My Personal Curriculum for Autumn

what i've chosen to self-study this season.

If you’re on the same side of Tik Tok as me, then you’ve probably seen the “personal curriculum” trend that’s circulating and let me say this, I’m all for it.

I think this is one of the most wholesome and productive trends to come out of social media (I believe this trend was started by xparmesanprincessx on Tik Tok but I could be wrong). Encouraging the pursuit of learning, expanding your knowledge, following your interests and spending less time on your phone.

I wouldn’t say I excelled at all subjects in school, but I did love learning. I have memories of me in primary school, writing out my schedule for the day in my diary because I was obsessed with Elle Woods doing it in Legally Blonde 2, so naturally I had to do the same.

But once we leave school/university, we often lose the habit of studying and learning as it’s no longer a requirement, but for those of us who enjoy the process of studying this can be a fun trend to implement into your life.

With that being said, I’ve felt inspired to put together my own curriculum for the autumn months. I’ve actually created a bank of ideas within a Notion doc, which I will pull from each time I refresh my curriculum.

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personal curriculum:
a collection of topics chosen by oneself to self-study without the tie to an academic validation and rather simply for personal fulfilment.

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I’ve seen various ways of structuring their curriculum, and to be honest I’m just winging it and doing what flows naturally.

THE DEETS:

1. Pick a niche topic from an overarching category

2. Gather initial course materials — I’m utilising a mix of books, articles, websites, documentaries and podcasts

3. Finish up by December ideally (but we go with the flow around here)

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For my first topic, I’ve chosen something on-theme for this time of year:

Witchcraft & The History of Magic

I’ve always been fascinated by witches, witchcraft, witch trials, you name it. And I feel like there’s no better time of year to dive deeper than September & October.

• The Burning Times | The History of Witches Part 1

• The Witches: Salem, 1962

• Britannica: Witchcraft

• Historian Answers Witchcraft Questions

• Suranne Jones: Investigating Witch Trials

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Memoirs of Iconic Women

I’ve been on a bit of an unintentional memoir kick this year, having recently read The Third Gilmore Girl by Kelly Bishop and Down The Drain by Julia Fox (both incredible!) and so I feel inspired to continue this. I’m an avid reader as is but I tend to lean towards fiction, so this is a nice non-fiction break. I’ve got a few lined up for my next read, and a few documentaries to watch:

• Be Ready When The Luck Happens — Ina Garten

• I’m Mostly Here to Enjoy Myself — Glynnis MacNicol

• Martha — Martha Stewart (a Netflix rewatch)

• Just Kids — Patti Smith

• Iris — Iris Apfel (Documentary)

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Fashion “It” Girls Through The Decades

As someone whose always been interested in fashion and it being part of my course when I was at university, I want to delve deeper into the history of fashion, starting with the “it girls”. It’s fascinating to me how fashion trends and beauty standards change over the years and the cultural influences that impact it.

• The “It Girls” of Every Decade

• What Defined the “It Girl” in Every Decade?

• Fashion History Timeline

• The History of Fashion Through The Decades

• The 17 Most Influential Fashion Icons of All Time

• Icons of Style

• 1920s & 30s Fashion Icons

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Those are the topics I’ll be focusing on for my personal curriculum this autumn, there’s a bit of variety and I’m starting out with things that already have my interest.

I’m sure I’ll add to the course materials as I research but this is just what I found initially to get me started.

I’d love to know if you’ve created your own curriculum and if so, what’s on it. I need some inspiration to add to my ever-growing list!

Imogen x