There’s no better time to enroll in online courses. Even if you’ve completed a degree, it’s always good to learn new things and this time around, you can study something that actually interests you—there’s no pressure to take the required courses to fulfill a major. Perhaps you’ve always been interested in knowing more about art or music—online courses are a great opportunity to delve into your passions.
With online courses, you don’t have to worry about fitting them into your busy lifestyle, arranging your day around getting to class, or sitting in crowded lecture halls having to make small talk with your classmates. Plus, you can study online at an age.
In addition to the convenience, enrolling in online courses will give you a competitive edge if you’re looking for a job. The financial market has really taken a hit, and many companies aren’t hiring new employees now or they’re being extremely selective with who they choose to hire. By enrolling in online courses, you can learn new skills and knowledge that will set you apart from other candidates.
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Ivy League Courses
Have you always wanted to study at an Ivy League, but you couldn’t afford the tuition or to relocate closer to these schools? Now’s the time to enroll in online college courses at Brown, Harvard, Cornell, Dartmouth, Yale, Columbia, Princeton, and the University of Pennsylvania. There are over 450 free classes to choose from through multiple online course platforms. Each course varies on the time commitment with some requiring a certain number of hours each week over the course of a set time and others are self-paced which allows you to complete them at your own speed.
Courses are being offered in Computer Science, Data Science, Programming, Humanities, Business, Art & Design, Science, Social Sciences, Health & Medicine, Engineering, Education & Teaching, Mathematics, and Personal Development. The courses include everything from real Application of AI, InsurTech, and Real Estate Technology offered through the University of Pennsylvania to Yale’s most popular class The Science of Well-Being. Some of the other courses that caught our attention include Buddhism and Modern Psychology, The Civil War and Reconstruction – 1865-1890: The Unfinished Revolution, Building High-Performing Teams, Science & Cooking: From Haute Cuisine to Soft Matter Science (part 1), Pyramids of Giza: Ancient Egyptian Art and Archaeology, Hollywood History, The Opioid Crisis in America, Industry, Art, and Find Your Calling: Career Transition Principles for Returning Veterans.
Skillshare
Skillshare is an online learning community with tons of classes for creatives on topics including illustration, design, video, photography, freelance, etc. The courses aren’t accredited and they are usually available through subscription. Members connect through topics and they usually complete projects. It’s a way for teachers to make money and share their knowledge online and for members to learn new skills.
On Wednesday, March 18, Skillshare announced via Twitter that in addition to the free trials already offered on the platform, high school and college students ages 16 and over with a .edu or .k12 email have two months of free access to thousands of classes. In addition, they’re offering a limited number of two-month free memberships based on need. The goal of the initiative is to help people feel connected to themselves and each other and to learn new skills.
Coursera
Coursera is a startup that offers online courses and it’s currently offering free content to universities. Coursera’s content was developed by partners including Columbia and Johns Hopkins University and almost any course available in undergraduate or graduate programs are available.
Any university worldwide is eligible, and universities just have to sign up through an online portal to have free access through July 31, 2020. There are over 3,800 courses available across 400 specializations. When universities sign up for the free courses, students can access video lessons from prestigious professors and it’s available in many languages. The courses also include projects, quizzes, and assignments—like other college courses. Students who enroll in individual classes prior to July 31 will have access to the content through September 2020.
Udemy
Udemy is an online learning platform that has over 50 million students and 57,000 instructors teaching in over 65 languages. There are over 100,000 online video courses and new additions are released each month. The platform connects students from all across the world and the professors try to find the most up-to-date content. Advance your career, change your profession, or delve into your passions through Udemy. The costs for the courses varies and it ranges from $10 to $500 with the most popular courses in technology and business costing around $100. Prior to signing up for courses, you can read reviews from former students to help make a decision if the class is the right fit for you.
Udacity
This platform focuses on technology and if you’re looking to start working in the field of data science, an up and coming job, the data program has teachers with impressive resumes from companies including Facebook and Salesforce. The curriculum is designed with industry partners so you’ll learn the most valuable skills from professionals within the field. The courses also include real-world projects and hands-on exercises to help you master the skills. For the courses, you pay monthly and if you decide to withdraw from a course, you only pay up to that point, instead of paying for the full course.
