Nothing makes me feel more alive than learning something new. Every day, by investigating subjects I don’t know enough about, I give myself a shot of childlike wonder. Thanks to the internet, there is now a great wealth of information available at our fingertips, and we are not restricted by age or even by wealth. That’s why it was so easy for me to put together this great list of 7 high-quality online education websites that are all totally free. Consider donating a small portion of your time to these sites every day – it’ll do wonders for your mind!
Because the internet is awash with a deluge of various information, it can be a little daunting to make a start. That’s why the learning portal Open Culture is so useful. Browse this brilliant website for free access to more than 1200 podcasts, videos and lectures, collated from a wide variety of global universities. Thanks to this website, you won’t have to visit individual university homepages – that would take you forever – all you need to do is search by subject to find the content you want.
Another similar website, which displays a wide variety of academic material from arguably the greatest universities in the world, such as the American powerhouses of Harvard, Yale, and Stanford, is this well-organized offering, Academic Earth. This could be your chance to learn from the wisest professors in their respective fields of expertise.
Edx showcases online courses which are open to absolutely everyone. Most of these courses are run by the world’s most prestigious universities. There are now some seven million people enrolled in more than 700 courses with edX, some of which are free but most charge a small annual tuition fee of around a few hundred dollars.
Assuming you have a good native level of English proficiency, the University of the People could be the higher education choice you’ve been waiting for. The courses themselves are largely free, though exams require a fee. The costs can vary depending on where you are based, so it’s worth looking into. The company was formed with the ideal to provide tuition-free accredited degrees to anyone who would otherwise be deterred from bettering themselves.
You have probably seen some of TED-Ed’s videos before. They offer a whole host of enlightening talks that aim to inspire as well as educate. However, their website is even more valuable, in my opinion, since it also provides hundreds of fun educational videos, quizzes and varied information: plenty to keep your mind bubbling over with enthusiasm.
Coursera offers so many varied courses, not only from famed universities but also from trusts and museums across the globe. The journey you make with Coursera will be fully interactive, as you communicate with other students and take real-life exams. The website specializes in business, computer science, life science, languages, and more.
The Khan Academy grew from very inauspicious beginnings, as a young Harvard/MIT graduate made a series of films for his little cousin. After publishing the content on YouTube, Khan’s enterprise took off, and now provides around 5,000 free courses (the US history courses are particularly fun). The website is very user-friendly. Ideal for those who are not entirely comfortable navigating complex and busy websites.
H/T: brightside.me
Cover image courtesy of Depositphotos
