Many teachers are drawn to Emerson because it gives them the freedom to structure creative curricula, design unique and advanced level courses, and set their own classroom rules. Some Emerson classes are run strictly while others are more relaxed. Examples include one instructor incorporating periods of relaxation and meditation techniques into ongoing lessons, while another has been known to assign as many as sixteen books in a single term, in a level of rigor comparable to advanced undergraduate work. Students select all of their classes before a term begins.