Want to get ahead in today’s economy, but don’t want to be saddled with an enormous debt load in the process?
With Thomas M Rollins Teaching that there are multiple different ways to learn in the 21st century without having to spend tens (or even hundreds) of thousands of dollars for the privilege, you’d be a fool to neglect the cheap or free resources that can help you succeed in today’s job market.
With that in mind, here are just some of the ways one can bootstrap their education online:
1) Codeacademy
Of all the job categories that are crying out for workers in the 21st century, programming is pretty close to the top of that list.
Despite its paramount importance to the continued advancement of the information revolution, a yawning gap still exists with respect to the amount of people that are qualified to create software and those that aren’t.
Some of the people in the latter category have figured out that their degree in global warfare or basket weaving have given few career prospects, so they have begun to seek out ways to learn how to code.
Codecademy is one of the best resources for these people, as it takes them through a step by step process when it comes to learning HTML, JavaScript, Ruby-On-Rails, PHP, and other programming languages.
By explaining concepts in ways that are easy-to-understand, a dedicated student can be well on their way to getting a programming job through months of diligent study and real-world application.
2) Udemy
If you are looking for instruction on a wider variety of topics, check out the offerings that are available on Udemy.
In addition to programmers looking to learn new languages, writers can learn how to be more concise and impactful with their copy, designers can learn how to 3D model, marketers can learn how to do SEO in an optimal fashion, and so on.
The number of topics that are currently available are virtually limitless, so browse through topics where you are looking to improve yourself and pick the courses that address the shortfalls that you presently have.
3) Khan Academy
As one of the first online learning sites to hit the internet, Khan Academy demonstrated that you could teach people basic subjects to people over the web and be a success in the process.
Focusing a great deal of its attention on middle and high school students these days, this website has become a hub for young people looking to improve their skills in certain subjects.
From algebra to physics to students that are preparing for their SAT’s, this site has become more than a pioneer in the online education field, as it is often the only tutor that many students can afford in this age of inequality.
4) MIT Open Courseware
Now that the success of Khan Academy has made it apparent where the future of education is heading, some of America’s top universities have begun to offer courses over the internet in a bid to keep up with the times.
This number grows every year, but one of the first of these traditional educational institutions to embrace this form of learning was MIT, or the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Through their Open Courseware program, online students are able to learn about subjects ranging from business to engineering.
While there will still be programs that will require a student’s physical presence on campus, it is interesting to see how these colleges are responding to the inevitability of the democratization of higher education.