What is the most popular class in Yale history?

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Happiness is standing still in the quiet. Happiness is a cool breeze on a summer night. From the moment of birth, every human being wants happiness. In this, we are all the same.

It turns out 1,182 students, nearly a quarter of Yale undergrads, want to learn to be happier. The New York Times reports the recently offered Psyc 157 – or “Psychology and the Good Life” – is the most popular course in Yale’s 316-years of existence.

The record was previously held by a class called “Psychology and the Law,” which attracted 1,052 students.

The course, taught by Laurie Santos, 42, a psychology professor and the head of one of Yale’s residential colleges, tries to teach students how to lead a happier, more satisfying life in twice-weekly lectures.

Campus of Yale University /VCG Photo

Yale, and other universities full of stand-outs, may be a places that really need such a course. In 2013, the Yale College Council found that more than half of undergrads sought mental health care while studying there.

Santos did not expect this enrollment number, which is ten times larger than she estimated. She believes the class, which is in its first semester, is so popular because students at competitive universities like Yale have been long taught to prioritize hard work over personal satisfaction, and that’s taken a toll on their mental health.

“I hate seeing them so time constrained that they never have a chance to take a break and explore this interesting place. I hate seeing them waste their college years being anxious about the future. I wanted to start a larger conversation about Yale’s culture more generally,” She said.

The subject reportedly focuses on both positive psychology (the qualities that allow people to do well) and behavioral change (how to embrace those traits into daily life). At the end of the course, students must complete a final assessment called the “Hack Yo’Self Project,” a self-improvement exercise.

VCG Photo‍

Students enrolled in the course for various reasons. Though some admit that they want to pass the test easily, others say they hope the course will help them cope with current and future stressful moments.

“In reality, a lot of us are anxious, stressed, unhappy, numb,” 19-year-old Alannah Maynez, told the New York Times. Browne, 21, claimed that the experience of taking a class with over 1,000 classmates is appealing when interviewed by Yale Daily News.

Dealing with academic pressure and managing issues such as relationships and finances may be challenging for all college students nowadays. Although the course is not enough for tackling practical problems in life, it would be a useful approach to be positive on campus at least.