The education system felt the biggest shock in modern history due to the Coronavirus. Institutions like Harvard or Cambridge that had been open for hundreds of years, came to an abrupt halt. The sudden stop represents a challenge, for institutions and students alike.Currently, learning HAS to be done virtually. Regardless, I have great news for you! There are several extremely good platforms for online learning. Platforms where you can take courses and learn any topic that might interest you. These courses come at an extremely small fraction of the cost, compared to face-to-face tuition alternatives.
At the end of this article, I will provide you with a compilation of the “Top 8 best online learning platforms”. Where you can get the skills you need to advance your career and/or start your business ventures.
Learning new skills generally enables people to make more money. Particularly if the skills are in high demand by society. Such as Coding, Web or App Development, Project Management, SEO/Google Analytics, UX Design, Social Media Marketing.
I am constantly trying to learn new skills on this online platforms. I like to think of skills as “tools” in my “toolbox”. Similar, to a handyman buying a new screwdriver for a home repair project. I like to have a wide range of tools available, and I like to have the best tools I can afford.
Learning “stuff” on online platforms (even if it is not finance-related), can improve your personal finances:
Let me tell you something very interesting that I’ve stumbled upon. I’ve come to find that almost everything that I learn improves my finances in some way or another.
Warren Buffett famously said, “the more you learn, the more you earn”. Many skills are complementary to “money-making”, even if you don’t realize it at first. For example, you could take a direct approach and study a course about “asset valuation”. That type of course aims to directly help you make better investment decisions. Another direct approach could be a course about “digital marketing”. Such a course could help you get more sales, and increase the revenue of your business.
However, you could take a somewhat indirect approach and study a course like “Excel for beginners”. At first sight, you might think: how is an Excel course going to make me money? It might seem like the Excel course won’t increase your “money-making” capabilities. However, it certainly has that potential.
Excel can “complement” your other financial skills in a synergistic fashion. For example, you can start using Excel to measure your finances. You could tabulate your business metrics in spreadsheets. You could create more organized budgets, and analyze the data easier.
Having Excel skills can help you quantify your assets and liabilities. In other words, create a “balance sheet” and track your equity as well as net worth. You could also tabulate your monthly cash flow statements, and evaluate yearly trends. It can assist you in calculating your revenue, costs, and profit (essentially creating income statements).
Even though a course might seem “unrelated” at first sight, it can have a positive impact on your wallet.
For example: learning to write more efficiently can help you communicate better. This could be extremely beneficial when interacting with your coworkers or boss. If you’re an employee. A writing course can “indirectly” get you a raise. You could learn to write emails faster and increase your productivity. You could also learn to articulate your thoughts more efficiently. As well as get your points across more assertively.
Better writing can also help you massively if you’re an entrepreneur. You could reach your customers easier, through better emails or texts. Marketing products or services through writing is called “copywriting”.
Copywriting is both an “art” and a “science”. This type of writing is an extremely valuable skill for you to have if you own a business. It will help your advertising efforts and generate more sales. Such a course can give you the capabilities to generate written content that increases brand awareness. Ultimately persuading individuals to take a particular action like “purchasing your high-ticket products”.
Another realization I’ve had is that continuously learning new skills helps you become a better student. Constantly learning will train your mind, and generate the right learning “habits”. Being a good learner means you are capable of efficiently processing information. You are also capable of generating actionable conclusions from that information. In other words, being capable of “applying” the newly-obtained “knowledge”.
Practice makes perfect!
Regularly “studying” will make you a better “student”. And being a better student will help you learn whatever craft you want easier.
I’ve noticed that people that are good golfers, tend to be good businessmen as well. These two activities are completely uncorrelated. The reasoning behind the high proficiency might be the individual’s learning habits.
People that are “good students of the game”, tend to have the capability to study properly any game. (Because they had good study habits to learn golf, and they had good study habits to learn about business. Conversely, people that have difficulty learning “skill A”, usually also have difficulty learning “skill B”. They are not good students, because they have not developed good “learning habits”.
My advice is for you to never stop learning! Aside from the following great online learning platforms you can also complement reading books. If you’re serious about making money, I think it is in your best interest to also check out my article about the TOP 15 Books for making money!
My ACTIONABLE Tips:
I strongly encourage you to take a look at the following online learning platforms. Regardless if you’re an entrepreneur or an employee. these platforms offer thousands of multi-disciplinary courses that can benefit you. There is certainly something for everyone.
