Summer means there’s no school, but it doesn’t have to mean there’s no learning. There are tons of websites out there where you can find free (or almost free) online courses so that you can develop your skills and keep your mind active.
- Benefits of online courses
- Coursera
- The Forage
- Codecademy
- Udemy
- edX
Benefits of online courses
Online courses, also known as MOOCs, are a brilliant way to stay productive during the summer. There are tons of benefits to doing an online course, such as learning a new skill or developing an interest you already have. You can explore the topics you’re interested in without having to commit a lot of time or money. Finally, MOOCs are a great way to improve your resume, whether for work, internships, or university applications!
Coursera
Coursera has tons of courses across any and all interests you might have. Their courses by Google are very popular, but other firms and colleges also offer courses on Coursera. While most courses are free, you do have to pay to get a certificate, though you probably won’t need to ever show anyone this certificate.
The Forage
Instead of online courses that you just watch, The Forage offers assignments through their virtual work experience programs, and you don’t have to pay for a certificate in most cases! You won’t actually be working for the company, but you will get a taste of life in your chosen “occupation” by completing assignments.
Codecademy
Codecademy is focused on courses about coding, and they offer many different coding languages. They also have courses about other tech skills, such as web design, cybersecurity, and ever-trendy AI. This is a great place to start if you’re a complete beginner to coding.
Udemy
Similarly to Coursera, Udemy offers a range of courses across many subjects and offered by many firms and universities. While they do have over 10,000 free courses, many courses are paid. Like with most websites, you have to pay to receive a certificate, though if you pay, you can also directly message your course instructor!
edX
edX has literally thousands of courses on any topic, though they focus more on technology and data. These courses are provided by top universities (such as Harvard and MIT) and companies (such as Google and IBM). Similarly to Coursera, most courses are free, though if you want to have a certificate stating that you completed the course, you’ll have to pay.
