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Learner Reviews & Feedback for The Science of Well-Being by Yale University

4.9
stars
38,478 ratings

About the Course

NEW TEEN VERSION AVAILABLE HERE: https://www.coursera.org/learn/the-science-of-well-being-for-teens In this course you will engage in a series of challenges designed to increase your own happiness and build more productive habits. As preparation for these tasks, Professor Laurie Santos reveals misconceptions about happiness, annoying features of the mind that lead us to think the way we do, and the research that can help us change. You will ultimately be prepared to successfully incorporate a specific wellness activity into your life. THE SCIENCE OF WELL BEING WAS PRODUCED IN PART DUE TO THE GENEROUS FUNDING OF THE DAVID F. SWENSEN FUND FOR INNOVATION IN TEACHING....

Top reviews

SN

Aug 27, 2020

This is an outstanding course! I was able to change into a more positive and productive mindset as taught in this course. I highly recommend it to everyone regardless of your profession or background.

BT

Nov 26, 2019

Loved the practical "rewiring" assignments that helped me with understanding what really makes us happy. Not only this course changed my life perspective but enriched the lives of the people around me

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301 - 325 of 10,000 Reviews for The Science of Well-Being

By Frederick R

May 31, 2023

Could someone please help me complete this course?! It states that I am at 94% completed? I was alerted that I couldn't do the post assessments due to my only having a phone to use? Is there anything else I can do to complete this course?! Thanks in advance.

I enjoyed the course! I just got stumped by the unfinished part of my course!

By James H

Aug 22, 2019

Was good. There were a lot of points I already knew from basic youtube videos but there were also some new points about well being and positive psychology. The course doesn't go super in depth but I would say it's worth getting into especially if you're completely new to the concept of positive psychology.

By Yazan Z

Aug 26, 2019

Good insights, the professor keeps skipping things she told she would talk about, and she keeps changing one subject to another that makes it hard to grasp the concepts clearly!

By Rosa I

May 31, 2018

interesting course, good "life work" to help you build positive habits of mind. Would have preferred more guided online conversations amongst participants.

By Sónia I d C M C

Jul 7, 2020

The course should be based on a global culture, more generic and not so close to American culture and American authors.

By Silvana M C

Jul 24, 2019

In my opinion the teacher kept the same pace and voice, which made the course a little boring.

By Oliver C

Sep 16, 2020

Content pretty boring and only somewhat helpful

By Jeremy P C

Mar 28, 2020

Nothing new as far as the educational approach. A nice compilation of data. Peer Review Assignment at the end left a lot to be desired. No quality feedback, real one on one with the educator due to the sheer volume/magnitude of the course. Guest videos were almost like salesmen with their published data.

By Muireann N R

Aug 4, 2020

I found a lot of it to be common knowledge and not the sort of wellbeing I was hoping for. I'm glad I've completed it but I didn't enjoy the lectures. I found them too clinical in terms of research and I found the lecturer too casual in her approach.

By Deleted A

Mar 7, 2021

This course is so messed up , why is it that a person have to pay for a certificate when they stated that the courses are free

By Joyce U

Dec 31, 2020

I t became confusing. The professor talked to fast.. never pausing. Nonstop.

By Deleted A

Sep 26, 2020

oh esta en ingles

By Rebeca R D S

May 21, 2020

Ola boa tarde, eu gostaria de fazer uma solicitação, pois eu ainda não consigo classificar bem o curso pela dificuldade que estou tendo no entendimento do idioma, e possível trocar minha plataforma do curso de inglês para português ( pergunta). Mas se não for possível mudar idioma eu gostaria de ter o dinheiro do curso de volta. Mas eu prefiro que sera trocado para português para que eu possa fazer e ter bom proveito do curso. Obrigada.

Meu email, cantorarebecarabello@gmail.com.

By Wendy M

Mar 23, 2021

Much of the course material contained typos or grammatical errors. The first quiz was incorrect. Much of the material was outdated or incorrectly interpreted. I went through the first five weeks of the course and learned nothing but some jargon with no real-world application.

By Allison S T

Apr 13, 2020

I can't do some stuff from my cellphone and my password won't let me log in from my computer. Even when I reset from my phone it still won't let me reset. It just takes me back to the course.

By Ethan T

Sep 6, 2020

It's stupid to allow others to determine my grade based on the information I put in. This has got to be, hands down, the worst grading system they could ever implement in a course.

By Черкис Я А

Oct 23, 2020

зачем русские субтитры на виднео, если всё остальное - теория, задания и проверочные тесты на английском? это курс по английскому языку?

By Epic M

May 1, 2022

I am not used to tutors being that easy going. Felt more like an instagram influencer livestreaming than a professor teaching.