Some of the courses are very rigorous and in-depth. Others simply give you a “high-level” overview with a couple of short videos. Additionally, the methods used by these platforms to teach are very diverse. So find the way that suits your learning style. For example, some of the platforms are more text-oriented material. This approach resembles traditional “academic” universities. Other platforms focus primarily on videos (like watching a Netflix documentary).
The platforms tend to offer official certificates for the successful completion of the courses. Students can incorporate their certificates to their resume or LinkedIn profile. Generally, the courses found on these platforms are either free or offered at a very affordable price.
Given the FREE TRIAL nature of almost all online learning platforms below, you could check out several. Go on a “test drive” without a monetary commitment, and find out which is the best fit for you.
Online Learning Platforms with courses by Universities or Corporations (edX & Coursera):
1.edX
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) alongside Harvard University created edX in 2012. Their goal was to offer online alternatives to the courses both universities taught on campus. edX has more than 20 million students who have participated in more than 2,200 courses online.
The platform features courses by more than 140 world-renowned universities. The list includes MIT, Harvard, Berkeley, Columbia University, Caltech, Cornell, Georgia Tech, Stanford, Brown, The University of Chicago, NYU. World-leading Corporations such as Microsoft, Amazon Web Services, IBM, also participate in the platform.
edX offers graduate and undergraduate level courses that consist of weekly learning sequences. Each learning sequence has readings and video lectures combined with interactive learning exercises. Enabling Students to immediately practice the concepts they are learning. Popular areas of study include Computer Science, Languages, Data Science, Business & Management, Engineering, Humanities.
In 2016, edX created the concept of the micro master degree. These degrees are designed to be a bridge between a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree. The degrees are composed of a series of graduate-level courses offered by highly ranked Universities. These Micro master’s degrees are designed to develop standalone skills for career advancement.
The Micromasters are equivalent to a full semester of a Master’s degree at those Universities. The online structure allows employees to advance their education without affecting their employment commitments. These degrees are recognized and endorsed by dozens of Industry-Leading Employers. Endorsers include Goldman Sachs, Microsoft, General Electric, Bloomberg, Rolls Royce, Walmart.
A micro master could help stand out from your competition in this difficult job market. I have personally taken some of the Micro Master courses on Project Management. I consider those courses extremely valuable.
2. Coursera
Coursera is one of the leading online learning platforms. It was founded in 2012 by Stanford computer science professors Andrew Ng and Daphne Koller. The platform offers “massive open online courses” known as “MOOC”. The platform’s structure and prestigious recognition are very similar to edX.
Coursera offers access to online education through partnerships with leading universities and organizations. Such as Stanford, Duke, Yale, University of Pennsylvania, University of Michigan, Intel, Google.
Coursera has online courses, specializations, and complete degrees in various subjects and topics. Classes are available in multiple languages and with subtitles. Popular areas of study include Business, Computer Science, Data Science, Python & Java Programming, Search Engine Optimization, Marketing, Social Sciences, personal development.
Coursera and edX are the only e-learning companies that offer accredited courses and degrees from top tier Universities. That accreditation gives students prestigious credibility. It also helps you get approval if your employer offers tuition reimbursement programs.
I consider Coursera and edX as the most structured and prestigious alternatives you can find online. These two platforms feel like going to college at the best institutions on the planet. All the other platforms are more casual. They feel a little “less formal” or “rigorous” in my opinion. But, the other platforms are still great alternatives. They could be the right fit for you, especially if you don’t care about the University backing.
Click HERE to visit Coursera now!
Online Learning Platforms with Courses by Individuals/Celebrities (Udemy, Linkedin, Udacity, SkillShare, Pluralsight, Masterclass):
3. Udemy (largest multi-disciplinary online platform):
Udemy was founded in 2010 and is an American online learning platform aimed at professional adults and students. The platform is incredibly popular. As of 2020, Udemy has more than 50 million students. Udemy also has 57,000 instructors teaching courses in over 65 languages. There have been over 295 million course enrollments. Students and instructors come from 190+ countries.
Udemy also offers the possibility for instructors to publish their courses on the platform. This means people involved with the platform can learn, and also teach. The course offerings are extremely diverse, which enables students to learn practically anything. You can study “digital age” business ventures like creating and growing a YouTube Channel. Or establishing an e-commerce store through Amazon FBA or Shopify.
