The Pursuit of Happiness

Last semester, I took a course called The Pursuit of Happiness, led by Dr. James Pawelski. This course was unlike any other that I’d taken at Penn- it did not count for any requirement and the sole purpose was to teach Penn students how to be happier. The course was filled to capacity with hundreds of students. Each week, we met in lecture to discuss one aspect of happiness or a prominent finding related to happiness. Guest lecturers spoke about meditation, relationships, grit, and the foundings of positive psychology as a discipline. We were also instructed to meditate daily and exercise several times per week based on some of the primary findings in the happiness literature. Then, we met in smaller recitation sections (called “POH Teams”) to discuss our experiences from the week and forge close connections with others in our section. This course ended up being incredibly impactful and changed the way that I’ve moved forward with my life since. For one, it taught me the importance of taking the time to check in with myself and dedicating time to my well being. It also taught me the importance of connecting with other people. One of the main takeaways from the course was that happiness is not something to be pursued on your own. Relationships and being part of strong and supportive communities do wonders in leading to happiness. I looked forward to our POH team meetings each week and talking to the others in my class. We ended up having deep and meaningful conversations that extended to friendships beyond the course. Ultimately, this course gave me a renewed sense of energy and reminded me of how lucky I am to be part of a university community that prioritizes such important teachings.

- Rachel W.