Designing Your Life
MIT's Independent Activities Period workshop on building a satisfying life on your own terms. Sponsored by the Department of Science, Technology, and Society, the course walks students through career satisfaction, money, physical health, habits and vices, and how people relate to themselves and others. Sessions are structured as a short, intensive four-week term rather than a full semester, mirroring a longer version taught in the Sloan Fellows Program. Materials on MIT OpenCourseWare include the syllabus and session outlines used in the original not-for-credit class. There is no grading, credit, or certificate; the course is meant as a practical self-assessment tool, prompting students to examine their goals and habits and apply lessons directly to decisions about work, relationships, and daily routines.