5 Practical Online Courses Anyone Can Benefit From

With so many courses out there, doesn’t it get difficult to choose one at times?

Do any of the following sound like you?

• You want to take your first online course, but aren’t sure where to start.
• Maybe you’ve taken a few challenging online courses already, and are looking to take it easy in your next one.
• You don’t have much time on your hands, but want to acquire some new skills.
• You’re looking for a course that will benefit you on the long run, without requiring much initial commitment.
• You’re looking to develop certain basic skills (drawing? maybe reading faster?) in a short amount of time.

If so, here are 5 course suggestions to try out today!

1. Academic and Business Writing by BerkeleyX via EdX (free)

In this course you get to improve your writing for academic and business purposes. Therefore feeling more confident when faced with assignments! It’s mostly aimed at English learners, but one quick glance at the materials shows that it can benefit anyone. It runs for 5 weeks, and it’s offered by the University of California, Berkeley. As with most EdX courses, you can take it for free or opt to purchase a certificate.

2. Speed Reading Mastery: Double Your Reading Speed In 7 Days via Skillshare (free with account)

Jordan Harry, founder of the learning resource StudyFast, leads this course on faster reading. Improving one’s reading speed and comprehension is something anyone can benefit from, no matter their profession or expertise. And this course delivers. You can read our full review here.

3. The Art & Science of Drawing: Basic Skills via Udemy (price varies)

A best-seller in Udemy with a solid rating of 4.6 stars. For absolute beginners! According to the course description, it introduces one essential drawing skill per day. Therefore taking a “one day at a time” approach. Basic drawing is a skill that can come in handy when you least expect it, and can be an ideal way to wind down. Most of us can probably benefit from it.

4. Learning How to Learn: Powerful mental tools to help you master tough subjects via Coursera (free)

Without a doubt the most promising course on this list. With an almost perfect rating of 4.8 stars (out of 5), based off 36,408 ratings, and with subtitles in over 22 languages, it makes a big first impression. What caught my eye the most is the mention of “illusions of learning” and “counter-intuitive test-taking tips”. Overall, it promises to take you by the hand as you begin to understand your brain more in depth, and as you learn to make the most of these new learning techniques. As a LearningWhere editor, I’m planning to start it soon.

5. Creative Personal Writing: Write the Real You via Skillshare (free with account)

In this Skillshare Original, writer Ashley C. Ford introduces techniques to write from memory, and more! As opposed to Course #1 on this list, this isn’t strictly professional writing, but more personal writing. It’s only 33 minutes long, and with promising reviews. 200 out of 201 reviewers would recommend the course to a friend. It’s project-based too, as you’re encouraged to write your own essay.