17 Free Online Courses To Help Advance People’s Career
Taking an online course can be a great way to further your education and refine your knowledge around a specific area of interest. This article is full of free online courses that are generally more practical and accessible than going to an in-person college or trade school.
Whether you’re looking for a course to take just for fun or you want to get onto a new career path entirely, there are lots of online learning opportunities out there to help you achieve your educational goals. If you are currently struggling with your career, you might want to look into career counseling to help you figure out what you want to get out of your educational pursuits.
In this article, you will find:
- Benefits to taking online courses
- Places to find free online courses
- Free online courses related to; technology, business, finance, health & wellness, personal development, and a few other fun topics!
Benefits to Taking Online Courses
You Can Access It From Anywhere
You don’t have to go anywhere to take an online course. You can do it from home, at your local coffee shop, or even at work on your lunch break! It’s perfect for people with limited transportation or in-person course options due to where they live or current worldwide challenges, such as the recent pandemic that has caused an upward spike in distance learning.
You Work Around Your Schedule
Online courses are great for people with scheduling conflicts. They are typically self-paced, so you can take as much time as you need to get through them.
For instance, if you have a day job, you can work on your courses on your lunch break or in the morning before the day begins. If you’re a parent, you can work on them during naptimes or after the kids are in bed. If you are a mom looking to work through an online system, you might benefit from these ways to stay motivated to achieve your goals!
No Matter Your Budget, You Can Find What You’re Looking For
You can find almost anything for free online nowadays! And courses are no exception. You might have to do a little more digging and a little extra research, but if it saves you a ton of money, it’s worth it!
Places to Find Free Online Courses
There are many places to find free online classes, but a few popular websites have the perfect courses for studying online.
Free Online Courses Related to Technology
1. Programming 101
This programming course covers the basics of hardware, networking, programming, and licensing. Many programmers and tech wizards don’t have degrees anymore. They learn from lessons and tutorials like this and personal experience. This can be a great way to get you started on a career path if that is what you’re trying to find.
2. Introductory Photography Course
An introductory course can help you decide if it’s something you want to pursue further and possibly invest in as a career opportunity. If you are interested in pursuing photography, this course can help you learn the basics.
Free Online Courses Related to Business
3. 20 Free Life Hacks to Inspire You to Excel In Business & Life
Another excellent course for anyone! This course will help you set and achieve your business goals. Taking this course as a precursor before pursuing other educational resources might be an excellent way to get your head in the right place before working through big goals or changes.
4. Start a Business in 5 Days with Shopify and Product List Genie
This is a great introductory course for anyone looking to pursue an e-commerce business! It will take out that painful learning curve most people have to get through when setting up their e-commerce platform.
Free Online Courses Related to Finance
5. Behavioral Finance
This course is a unique approach to finance. It focuses on WHY we as humans make financial decisions that might affect us poorly. It also teaches how to avoid making these mistakes in all areas of finance.
6. Introduction to Finance: The Basics
Whether you’re considering a career in finance or just looking to make better financial decisions for your business, this course will provide you with all the basics.
7. Personal and Family Financial Planning
Finances are a struggle for most families at some point. This course is excellent for anyone wanting to master their financial management at home. A few of the topics covered are insurance, savings, and investments.
If your family is currently trying to manage their finances, check out this list of money-saving products for families to find unique ways to save money in their household.
Free Online Courses Related to Health & Wellness
8. Stanford Introduction to Food & Health
So many of today’s common diseases are created or worsened by poor diet. This course will give you the science behind these facts, as well as resources and knowledge to make necessary changes to improve your health.
This course is the perfect way to learn the basics of nutrition if you are thinking about pursuing a career in physical health.
9. Introduction to Psychology
This course is one everyone should take! It focuses on the scientific study of thought and behavior. With subjects ranging from children to adults, it addresses mental illness, mindset, dreams, and so much more.
The course lists some of the skills you will gain from this course: reasoning, problem-solving, as well as abstract, analytical, and critical thinking.
This course would also be great for anyone thinking of pursuing psychology as a career. You can make sure it piques your interest and you are ready to commit to getting a degree in that area.
Free Online Courses Related to Personal Development
10. The Science of Well Being
The science of well-being course is all about living a more joyful and productive life! Through various challenges, you will gain gratitude, productivity, meditation, and happiness skills.
In this course, you will learn about the common misconceptions around happiness and the science behind how to make changes that will help you keep a healthier state of mind.
11. Learning How to Learn
Many find this course unique and beneficial! You will learn techniques and skills to help you retain information better and master any subject you want to study. It does not matter what area you want to focus on because this course is all about the brain and how it learns best regarding any subject you can imagine.
12. How to Use SMART Goals – Achieve More In Less Time
If you have big goals in life, it’s essential to work towards them. This course will teach you how to do that effectively. They offer a proven goal-setting strategy that will increase productivity.
It’s a great course to take before pursuing other studies or career paths because it will set you up to achieve the goals and challenges you make for yourself along the way.
13. How to Change Your Thinking & Become More Positive
This course is a quick one with some easy-to-apply tips that will have you changing your outlook on life for the better. It can be a good course for everyone, in any walk of life. Even children could benefit from this information!
Free Online Courses for Fun and Hobbies
14. The Total Beginner’s Guitar Course
Learning an instrument is something many people want to do but don’t necessarily want to buy. This free course is perfect for learning the basics of guitar. After learning the basics, finding further education and tutorials on online platforms like YouTube can be easy.
15. Drawing for Beginners: How to Draw 25 Cartoons Step-by-Step
Drawing for beginners is a fun, simple course for adults or children looking to get into drawing and animation. This is a great introductory course for anyone looking to learn basic skills.
16. The Art of Baking with Yuppiechef
Baking is an enjoyable hobby for many. It can also transform into a business or a side hustle if you are passionate about it, but it takes a lot of trial and error! This course is a great way to skip over some of those errors and speed the process up a bit.
17. Songwriting: Writing, Arranging, and Producing Music
Here’s another fun hobby you can transform into a career with enough passion and drive! Every famous musician starts small, so you never know where you’re going to end up when you get into the music industry!
In Summary
No matter what subject you’re looking to focus on, you will ALWAYS be able to find free online courses to further your education or skillset. Be sure to read reviews and course outlines before starting to make sure you don’t waste your time on one that doesn’t meet your needs.
We hope you enjoyed this list and found it helpful. Have a wonderful time with your online studies!
This article originally appeared on Wealth of Geeks.
