It's Spring Course Registration Time!

I'm taking all my classes pass/fail

Lisa Ro

Mar 13, 2025

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close-up photo of purple petaled flower — Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash

Is anyone else feeling that spring energy, like I CAN DO ANYTHING and GIVE ME ALL THE NEW HOBBIES?

Spring is the perfect time to think about new starts. I dare say it’s even better than resolutions made with January energy.

One thing that helps me rein in my varied passions (and squirrel brain) without totally squelching all that energy is planning my life in terms of college credits.

When I intentionally commit to learning something at a deeper level for a sustained period of time, I can get more satisfaction than the quick hit of excitement I get just from starting something new.

I have found that the equivalent of 2-3 “classes”—in addition to my full-time job as a parent—adds up to more than a full load.

My Spring 2025 Schedule

shallow focus photography of books — Photo by Kimberly Farmer on Unsplash

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Writing (4) | MW 9-10:30 a.m.
Morning pages, Substack (so meta right now)

Visual Art II (2) 
Watercolor, doodling, carrying a sketchbook with me always

Exploratory Media I (2) | WTh
Junk journaling, graphic design, acrylic, video editing, embroidery

Homemaking (8)
Dishes, laundry, picking up the same things off the floor erryday, keeping track of where so and so's favorite sweatshirt is, keeping children alive blah blah blah

Gardening (2)
Cleaning out debris from last fall, planning, pruning, planting [not a metaphor, even though it’s super ripe for one (see what I did there?)]

PE (0.5) | TuF 10:15-11:15 a.m.
Cardio and weight-lifting

18.5 units is kind of a heavy load, which is why I’ve decided to take all my classes pass/fail this term. Also, this shows me that I just can’t learn sewing right now, despite all my dreams and visions that I can make all my own clothes.

Seeing my life as a college semester course load helps me see that every choice of how to use my time means I’m giving up time for writing, drawing, or sleeping.

In college, you’re allowed to pop your head into other lecture halls, but if you plan to pass the ones in which you’re enrolled, you’ll need to manage your time carefully.

Write your own syllabi

The cool thing about the College of Life is that you’re in charge.

You’re your own dean, professor, major adviser, RA, etc.

(Unfortunately, you’re almost always also the janitor…. womp womp.)

As the professor, you get to decide the course objectives, reading lists, and final projects. Will there be any field trips (cf. Julia Cameron’s artist dates)?

If you’re resonating with my metaphor of turning your life into an infinite series of college terms, I encourage you to brainstorm what classes (3-4) you’re in (or want to be in).

I highly recommend including required films on your syllabi. :D