It’s summertime—the season of shorts and flip-flops, long hours of daylight, and a break from the usual routines. But soon enough, school will be back in session. For college students, that means new classes and freshly printed syllabi, each one a roadmap for the next four months. Assignments, deadlines, goals—all neatly laid out.

It’s funny how, for much of life, we’ve had something like that. A syllabus. A job description. A calendar full of meetings and to-dos. Structure told us where to be and what to work on. Even downtime was wedged between obligations.

And then comes retirement. No syllabus. No orientation. Just an open calendar—and a whole lot of freedom.

At first, that blank slate feels exhilarating. Every day is Saturday. No alarms, no meetings, no performance reviews. But once the novelty fades, the unstructured days can start to feel daunting. Like floating in open water with no shoreline in sight.

You’re the student and the teacher now. There’s no Dean of Retirement assigning your next project. You get to choose what fills your days—whether that’s travel, volunteering, mentoring, grandparenting, learning to play guitar, or simply enjoying your morning coffee without a ticking clock.

Structure doesn’t have to be a burden. It can be a gentle rhythm that helps you do more of what you love. “Hiking Wednesdays.” “Volunteering on Mondays.” Or a morning routine that sets the tone for the day.

And don’t be fooled by old definitions of productivity. In retirement, it’s not about output—it’s about alignment. Bake bread, take a class, write that memoir, join a local group. Or do nothing at all some days. Fulfillment, not performance, is the new gold standard.

What’s more, you finally have the space to rediscover parts of yourself that got buried under job titles and daily tasks. What has always sparked your curiosity, but you’ve never had time to explore? What have you always wanted to try, but never had the time for? Go do that.

Just remember—connection still matters. When the workplace calendar disappears, it’s easy for the social one to fade too. So be sure to make room for people. Clubs, group classes, part-time gigs, regular coffee dates. Don’t become a recluse from your community.

So, while college students head into another semester with their lives mapped out for the months ahead, you’re in a new kind of school—one with no grades, no deadlines, and no syllabus. That’s not a drawback. That’s the beauty of it.

No syllabus? Even better.