In 2010, Stanford University piloted a class called Designing Your Life. Developed by Bill Burnett, then Director of the Design Program at Stanford, and Dave Evans, professor of a vocation-finding class at the University of California-Berkley, this course became (and remains) one of the most popular electives at Stanford.
The course teaches students how to think like designers when approaching problems and planning their lives. They learn to think critically and create a strategic plan to solve their life/future/career problems and anxieties. In 2016, Evans and Burnett released a book about the Designing Your Life methodology, which eventually became a New York Times best seller.
Last May, Dr. Valerie Mann, JCCC Chair of the College Success Department, participated in a global training program to become a certified Designing Your Life Coach and instructor. This Fall is the second semester JCCC has offered Designing Your Life, modeled after the course developed at Stanford. Dr. Mann’s Designing Your Life course is offered in person and online as an elective for all JCCC credit students.
Mann knows how a course like this can transform a student’s educational journey. She took an “Intro to College” class when she attended Kansas State University – and says the experience forever changed her perspective on her intellect and capability. She learned how to take notes, keep a planner, and adopt other learning strategies that improved her success in class. She also learned about techniques she could use outside the classroom, like progressive relaxation and critical thinking skills.
Course methodology
The Designing Your Life methodology teaches students to think like designers. Designers approach a problem by starting with plenty of ideas. They discuss the problem with people of different backgrounds and perspectives to fully understand it. Designers are innovative – they reframe, explore, and ask deeper questions. Finally, designers prototype. If the first design/experiment doesn’t work, they take what they learned to create and test a different one.
For example, in the class, students design three lives. The first is the student’s ideal life on their current path, the second is life if something were to happen and life one isn’t possible, and the third is a dream life, completely off the path they’re on now. These are prototypes for the students. They explore, ask questions, talk to people in their field, create plans, and learn how to take actionable steps toward their goals.
Dr. Mann recommends that any student who is unsure of their goals or feeling overwhelmed by life’s options enroll in the Designing Your Life Course. It offers methods and coursework to benefit different students. At JCCC, a variety of students enrolled in the course since it was first offered this summer. Some were adults who were returning to school, others were high school students preparing for college, and others hoped to improve their academic skills and better define their career paths and academic interests.
College Success Courses at JCCC
At JCCC, Designing Your Life is an elective offered through the College Success Department. College Success electives are offered in most degree programs, and any JCCC credit student can enroll. These courses help students develop both learning strategies and career plans. Other College Success courses for credit-seeking students include:
- Career and Life Planning
- Job Search Skills
- Learning Strategies for Math
- College Study Strategies
- Memory Strategies
- Exam Strategies
Studies have shown students who learn and apply academic strategies through JCCC’s College Success courses have higher GPAs, are more likely to graduate, and report feeling less stress on their college journey. JCCC students can use many of the skills they learn to transfer to a 4-year educational institution, search for a job, and enter the workforce.
Learn more
For more information on JCCC’s College Success Department, visit JCCC’s website or contact 913-469-8500, ext. 3335.
For JCCC students interested in the Designing Your Life course, Spring pre-registration begins on Monday, October 21-23, and open enrollment for Spring 2025 begins at 9 p.m. on October 23. Learn more.
