When it comes time to upgrade skills, learn something new, or take on self-development, many of us tend to turn towards the typical education system. Mostly, by trying to find a degree or diploma that can help guide us. This instinct is no surprise. Historically, education has been sought after through fairly standard degree programs, particularly when a career-change is involved.
When it comes to education, the options you have for learning have exploded! No matter what you are hoping to learn or achieve, there are countless online options available to you for free, or at very affordable prices.
Learn a Language
You don’t have to get a university degree to become fluent in a language any more. With an online connection, you have endless possibilities to try out cheap and free courses, educational materials, and chat sites to help improve your skills. Whether you’re starting from scratch or learning to become fluent in a new language, you can access everything you need online.
Duolingo, Cambly, and other chat exchange sites let you build your skills free, or very inexpensively. With a world of digital assets at your disposal, you can easily follow a learning program or use a self-directed path to become fluent in a new language.
Learn a Professional Skill
If you’re already established in your career and are looking for an income boost or a change, there are many skills you can gain online without major expense or enrolling in a degree program. Coding, design, writing, consulting, and technical skills can all be enhanced easily through programs like Lynda.com and Udemy. Through these programs, you can learn very specific information and obtain more broad and theoretical skills!
Without the guiding hand of a degree program, it can be difficult to navigate learning a new skill from start to finish. Using LinkedIn, personal connections, and with trial and error, you’ll be able to move forward confidently into a learning path that suits your style and schedule.
Earn a Certification
If you are the type that loves to have a certification in hand, you’re in luck! There are a huge number of affordable options for you to take advantage of. One of the best and most useful certifications you can get online is a Project Manager Title. However, you can also become a coder, designer, or information science professional with part-time work and a lot of dedication.
If your certification is related to your current job, you might want to consider asking if your employer will split any expenses, or give you time during your work week to complete the training. This will give you a great opportunity to enhance your skills in the short and long-term.
Learn About Yourself
One of the best learning investments we can make is in ourselves, with no hope for additional income or resume-fillers. One of the greatest parts about online connectivity is that you also have the chance to learn all about yourself, your situation, and the human condition.
If you’ve struggled with self-esteem, getting organized, or taking care of yourself, there are life coaches, courses, and an endless stream of online videos that can help you learn to feel more confident and aware of your own motivations. You can work with a life coach online, take courses on personal development through Udemy, connect with a personal therapist, or even audit an open class on Psychology from Harvard or Yale. One thing we often forget is that learning something new, for any reason, is invigorating and inspiring. You don’t need to necessarily tie your personal development to your career goals.
Make Learning a Habit
With the world at our fingertips, it can be easy to forget how much the internet has to offer in terms of education and self-development. We are so often sucked into entertainment, and stressful news, that it can be easy to forget how much our connectivity has to offer, and how much of our own potential we might be wasting. Like any bad habit, you can build learning into the schedule of your life, to make sure you’re taking advantage of these resources and constantly striving to better yourself.
Ensuring that you find a way to build learning into your life has endless benefits. Learning can lead to opportunities in every domain. From your career to your relationships, to your personal development. No matter what you dream of learning, changing, or mastering, the options you have to move forward are endless. These options are available at any time you may have a few moments to dedicate to becoming you.