Popular areas of study include Design, Marketing, IT & Software, Web & Mobile App Development, Business, Photography, Music, Personal Development, Health & Fitness, Office Productivity.
With more than 150,000 courses on the website, the learning possibilities are endless. You can find courses that help you prepare for the CFA exam, train your pet, or develop your Yoga skills.
4. UDACITY (Tech Niche):
Udacity was launched in 2012 by a Stanford Computer Science professor named Sebastian Thrun. The platform focuses primarily on the “tech skill” niche. Udacity is an online platform where anyone can learn the tech skills necessary to push their career to the next level. They offer innovative “Nanodegree” programs.
The Nanodegrees are built in partnership with top tier technology companies. With these Nanodegrees students can learn relevant skills that matter to companies today.
Udacity also offers free courses that are considered extremely valuable in the Tech Industry. The platform has a razor-sharp focus on Tech skills. This is beneficial for students that are currently working or aiming to work in that industry.
The platform matches students with trained mentors who are dedicated to their success. Pairing an online classroom with hands-on projects gives students convenient benefits. Students can fit learning into their schedules while creating a portfolio that showcases their skills.
Click HERE to visit UDACITY!
5. LinkedIn Learning (multi-disciplinary – Business Oriented):
LinkedIn Learning is an online video library that consists of 13,000+ expert-led courses and tutorials. The platform is designed to help students enhance their skills. Enabling students to advance their careers by learning from passionate industry experts.
LinkedIn recently purchased Lynda.com, an online learning platform with over 20+ years of experience. Students can learn the most “sought after” business skills virtually.
Subscribers receive unlimited access to LinkedIn Learning’s entire course library. Allowing them to learn in-demand skills anytime, anywhere. LinkedIn Learning offers all new customers a 30-day free trial.
The platform also offers an “a la carte” course option. Enabling students to purchase a specific course without committing to a recurrent subscription.
Click HERE to visit LinkedIn Learning!
6. Masterclass (Multi-disciplinary Short Courses – Video-based):
This platform has an innovative style of teaching. They focus on video lessons. Taking these “Masterclasses” feels very similar to binge-watching Netflix episodes. The instructors of the masterclasses are all world-renowned. Considered to be some of the best in the world at their particular “crafts”.
For example, you could learn:
- Economics from Nobel Prize Paul Krugman
- Business Leadership from former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz
- Business Strategy and Leadership from former Disney CEO Bob Iger
- Self-made Entrepreneurship from Billionaire Sara Blakely founder of Spanx
- Acting from Natalie Portman or Samuel L. Jackson
- Filmmaking from Martin Scorsese or Jodie Foster
- Chess from Gary Kasparov
They currently offer more than 80 classes on all types of subjects. Topics include Business, Politics, Music, Entertainment, Writing, Design, Photography, Fashion, Sports, Films & TV. The courses are usually 3 hours long and are split in 10-minute video lessons.
If Masterclass is not what you’re looking for they offer a 30-day money-back guarantee. Click HERE to visit Masterclass now!
7. Plural Sight (Tech Niche):
Pluralsight a bit different from the other platforms because it’s primarily focused on the “Tech niche”. Courses revolve around software development, coding, information technology, and cybersecurity.
Pluralsight also offers tests. The tests help technology leaders evaluate the technical abilities of their teams and close skill gaps. They offer more than 7,000 courses, which are trusted by more than 65% Fortune 500 companies
If you’re looking for courses on Python, Java, Web Development, Mobile Development, Big Data, SQL, Tableau, Oracle, IT Certifications, Pluralsight might be a great fit. They offer a FREE Trial.
The courses offered by Plural Sight are all created by Subject Matter Experts (SMEs). The courses are aimed to increase the technical proficiency of the students efficiently.
8. SkillShare (multi-disciplinary short courses – Video Based):
Skillshare is another course marketplace that offers over 25,000 online courses. The courses are typically short and to the point (approximately a couple hours long). The platform is primarily video-based and offers a Free Trial. There are over 4 million students on the platform.
Skillshare is based on a monthly subscription that is extremely affordable. Signing up to use the platform grants you access to all the courses. If you’re only interested in a couple of courses you can cancel your subscription after you’re done.