By Erica S

Jun 5, 2021

I thought this course was to help persons but the way the work is been rendered to us its very depressing

By Cristian A L

Apr 9, 2020

Esta todo en ingles, no puedo ver los videos traducidos al Español

By Teron E N B

Apr 8, 2021

Not enough interactive learning

By Catherine A

Mar 17, 2021

Very biased and basic

By Raviprakash G

Nov 26, 2020

BAD

By Jane G

Jun 17, 2020

For a long time, I have been struggling in the whirlpool of negative thoughts. It is basically a negative idea when I encounter something uncomfortable, so that I am very afraid of being leisure, I feel that life has been pushed forward, rarely feeling in control of life. Maybe I am too sensitive? I feel that I must hold the railing when I walk down the stairs, worrying that I might step on the ground and fall.Over the years, I have tried various methods to ease negative thinking, which is somewhat effective, but it is good and bad. Now I can only be at home due to COIVD-19, maybe this is God's Intervention, then I can have more time to face the depths of my soul. I just saw this course on the website after spending a few days in isolation at home. Experience of years have enabled me to understand that practice and action are far more important than knowing the theory, despite facing inertia and laziness from time to time.Looking at my own records of rewirement for around two months, Basically, all rewirements--savoring, dailygratitude journal, random acts of kindness, social connection, exercise, sleep, meditation, and gratitude letter/visit-- have continued to do now. I found that the best performing is savoring, the worst is random acts of kindness. What has formed a habit is exercise.What needs to be improved is social connection and daily gratitude.

There was no clear execution plan at the beginning. It was not until two weeks ago that I saw the theory of individual development plan(IDP) which I realized that I still continued the arbitrariness of the past. Fortunately, I have a habit of recording slowly. At the same time, recording will also promote my own reflection and progress, so I stumbled on and persevered. Generally, every Monday, there is a goal to be achieved in a week and the corresponding plan. I will look at the records to detect the deficiencies in the process. This somehow makes up for my shortcomings of arbitrariness and inertia.

Through the record, I realized that if the plan was completed and it was calculated by ten points, I probably reached about seven points. Fortunately, when I am at home, I have enough time. If I have been busy in the past, I’m afraid my best is half of it. Comparing the scores of the questionnaire at the beginning and the present, and the slowly-perceived changes in mood in daily life, this course brings many good effects, specially savoring pleasures at present moment, doing meditation often. I have less anxiety. To quote the following, encourage those who are interested in Well-Being to move forward together.

Savor pleasures and live in the present moment

Make physical activity a habit

Are deeply committed to meaningful goals

Are often the first to help others

Nurture and enjoy social relationships

Are comfortable expressing gratitude

Practice optimism about future

We can take deliberate control of how we act and think through intentional activity.

From: Lyubomirsky(2001); Diener et al.(1999); Myers(2000), Diener & Lucas(1999); Argyle(1999).

By Timothy M

Apr 19, 2021

This course exceeded my expectations beyond belief.

After losing my younger cousin unexpectedly and then my best friend to suicide, I lost meaning and purpose in my life. As a result, I became treatment resistant to my mental health medications.

As if that weren't enough, my new business collapsed due to the unforeseen travesty that is COVID-19. The implausible idea of an actual global pandemic striking during our lifetime had suddenly become very real, very quick.

My 2 other independent contract positions that I was working to supplement my main income and hold me afloat as my business grew would shortly follow suit.

I began experiencing financial hardship, nearly got evicted from my residence and battled other obstacles...yes, there were others.

And this all happened in six months.

There were many months of deep hopelessness, helplessness and darkness that I won't get into. But then I came across The Science of Wellbeing.

This course reminded me of what it took in the past to want to get out of bed in the morning. It taught me to feel important--not even to others, but to myself. To practice kindness to others, even when the world hasn't been so kind to me. And so, so much more.

One of the greatest learning points for me is that we're wrong. We're human and we're so very wrong. Wrong about what we think we want and what we think will make us happy. Our intuitions are often wrong and the science corroborates it! This is something I really needed to see, to read and to become aware of right at this time in my life.

I really wasn't sure what to expect with this course or if I'd get anything at all out of it. I was skeptical, but had a little piece of hope because, honestly, nothing else was working for me. And I'm so glad that I did.

Since the start of this course and as it progressed, I decided to actively continue working on medication management and have since found a couple that are starting to help immensely.

I've rebuilt relationships with important people in my life.

I feel valuable most days.

I found the motivation to apply for a nationwide scholarship to attend the AAS21 conference hosted by the American Association of Suicidology.

...and won.

I now get to attend in my best friend, Mikey's, honor and use the knowledge I'll gain to help others who are hurting, since Mikey no longer can.

Professor Laurie Santos, you've not only made this course one of the most interesting and valuable courses I've ever taken, but created something so brilliant and life-changing. You've turned my life back around. You've ignited the spark in me that I thought went totally out.

And I thank you so very much.

Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Thank you to Yale University, as well!

And thank you to Coursera!

Take this course everyone!