When the pandemic began, I, like so many other people, decided to split my time between trying to stay alive and trying to make sure that I did not waste my quarantine time. Some people began to write the next great American novel. Others began to teach themselves a new language. A strange breed of folk that I will never be able to understand started to get really into fitness.
As I lounged on my couch, watching the spiraling numbers on the news, I knew for a fact that I was not going to be doing sit-ups unless it involved me getting up to go to the kitchen. However, there were plenty of ways to gain some sort of value from having your normal routine knocked offkilter.
I began to look into online learning. College courses were immediately tossed aside. I had no money to waste as it was. Any quick meet up groups were also out. Meeting up with people during a pandemic was definitely not the route to success. But, there were plenty of opportunities for learning online.
There were courses offered through the numerous universities switching to online learning. There were sites like Coursera, Khan Academy, and Lynda. The one that caught my eye and the one that I eventually decided to go with was a site called Udemy.
I decided to choose a course that I could have a direct and measurable end result in more than one way. I went with the “Create 'How-to' Writing Like a Pro” course by Cathy Presland. With an upcoming blog post dealing with miniature painting and other hobbies, I thought that writing that blog post following the skills and routine afforded to me by this course would be the best way of showcasing how well this type of online learning work.
As with all things, your mileage may vary. It very well may be that you learn in a different way than I do. With online learning hubs like Udemy, there are countless lecturers and lecture styles. Each course is different which can be both a blessing and a curse. Your teacher may be on one of these sites, but you may have to 'shop around' as it were. But, at the end of the day, you can find any number of courses that match both your interests and your learning styles.
One of the big barriers to entry with sites like these is that the courses do tend to be expensive. However, this is by no means a fault. Lecturers share hours of their time and they do like to be fairly compensated. Udemy has an exceptional way of bringing in new students even in the face of these costs. Every so often, Udemy has massive sales on courses and lecturers that decide to opt into these deals. For example, a course on creating copywriting portfolios was on the site for $114.99. During one of these sales, I was able to buy it for $10. These sales are not rare, but you do have to check the site every now and again in order to make sure you visit Udemy while a sale is active.
Another aspect that some may view as negative is that many of the courses do not offer any legitimate certification. By finishing the course, you gain a 'Udemy certificate', however that does not translate to anything that corresponds to a certification in the professional world. For the individual that simply wants to learn about a new area of study or to practice a new skill, Udemy can be a tremendous help. Because you may not receive a certification, I highly recommend waiting for a sale before you invest your hard-earned money.
Overall, I think that Udemy is a fantastic way of furthering your education, whether to satisfy your professional goals or your own curiosity. While it may have a couple of issues in pricing, varying levels of quality, and a lack of certification, the benefits of Udemy far outweigh them. If you are still on the fence of whether or not some of these online learning websites are for you, I highly encourage you to read my following blog posts where I take a course from Udemy and apply the knowledge I have learned. Whether successful or not, we will learn something either way.
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