Doing 'Homework for Fun'

There are many trends on social media. Some are silly, others are over the top. But as they are trends, generally they’re not going to stick around. So I find this trend of “assigning homework” to oneself actually interesting.

It’s called a “personal curriculum.” According to The EveryGirl, it “involves selecting topics you’ve always wanted to explore and developing a lesson plan tailored to your interests.” I find it interesting because it brings people back to studying, which is one of those things we should never stop doing.

Being deliberate even in leisure

At a time when people are so reliant on technology to solve things, I think it’s great that, for once, it is trendy to assign the thinking to the brain and not to the algorithm. This is not just about reading more books but also about curating one’s reading list. It isn’t just about listening to more podcasts or watching more how-tos on YouTube, but purposefully choosing the media to which one gives focus. In other words, even the decision making behind what is consumed is thoughtful.

Being deliberate even in the way one spends free time is a good way not to fall victim to trends. (How funny is that—a trend that helps people from falling for other trends?!) That’s because study sharpens the mind and helps a person discern truths from a bombardment of information. Which is what we have today, with info coming from everywhere. These days, social media and chat groups have turned into a news source of questionable accuracy. Study helps one think critically, so that you don’t always just buy everything that you come across. It’s a good thing to be skeptical; and even better if you’re scholarly skeptical (hello, scientific method).

Make it a class

Now… let’s move on to another point. While I like the idea of self-study, I also think it helps more if a personal curriculum can be shared. I know, I know, it’s not going to be “personal” anymore if you add a classmate or two—but hear me out. In my university years, we would write in a workshop setting. In this set up, you pour your heart (and sleepless nights) into a piece: a poem, a short story, a novel, or even a graphic novel, and your classmates and professor will help you refine it. You can never be satisfied with just a personal criticism of your own work. Because that would be like the Friends episode in which Ross lets his friends listen to the music he used to make, when he would lock up in the basement with an electric keyboard.

In other words, study becomes more fruitful when you can discuss it with someone. Because other people think differently (no matter how the same you feel you are), conversing with them brings up more connections, more retrospections, and more conclusions. I mean, how do you think Tolkien refined his Hobbit and Lord of the Rings? He didn’t keep his tales to himself and then suddenly coughed up a masterpiece; he discussed them over and over again with his friends at the pub.

This is why I say it’s better to have a “classmate” in your personal quest for self-enrichment. Or at least a friend with whom you can talk about a certain area of study. You can tap many friends for this; and that widens the scope of what you can learn from (and in turn share with) others. Then the personal curriculum becomes not merely a self-enriching exercise but a community-enriching exercise as well.

"This is not just about reading more books but also about curating one’s reading list. It isn’t just about listening to more podcasts or watching more how-tos on YouTube, but purposefully choosing the media to which one gives focus. In other words, even the decision making behind what is consumed is thoughtful."