Free Online Courses

Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) are an excellent way to gain the knowledge to pursue a passion or accumulate knowledge in an area of interest. Prestigious universities like Harvard and MIT have begun offering expert-crafted course material online for the public to use for free.

Now, don’t assume you can now finish a graduate degree online on the cheap, but for those who want to pursue a skill or just learn new information, the options are out there and (nearly) endless. Everything from Astronomy to Engineering to Philosophy and Religion is available; some sites list as many as 1,100 MOOCs available for immediate public use.

There are aggregators like Class Central and MOOC List which can help to organize classes from many sites into categories to help students select courses or compile their own, personalized curriculum. iTunesU is a simple way for anyone with an iOS device to get access to thousands of courses—iPhone owners may not even realize the wealth of options available to them.

The best way to get the most out of an online course is to stick to it—just like a normal course you might pay for. True, it can be harder to stay focused on something when it’s free, vs. when there is a financial outlay. However, dedication can pay dividends when the class is complete and you have a new skill or knowledge base to apply to everyday life.

Keep in mind you have options as to how to take the class, you don’t even need to take it alone. It’s free, right? Get a friend interested in the idea and keep each other accountable for getting through the material. Do whatever works best for you personally: just set a goal, identify the obstacles you personally face to achieving it, and execute a plan to eliminate them. (Go figure, there are even courses to learn time management!)

The best way to keep in mind how much knowledge you have gained (and put in perspective what you want to gain in future) is to track your progress. Have a curriculum written down, chart your progress as you go and have an end goal. Make sure the goal is reasonable and keep working towards it faithfully. Before you know it, you’ll be brimming with all the knowledge you wanted!

Are you looking for an online education in a specific career? Check out our Careers page to find an education that is right for your career path!