There’s joy in learning — yeah, we said it!! Focusing on the parts of your collegiate education that bring you joy is a good way to navigate the anxieties of the semester. Here are some suggestions about how to center joy in your learning activities, both now and in the future.

LEARNING FOSTERS JOY

RESILIENCE. Learning requires us all to try new things and expose ourselves to things that are unfamiliar. If you never stumble, you won’t feel challenged to persist (as University of Arizona researchers have shown). Knowing that you’ve persisted gives you the satisfaction of feeling resilient.

SELF-CONFIDENCE. The better educated you are, the more that you’ll know how much you have to offer. While at college, you’re consistently expanding your abilities, which should encourage you to feel more confident in your areas of expertise. Take confidence — and joy — in the fact that you’re able to build a strong knowledge foundation.

BROADENED PERSPECTIVE. You discover new views on the world through what you learn, and a broader view of the world and its possibilities is correlated with happiness. Go ahead, marvel at how full of fascinations this world is — it’ll help increase your joy!

ENHANCE THE JOY OF LEARNING 

LEAVE YOUR COMFORT ZONE. True learning expands you as a person. But if you always (or even generally) stay within your comfort zone, you are far less likely to experience real growth. So try to take reasonable academic risks — if you’re quiet, try to make one discussion contribution per class session, for example. Taking such risks can raise your self-esteem, make you feel more empowered, and equip yourself to embrace challenges and problem-solving more readily.

THINK ABOUT PURPOSE. Why are you learning what you’re learning? Yes, there are distribution requirements necessary for your degree, but what are the reasons that those requirements exist?

 Reflect on how required courses help round you out as a person, as well as how they may help you in a variety of professional contexts. 

But don’t stop there — think about how the courses in your major(s) and minor(s) give you skills and knowledge bases that are important. Make sure to contemplate not only how such courses will help you professionally, but also how these skills and sets of knowledge allow you to understand more about the world around you, personally.

BE CURIOUS. Ideally, college sets you up to be a successful lifelong learner. So, indulge your curiosity! Reflect on what is exciting about your major and minor course(s) of study, and think about what you want to explore further. This can deepen your passion for your studies, and it might also provide you with ideas for projects or research in future courses. 

If you’re excited about what you’re learning, and when you see how that learning is meaningful, you’re more likely to experience joy from it.

TEACH SOMEONE. Sharing what you learn (with friends, family or others) helps you solidfy your own understanding of material. But it can also give you a sense of accomplishment and meaning to expand the horizons of people you know. Teaching someone else useful or perspective-shifting  material is a great way to feel the energizing potential of learning.

FURTHER RESOURCES 

Brower, Tracy (2022). “Learning is a Sure Path to Happiness: Science Proves It.” Forbes.

Grand Canyon University. “The Secrets of the Happiest College Students.”

Library Student Team, “Podcast: Finding Joy as a Student.” Medium.

Tay, Özkan, and Tay (2009). “The Effect of Academic RiskTaking Levels on the Problem Solving Ability of Gifted Students.” Procedia – Social and Behavioral Sciences.

Wilson, Shenhav, Straccia, & Cohen (2019). “The 85% Rule for Optimal Learning.” Nature Communications.

FACULTY FAUCET

We know that students aren’t the only ones who need to be reminded of the joys of learning, so faculty, here are some ways to help you keep joy in your teaching. 

  • Eugene Korsunskiy from Dartmouth College has created and curated a set of “Joy Cards.” Each card provides an activity for you to try to help you and your students spark joy and foster a sense of classroom community. Find them at this link: https://tinyurl.com/TeachingJoyCards.
  • Want some other ways to increase joy in the classroom? A 9/19/25 Faculty Focus article entitled “From Lectures to Laughter: Strategies to Spark Joy in the Classroom” by Robin Wolpinksy suggests: 
    • creating novel, content-linked scavenger hunts using digital tools
    • using memes or relevant pop culture elements to reinforce class material
    • inviting students to contribute songs to a class playlist that you play before class begins to energize the classroom atmosphere