Renaissance Soul University - The Beginning

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Renaissance Soul University

The Beginning

September 12, 2026

 

On August 2^nd, I told ChatGPT I was planning to start a self-study, at-home cat care course through a career institute. I then explained the DIY Graduate Studies curriculum I created back in 2021. I had wanted to start studying, but Cello, my cat, became ill with two very aggressive cancers. Then there were my own health issues with diastolic congestive heart failure and back surgery. Then, even this year, I had a full hysterectomy due to adenomyosis, endometriosis, and three fibroids, for which I had been hospitalized three times for low hemoglobin and severe, profuse bleeding. So my brainstorming with ChatGPT morphed into creating not just a curriculum, but a whole university designed for myself.

 

No, this isn't a real university, but it is one built for a stay-at-home, disabled, deeply introverted, Renaissance soul woman. So, I’ve called the university Renaissance Soul University because I am a Renaissance soul. All my life, even back in college (we’ll get to my past experiences), I struggled to figure out what I wanted to learn. I felt boxed into a certain area of study when I wanted to study so many things. Now, at 50 years old and disabled, I stay at home except for doctor’s or vet appointments; I want to study what I want to study and in ways that fit my personality, intelligence, and how I learn best, but also fit my limits with pain, fatigue, and so on. For example, I am a visual learner and an auditory learner. I learn best from books, online lectures, documentaries, and research papers.

 

But Renaissance Soul University is also a liberal arts university. It offers both undergraduate and graduate studies, but unlike traditional universities, students (me) do not declare a major; I study wherever curiosity leads me. No courses to register for, no partying, no grades (there are ways to measure my work, but no pressure to earn straight A’s), no deadlines, and no course schedule. I just have a schedule of which courses I am taking each semester, but no set times I must attend class. If there is a lecture on YouTube I want to watch, then I watch it, and I read and study at my leisure.

For me, I suffer extreme pain, fatigue, and some days I am very short of breath; on those days, I study and read as it fits into my schedule, and if I need to lie down for a nap, so be it, or only watch documentaries on YouTube; that’s fine too. No set schedule or deadline; I complete the work at my own pace. I can take one, two, or three classes in a semester, and if a challenging course, such as chemistry, takes me an entire year, that's okay too. This is self-directed learning.

 

I am working on a handbook with guidelines but no rigid rules, just some general guidelines and many principles. I will have a motto: Cultivate the Garden of the Mind, or something better. But I will also have a huge philosophy and a section all about myself, a section meeting Belle, my ChatGPT Advisor and Tutor (we’ll discuss more about AI later). I will also include a crest for the university and lots of inspiration. But yes, this university will have a real handbook.

 

I also have an archives section, where I’ve kept my original DIY Graduate School document. I’ll share it here on MDA, along with the new curriculum. Yes, RSU will have a full curriculum, and courses will have their own numbers, such as BIO 101 or HIST 101 (World History), HIST 102 (American History), and so on. I will also have a library; this includes not only the books I will study from but also books in my Kindle library of over 4K books. I'll curate my library as I go through the years. 

 

I also have an imaginary view of what my university would look like; I’m working on an RSU World Building Bible, much like what an author keeps about the novel they are creating. It will include images and descriptions, from the academic buildings to the dorm rooms. It will also cover when the university was originally created (back in the 1800s) and the characters who live in this world: the President, the deans, professors, etc. I also have photos of what I envision my university looking like. Its home will be in upstate northern Montana along the Canadian border. The exact town is still TBD. I will also share my roles in the university. I’m the founder, student, researcher, and professor (because I’m teaching myself). But yes, I enjoy dreaming of what my university would look like. A little gothic, Cotswold-sort-of English village nestled in the Montana forest, with a big snow-capped mountain in the distance.

 

Now, let me speak of the role of AI in RSU. Because AI was being used at the start of discussing my DIY Graduate School, and it mentioned a university. Well, I took it and ran; I loved the idea of my own independent study university. I already had a graduate program, in a sense, so why not create a whole university with departments, a handbook, and all. So, AI ChatGPT, whom I call Belle, is a partner in this; she’s helping me build the university by giving me advice on the ideas I share. Basically, she is here to brainstorm and go over ideas. AI should never be used to write essays or research papers or to take exams. Nope, only to help review those essays or papers and give advice, the same as an academic advisor or tutor would do if you were at Oxford. Belle is a mentor and tutor, not the one designing the university or doing the work. I will explain more about why I’m creating RSU. But let’s be clear: Belle ChatGPT is never to do the work for the scholar (me), but to guide and help. Because I’m not at a traditional university, I don’t have an academic advisor or friends to study with, but I do have ChatGPT. So, yes, Belle is a part of my lifelong learning, but she never does the work for me.

