Millions are waiting at home for the Corona Virus situation to improve. Due to government orders and doses of common sense we are spending lots of time at home. We can’t control what’s happening on the medical scene. We can, however, choose to use our forced downtime in productive ways.
So far, in my own efforts to create social distance, I’ve watched The Apple Dumpling Gang and reruns of The West Wing. I’m guessing many people are also watching lots of TV as they wait for good news.
I’m forcing myself to invest this time, not waste it. Why not take this down time to enhance your life by learning? Learning at home has never been easier.
This is the time to take classes on subjects that light you up. Finally, you have time to learn more about your hobby or hone your skills. Online video formats are easy to follow and allows you to work at your own pace. Most courses even have downloadable resources.
Here’s five resources to turn your quarantine time into an opportunity to learn a new skill or increase your knowledge.
1. Creative Live.
This site offers 1200 classes in five categories: Photo & Video, Money & Life, Art & Design, Craft & Maker , and Music & Audio. The best value is to get an annual Creative Pass which allows you to take as many courses as you want. They are now offering the pass for 50% off, making it about $150. They do offer a limited number of free classes. Of these five options, this is the one I’ve used the most.
Best Option if you are a creative type of person.
2. Master Class.
This is another great option. They offer 80 classes centered around these categories: Film & TV; Music & Entertainment; Culinary Arts; Writing; Business, Politics & Society; Sports & Games; Design, Photography, & Fashion; Lifestyle; Science & Technology.They also offer an annual pass which allows you to take as many classes as you want. The high quality material is spectacular. All teachers are experts in their field. Each class costs $90 or you can get an annual pass for $180. They allow you to try free samples of the courses offered.
Best option if you want to learn from a top pro.
3. Udemy.
This option is not quite up to par with the other options but still provides good value. They offer classes in these categories: Design, Photography, Development, Marketing, IT & Software, and Personal Development. They boast 100,000 classes. The presenters of these classes vary from experts to wannabe experts. Classes start at $10. Anyone can be become an instructor on this site. Consider this the option Walmart.
Best option if you want to explore online learning.
This option provides a thorough treatment of its subject. If you select this option it will most resemble a true college classroom feel. Most of the 700 teachers are university professors. The list of subjects offered is too lengthy to list but think back to college days and you have it covered.
Best option if you want a true academic experience.
5. Read books.
Dust off your old Kindle Reader that you’ve not used in years. And, if you don’t have one, you can use a FREE app on your phone or laptop. There’s even more good news. There are many FREE options on Amazon. Some of these free books are the classics you’ve always wanted to read. Now is the time to take advantage and plunge in. Note: the “Read books” link takes you to Amazon’s Kindle page.
Best option if you are thrifty and want flexibility.
Don’t fritter away your quarantine time. Put this forced slow down to ramp up your skills and learning.
Let me know if you give it a try.
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