Suggest me a Course

What this tool does

You have room for an elective, or you simply want to learn something new, and then the course catalogue opens and your mind goes blank. This tool gets you moving. It suggests a course or subject at random, so you have a real thing to consider instead of an endless list of options and no way in.

Press the button for a course. Press it again for another. Ask for a few at once to build a short list. This is a lower-stakes choice than a whole major, which is freeing, so treat each pick as an invitation to explore, and check the practical details like credits or prerequisites with your school when something appeals.

How to use it

1. Number / Quantity. How many courses to pull at once, from 1 to 100.
2. Generate. Pulls a fresh course, or a fresh set if you asked for several.
3. Starts with, Contains, Ends with. Optional filters that trim the list before it picks. Leave them blank to draw from everything.
4. Copy. Copies the current courses to the clipboard as plain text for your notes.

A course is on screen as soon as the page opens, so there is always something to consider.

How it works

The list is a fixed set of course topics, and each press draws one at random, with no repeats inside a single set when you ask for several.

The filters let you aim. Contains keeps any course with your text in it, so typing design brings up Graphic Design, Interior Design, Fashion Design, and more, while a word like language or data narrows it the same way. Starts with goes by the first letter and ends with by the last.

What is on the list

It is a list of around a hundred course topics, mixing the academic with the practical and the purely fun. There are technical subjects like Programming, Data Science, and Web Development, creative ones like Photography, Graphic Design, and Creative Writing, languages, and lifestyle courses from Yoga and Nutrition to Wine Tasting.

Because it ranges so widely, a pull can swing from Astrophysics to Brand Management to a hobby class, which is exactly what you want when you are open to something different. Take each pick as a thread to explore, and lean on the Contains box when you already have an area in mind.

Why a full catalogue stalls you

A course catalogue is a classic case of too much choice. There are so many tempting options that comparing them properly feels impossible, so people default to the obvious or pick nothing new at all. Sheena Iyengar and Mark Lepper showed the pattern in a 2000 study: a tasting table of twenty-four jams pulled a crowd but converted fewer buyers than one with six. The wider the spread, the harder it is to commit.

Barry Schwartz called the broader effect the paradox of choice, where abundance leaves us hesitant rather than satisfied. A random course breaks that stall by handing you one real option to react to. Because an elective is low-stakes, you can afford to be adventurous with it, and the tool is a good way to nudge yourself toward something you would not have picked on purpose.

Getting the most out of it

The best use of an elective is breadth, so lean into it. If a pick lands well outside your usual subjects, treat that as a feature rather than a mismatch, since electives are a rare low-risk chance to try something new and discover an interest you did not know you had. Weigh how much time and effort a course will take against the rest of your load, and check whether it carries prerequisites or counts toward what you need. Beyond that, follow curiosity, because the courses people remember years later are often the surprising ones they took on a whim. Keep pressing until something sparks, then go and look it up properly.

Questions people ask

Is it free, and does it save anything?

It is free with no sign-up, and nothing is stored. The picks run in your browser, so copy a list for your research before you leave.

Can I get a few options at once?

Yes. Set the quantity to the number you want, up to 100, and press Generate for that many different courses in one pull.

Are these courses I can enroll in here?

No, it suggests course topics rather than linking to a specific class. Take a pick you like and look it up at your school or on a learning platform to find an actual course.

Should I pick something outside my field?

For an elective, often yes. It is a low-risk way to broaden out and maybe find a new interest, so an unexpected pick is worth taking seriously rather than skipping.

References

1. Sheena Iyengar and Mark Lepper, "When Choice Is Demotivating: Can One Desire Too Much of a Good Thing?", Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 2000, the study behind choice overload. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11138768/
2. Barry Schwartz, "The Paradox of Choice: Why More Is Less", his talk on how more options can lower satisfaction. https://www.ted.com/talks/barry_schwartz_the_paradox_of_choice