Due to the recent pandemic, people suddenly find a lot of time in their hands that they can use for self-development and add to their skillset. About two months ago early in the quarantine, a lot of universities have offered some of their online courses for free and I took advantage of that to scout some courses that will be beneficial in improving my current skills and will open opportunities in the future.
I signed up for a few courses offered by different platforms. One of them is The Strategy of Content Marketing from UC Davis Extension. UC Davis’ About page claims that it is “the home of the Aggies — go-getters, change makers and problem solvers who make their mark at one of the top public universities in the United States.” I am sold! 
The five-week-long course has expanded my knowledge in the industry I am working for more than a decade. It taught me the art and science of keyword research to headline writing to video/social media marketing. Actually, I created this website as suggested by the course, thinking that it will be great to have an official and professional portfolio.
I also finished other courses namely; Viral Marketing and How to Craft Contagious Content offered by the University of Pennsylvania. It teaches you why some messages are sticky or contagious, which I think will be beneficial as I am working on native content for my current employer. Since it’s free, no certificate has been given.
The other one is All-Around SEO by Yoast.com. We all know the value of SEO in websites and being aware of the updates is important if you are doing SEO copywriting. This is a must for me!
While taking online courses in the past two months, here are some of the things that I learned about online learning:
1. Learn at your own pace – We all learn at different paces and the good thing about online education is that you don’t have to match your peers. You can backtrack on parts that you don’t quite understand and create your own schedule that is most convenient for you to sit down and learn.
2. Discipline and commitment are important – There are a lot of distractions at home – your phone, the TV, the bed, the fridge! Therefore, it is up to you to police yourself when you are taking courses online. For me, I take the classes on weekend mornings for I am an early bird and most productive in the morning, plus there is no work to distract me.
3. Education does not have to be expensive – Some courses are offered for free, while others only cost below USD 100! This is way cheaper than tuition fees in colleges. It is a great way to supplement your college degree or learn the latest trend in your field.
As we adapt to this “new normal,” online learning is here to stay to lessen the risk of transmission. Are you taking online classes? Share what courses are you taking.