Fall is the season of changing leaves, warm comfy clothes, and all things back to school. For some students, they’re fast approaching their semester breaks already, but that doesn’t mean all learning has to stop! In today's fast-paced world, it can be difficult to find the time (or the money) to go to school full time. In today’s fast-paced world, it can be difficult to find the time or the money to go to school full time. Online classes are a great way for adults to go back to school, learn a new skill, or become more productive at work, all without sacrificing a paycheck. But with so many options, how do you know which online learning platform is right for you? We’ve broken down a couple options for you:
Udemy
Udemy is a completely online learning platform that allows users to fit their classes around your other responsibilities whether that includes a job, children, or caring for family members. They offer courses in everything from hobbies to professional development; you can take classes to brush up on your computer programs, in art history and literature, or to rediscover basic math.
Udemy is a great tool for people both looking to learn for fun and out of necessity. Their classes are also super affordable, which is great if it’s not in your budget to go all the way back to school. Courses start as low as $10.99, and you can always be on the lookout for additional coupon codes and sales to keep the cost even lower.
Tony Robbins
Tony Robbins is a best-selling author, philanthropist, and life and business strategist. His online seminars are meant to help you improve both your personal and professional lives from the comfort of your own home. Robbins’ products include classes for productivity and performance in your workplace, health and fitness courses, career and leadership seminars, plus a lot more. Whatever area of your life you’re looking to improve or expand, Tony Robbins has a class to help you do it successfully.
You can take listen along to the lessons, watch a video, read a book, or use an interactive app--whatever form matches your learning style best. Plus, so many versatile options makes it easier to take these classes on the go, making them perfect for the busy professional or parent.
edX
Edx offers online courses from top universities like UC Berkeley and Harvard, plus many more all across the county. You can explore classes just for your own stimulation, but they also offer traditional school subjects like chemistry and life science, art and literature, history, and more. Additionally, they offer more abstract (but helpful!) skills like critical thinking and problem solving that would help you both in and out of the classroom.
Edx truly offers a wide range of options for all interests, and for all goals as well. In addition to the option to take a class just for a deeper understanding of the material, they also offer professional certificate programs, micro-masters programs, and online masters degrees.
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Which is Right for You?
There are a lot of factors to consider when taking an online class, perhaps the biggest being what do you need it for? If you want to take a class just for the fun of it, because you’re curious about something, then a site like Udemy is probably the right option for you. It’s the cheapest of these three, and while the classes are taught by world class instructors, the classes won’t get you credits for another program.
So if you’re trying to actually get a degree, Edx is the route for you. They have partnerships with some of the top educational institutions all across the world, meaning you can apply those classes towards a degree, or even get one entirely online. If you weren’t able to finish college, or are looking to head there for the first time, but still need to keep your job, an online site like Edx is a great way for you to get your degree without breaking the bank.
If you’re a business owner, or a high level executive, the kind of knowledge you’re looking for probably isn’t going to be found in a life science class. You’re looking for seminars on how to interact with your workers, how to maximize your productivity and your profits, and how to keep up with innovation. The Tony Robbins seminars offer all this and more, making it ideal for businesses. That said, he does offer courses on personal health, relationships, and other non-business related topics, so take a look at those if you feel you need some insight in those areas.