'Do nothing' college course earns rave reviews from students and experts

It’s a dream come true for college students and at first glance - a financial nightmare for some parents.

The "do nothing" class was the most popular one at a Wisconsin university last fall.

Inside this Lawrence University classroom, the last thing students feel is stress.

"I don’t remember the last time someone read poetry for me or the last time I read poetry. I also took a nap, which you know was totally permitted in the class and I’m glad it was," one student said.

In this class, there's no homework, no reading, no final exam and no phones.

"The idea for this course came out of a handful of conversations that my colleagues and I have been having just noticing that our students are stressed out all the time. They feel this constant need to be productive," said Constance Kassor, associate professor of religious studies at Lawrence University.

Kassor helped create the "do nothing" course. It’s the one class where you won't get in trouble for falling asleep.

"We want that. We want students to develop the skills to pay attention to their own bodies, their own needs," Kassor said.

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That’s why Kassor has different teachers and administrators from across the university teach the one-hour class, once a week with topics like tai chi, meditation and sleep hygiene.  

"So many of our students, they’re just constantly going, going," Kassor said. "Not getting enough to sleep. Not getting enough to eat, not stepping away from their screens."

In the long run, Kassor said that makes them less productive.  

"Just taking a break and allowing yourself to be bored, that can make you more productive in the long run. It can help you be more creative with the work that you have to do," Kassor said.

Sheila Dowd, medical director for Rush Medical Center’s Clinical Wellness Center.

The class opened in 2018 as a way to help students and staff here de-stress.  

"Its such a habit that we’ve gotten into of always looking to see ‘Do I have a text? Is there any email?' for them to provide that hour, where they can really start to figure out another way to unplug and be present in the moment is really, really important," Dowd said.

Dowd said well-being and emotional health comes when we unplug and we enjoy the world around us.

So now the big question – how much does it cost to do nothing?

The answer? Also nothing.

"Because of the way things are set up at Lawrence, no one is paying extra tuition to take this class," Kassor said.  

The class in only for one credit and is graded as pass/fail.

"The reason we’re offering it for credit is just to incentivize students to keep showing up. At the end of the day, this is a skills class where we’re giving students the skills to be whole human beings," Kassor said.

The do nothing class is open to all students at Lawrence University and can only be taken once.

While Lawrence is currently the only school offering this class, Kassor said they've been contacted by a handful of other schools,  hospitals and organizations that are interested in offering something similar.