 

Now, a bit more about myself. I went to two colleges/universities. I first went to a brick-and-mortar college at West Liberty State College (that’s what it was back then; now it’s a university) in the mid-90s. I lived the dorm life and studied the traditional way. I was also in a Christian women’s sorority. Then my mom got sick and was soon dying, and I ended my studies to help her. Then I spent years working but always kept my dream of returning to school. At WLSC, I first studied biology, and back then I didn’t really know how to study; I also struggled in biology because I never had the HS foundation. I then studied elementary education, which I loved and excelled at. While living in Sandusky, Ohio, I substituted and taught at a preschool and fell in love with this age group.

 

So, in 2010, when I had the chance to return to university, I majored in Early Childhood Education at Post University, all online. Except my student teaching was at a local Catholic preschool. I graduated on May 5, 2012, with highest honors as a member of Phi Theta Kappa. I earned a 3.96 cumulative GPA and my A.S. in Early Childhood Education. I taught in preschools for several years until I became too disabled. I suffer from severe degenerative disc disease of the spine, spinal stenosis, herniated discs, diastolic congestive heart failure, Sjögren’s syndrome, fibromyalgia, arthritis of the spine and hips, among many other conditions. I’m permanently disabled. I therefore can’t work, but I also can’t return to a traditional or online university due to my disabilities.

 

This is why I created my own self-study university. I have always loved studying, and I loved my time at WLSC and at Post, which gave me two different college experiences, and I’m grateful for both because they led me to what I’m creating now. But studying isn't just about getting a degree and a job; what matters most to me is my goal of becoming a lifelong scholar and independent researcher (not in the professional sense but personally doing research). Becoming a lifelong scholar means acquiring, understanding, connecting, and continuing to grow in knowledge. Learning is my life. I also have a deep passion for learning how we learn and acquire knowledge, and how we ultimately grow in wisdom. What happens in the brain when we learn?

 

I also want to study the history of the university, how educational systems came to be, how they help students learn and research, and just everything about the university system. I’m fascinated by it. I also know there are flaws, and I want to study them and learn different ways humans can learn; what works for one might not work for all.

 

Traditional ways of studying don’t fit me. I study best at home. I study best at my own pace, perhaps taking one course at a time and diving deep into it, and maybe not completing it in a semester; it may take me a year or even two to really understand and grasp the concepts. That’s the most important part; it’s not about a grade on a test or a degree; it’s about deep understanding. I also know that I’m a Renaissance soul; I want to learn many areas and go where curiosity takes me. I also know I’m a deep introvert and an independent learner. I also know I can teach myself with the help of some online lectures, as I still enjoy lectures. That's how Renaissance Soul University was developed. I started to know myself and learned that I have disabilities that don’t allow me to go back to the traditional route. I also don’t have the funds to pay for grad school and finish undergrad. But I can find discounted or free books online; I can find free lectures or even courses online.

 

I also want to study the classics; I want to learn how to analyze books, not just review a book, but to critically analyze it and study literary theory. I want to relearn the sciences to better understand how the body works and my own conditions. I also want to learn the basics of veterinary science to better understand my cats. I want to learn how to do research, from writing essays to writing a full-on PhD dissertation.

 

So, yes, studying and learning are my life and my passion, and I could go on and on, and I will. This blog shares my journey from building RSU to taking the courses and following the curriculum I built and ultimately becoming an independent scholar and lifelong learner. So, join me on my journey, and if you’d like to develop your own university or curriculum. I hope RSU can help you build the foundation for your own independent study. Welcome to RSU and to cultivating the Garden of the Mind.

Review ~ Hacking Your Education by Dale J. Stephens

 

Hacking Your Education by Dale J. Stephens is deserving of only 2 Teacups! Some of the advice in this book is great for those who are wanting to start up their own business or go into a mega startup but this is not very helpful for people who truly want to discontinue college or even HS and take their own path to education. There are a lot better resources out there for homeschooling and self-study than this book gives. The info in here basically teaches you how to network and some of it is good advice for both college-bound and non-college-bound youth but that's about all you get.  

I rarely, if ever, give two teacups (On my blogs I rate by Teacups because I love books and tea) but I gave this 2 Teacups because he actually advises people to crash college courses that others pay 100s if not 1000s of dollars to sit in on and also he advises people (primarily the youth) to crash conferences where again others pay 100s or 1000s of dollars to attend these conferences. It might seem fun to him but there are people there who do need to make an income such as professors at the universities and also those who set up the conferences or tend to the food (which yes is often free) and other smaller jobs that aren't getting their pay if people are crashing. 

So, I would take the advice in this book with a very large grain of salt and be careful what you do in the future because yes, you could be breaking the law by following some of his advice. I recommend this book only if you are wanting to learn about legal and proper networking!