Mar 22

Mar 22 Now's the time to learn using Free Online Courses

It’s been a little more than a week since my family and I have been in lockdown for the coronavirus—and really longer since we had reduced our outings before that. There’s a lot of unknown and in the face of fear and uncertainty, it’s easy to lack the motivation to do anything.

You can’t control much of your life right now, but you can control what YOU do with your time.

Ask yourself—what are some things I have wanted to do, but haven’t had the time? Do those now! Organize your messy closet, start exercising using an online class (a ton are now offered for free), catch up with old friends, read a new book, take up a hobby that you’ve always wanted to learn.

And for your career, look at your skills and determine what you can learn to grow or move into a new career. This is the time!

Here are just a few of the online courses you can tap into and are free. (At this time, the courses are free. In some cases, this is a temporary change to support people amid the COVID-19 crisis. Be sure to check details.)

Popular Sites

edX: This site claims “Access 2500+ Online Courses from 140 Top Institutions” with many of the courses offering a certificate for a fee.

Coursera: Online courses, certification programs and degrees. You’ll find both free and paid on the site but a lot to choose from.

Class Central: Get started here with a Massive Open Online Course info and list. This includes courses from top universities across the country. Some courses give you the ability to earn a certification for a fee.

Ivy League Courses: A subset of the list above, here is a list of courses offered by Ivy League universities.

Instructables: Touted as “a community for people who like to make things,” this site is probably more for hobbies than supplementing your career growth. But it’s worth diving into the videos for practical tips and fun.

Duolingo: Learn languages online in easy to follow formats.

HackDesign: 50 First lessons bundled together and free.

Low Cost or Free Trial Membership

LinkedIn Learning: Online courses in the categories of business, creative, and technology. There is a fee but they are currently offering the first month free. This is also free to LinkedIn Premium members.

Code Academy: Learn to Code online. The site offers a free trial and right now is promoting free scholarships for students affected by COVID-19.

Udemy: Connecting students to the best instructors from around the world. The ticket price is high but as one friend shared, there are always sales that put most classes below $20.

Shaw Academy: Hundreds of courses at a monthly fee, after four weeks free. Tap into this site if you are self-motivated to complete coursework in a designated amount of time. There are no limits to how many courses you can complete.

The Great Courses Plus: Video-On-Demand service to promote lifelong learning and personal enrichment. If you’re a member of Amazon Prime, check through video for free episodes.

SkillShare: According to the site, “Skillshare teachers are icons, experts, and industry rock stars excited to share their experience, wisdom, and trusted tools with you.” Start with a free trial.

Just Awesome!

Quarantine Academy: A father and son have two sessions a day, one for adults and one for kids. I haven’t watched but this is too good not to share. Let me know what you think!