
- How to master your time
- Productivity for creators
I love this part! Coming up with class ideas is so much fun 😊
Tips for creating your own personal curriculum
Lastly I wanted to leave you with some ideas on how you can make the whole process easier, smoother, or more enjoyable:
- Make it fun!
- Don’t overcomplicate things
- Let it evolve over time
- Don’t feel pressured to include things that are productive
- Celebrate your achievements
- Adjust and make changes when you need to
- Sometimes life will get in the way, and that’s okay!
- Invite some friends to join you on your study journey
Fall in love with learning again with your own personal curriculum
I think a personal curriculum is a really smart way to embrace your love for learning and give it some extra purpose or joy. I’m excited to build my own and I hope that you’ll create something you enjoy too! 💛
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