I finally got my first ~free~ Google online course certification! (+study tips and free digital planner template!)
Most of my idle time during community quarantine was dedicated to online learning. Thanks to the company I work with, I have access to wonderful and very helpful online learning websites and get certifications without out-of-pocket spends. And just recently, while scrolling through Pinterest looking for inspos on what to blog (because girl, it’s super hard to keep your travel blog breathing amidst the pandemic) then I saw this Tiktok pin sharing a link to an online training platform where you can get Google certifications (and actually flex them on your resume) for free!
I’ve been blogging for years now and I still feel like I haven’t took advantage and explored the world of digital marketing and content creation because of having very limited time. So it’s a super good idea to learn more about it (and everything that relates to it) first before diving into a deeper and scarier challenge of getting more paying clients and vlogging. And yep, the vlogging plans are still work in progress but I feel like we’re getting there.
I was going to post this December 2020, but you know how crazy Christmas season in the Philippines is. I was as usual taking the lead in collecting what people want for Christmas and New Year's eve dinner dishes and running to the grocery on top of being in charge of everything financially so...
I’ve been taking courses from Coursera recently and LinkedIn Learning. You can also find useful and very informative videos on Youtube made public by very generous instructors and publishers. This certification acknowledged by Google however will be found on Skillshop. What by the way is Skillshop? Is it free? Is it legit?Â
Skillshop is a Google training platform that you can use to grow your skills on Google’s tools and solutions. It’s for anyone who uses the below products. When you sign up, you’ll be able to access our online courses at any time, and complete them at your own pace.
The site is actually owned by Google and from where can we learn best about Google aside from Google? With Skillshop, you can learn about various Google tools (which almost everyone on the internet uses every day) and services like Google Ads and Google Analytics. It also gives your certification you can flex in your credentials. All you need is a Google account and you can access the courses and get your certs for FREE. If you’re interested in learning more about Google tools, head over this LINK.
Study tips to make the most of your online learning experience
Choose your courses ~wisely~
Most online courses with certifications require payments. Skillshop doesn’t. And while it’s free (and this applies to all free online courses) do not over-enroll yourself when you know you can’t go through or finish them in the first place. For example, I am an auditor/content creator/a mom so I usually take courses relative to those unless there’s this interesting course about architecture or gardening (which I ~legit~ am interested in).Â
Why not take advantage since it’s just free? Uh oh. Do not pressure yourself with too much courses left pending in your dashboard. Take two courses max at a time. These have their set deadlines and you have to catch up on that or you’ll have to re-take (for some courses) the whole program. Plus, you can take advantage of it anyways in your own productive pace.
Plan your day
You know when you have these college schedules and how all subjects were spread out your entire day? One thing I learned from schooling is having your time managed carefully and wisely. Back in college, we got to choose our own schedules within the options given. My hack is to put the hardest subjects in the noon or after lunch, as those were the times I feel productive ~and not sleepy~. I apply the same in my current job. As an auditor, my days are almost always full with meetings and ~well~, audit works. I usually do my audit tasks in the afternoon when I feel more enthusiastic and “in the zone”.
Having a planner or a notebook helps, to be honest. Especially for me who has too many items to tick off my to-do list. I am using a digital planner as my practice planner for 2021, via Goodnotes. You can use my template if you’re planning to switch to digital planning as well! Download it here.
Online learning, since I’m working from home, is always scheduled during the evening when Mnemo’s already asleep. Yes, #MomDuties. And yes, #PuyatIsLife. But hey, make sure you get enough sleep and rest because you don’t want to get unproductive the next day!
Relax your brain while studying
Now, this is bit tricky especially if the course you’re taking is ~for real~ hard. But what I mean about this is to not overthink about a case or a problem for too long that you’re almost in a “brain drain” phase. If you can’t figure it out, go back to your notes. If it’s just really difficult, try Googling or referring to other resources. It won’t hurt.
Sometimes, though, it’s just really hard to focus because 1) I usually sing along with good songs so make sure you play an unfamiliar, yet still relaxing tune 2) the mom in me thinks Mnemo’s always crying when I plug in my earphones, 3) my mind just flies whenever it feels like. What I do is make sure Mnemo’s peacefully asleep, and start playing a Spotify playlist. Here’s a new fave I found just recently!
Take good notes
It really is important to take good notes. And by good notes I mean that page you can easily refer to like understanding and remembering the details at first glance. What’s common among all online classes is that you’re gonna have a glimpse of the topics from the start of the program ’til the end, so use that info to make an outline for your notes to help you map out your notes, if you get what I mean.
Note-taking may not work with everybody. Some are blessed with just keeping their handouts or copied materials for the classes. Some are more productive by creating a colorful mind map. Some need flash cards. Some post its. Some just like annotating their books or materials. For me, annotation and note-taking work great.
Go back to your failed items and re-learn
Skillshop doesn’t give clues from your errors or incorrect assessment answers, but you can take note of every item and revisit the specific page discussing the problem.
This helps not only for your exam but for retaining the information longer even after your exam. Certifications from Skillshop (at least for those topics I previously finished)Â expire a year after awarded to you, which makes sense by the way because these topics change over time so being familiar with these topics longer will make your learning time more worth it.
Live a healthy ~and fun~ lifestyle
I’ve been assessed in my 360 leadership assessment as a “learner” because yes, I like learning new stuff from the internet, from books, from my teammates, my bosses. My mind is just so open for information and more ideas and I looooove absorbing them. I can say learning and/or studying is one of my ways to unwind (I know it’s weird and sounds nerdy but I’m not that smart, tbh). So yes, if you feel tired, don’t stress yourself more with these online courses just to flaunt certificates on social media ~omg wtf ryt~.Â
Start your day with some light physical activity (this really work, guys) like having your morning walk, stretches, watering your outdoor plants~ It’s ideal to wake up early (and sleep early) but whatever time you feel or need getting up, DO YOUR PHYSICAL EXERCISE. Also, make your own breakfast (or get out for good local breakfast finds!) to brighten up your morning even more. I like coffee, I know 4 cups of coffee everyday is not healthy but you know what’s healthy for you physically and mentally so yeah.
I don’t really know how to end this post so I’m just gonna cut it here.Â
