In the past weeks, I busied myself with free online courses in between of mom-jobs and my corporate job. Luckily, I’m with a company that values and supports learning and development even outside the four corners of the office. So I took the opportunity to explore not only audit and risk management courses but also programs beyond my profession.
Before the past year ended, I planned my 2020 with numbers of domestic and international trips. I was super excited (who won’t, right?) because it was supposed to be my first time traveling outside the Philippines after my 2019 mantra: Pilipinas muna. Well, life happens, and one day I found myself looking for something to keep me sane and thank you, internet, for being one of the reasons why I still feel productive.
In this article, I’m sharing links to free online courses you can enroll to when you’re not out and about, exploring. Hope you find this list useful for when it’s safer outside!!
Tips on maximizing your online course experience
Before we start, I’d like to share some tips from my personal experience taking online courses. As you know, I’ve been working from home the whole ECQ days , plus trying super hard to be Mnemo’s best friend. I mean, I could work and be a mom, yes, but being a mom that she shouts and shuts her up all the time – well, that’s quite a challenge.
- Take one course at a time. Taking online courses is one of my many hobbies (including multi-tasking) and coming from experience, multi-tasking while trying to complete a course will never help you grow. What good does it offer if you’re not completely invested on it?
- Choose your courses carefully. Most providers allow you to scan through the curriculum before you enroll, and that gives you the advantage to check if you can actually finish the line up of lessons within the recommended time. If not, and you really want to take the program, refresh your deadlines as needed.
- Jot down notes. I keep my notes along my daily planner and organizer. It sounded unorganized, but it is for me! Haha! I like seeing my to-do lists and achievements on a daily basis for me to adjust my schedule as well.
- Keep soft copies of your certificates! Most of the courses I will be sharing will let you earn certificates from your providers or university trainers. It’s best to keep these certificates to beautify your resume more!
What are the best online courses we can catch up to?
Food and Health
Food Safety and Hygiene in the Catering Industry – This is a short course that will teach you standard food safety guidelines for the catering industry. And guess what, in 1-2 hours, you’ll get a nice certificate you can flex in your resume.
Principles of Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems – Familiarize yourself with the Principles of Occupational Health and Safety prescribed by the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO). Also comes with free certificate of completion.
Photography and Image Editing
I love taking pictures and most of my blog photos are only taken using my phone. I also use for like 5 years already, but I’m still not a pro. *Sad face* Good thing, I found below courses really helpful and I’m super excited to go out even more. <3
Your Road to Better Photography – I love Udemy because they offer a lot of online courses you can access for free. One of those is this course which aims to make photography “simple”. It’s spread across 10 lectures that provides in-depth information from shooting in natural light to understanding manual camera settings.
Phoneography: The basics of cell phone photography – Of course. One convenient way to capture beautiful photos is taking them using our phones. This course is also free to access.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
If you are maintaining a page online, you’d want people to see your brand when they look for your kind of product. Learning SEO will give you so much help on reaching and even going beyond your target. Also, SEO is more complex than you can actually imagine, so having this skill can pay more than you expect.
SEO Tutorial for Beginners – This beginners course is for website owners, bloggers, startups or anyone who wants to improve their proficiency and knowledge in this vital online skill. What I liked most about this course is it’s conducted as if it’s your first time hearing the term SEO. Unlike other SEO courses, this one is explained well in not-so-technical terms so it’s easier to understand. The trainer also posts updates on the “Announcements” tab in cases of changes and upgrades that his students need to know.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Specialization – This specialization program consists of four (4) SEO courses – Intro to SEO, SEO Fundamentals, Optimizing a Website for Search, Advanced Content and Social Tactics. You can scan through the courses for free, however, you will need premium access to join the projects and earn the certificate. Worth it, though, if you really need to start developing your SEO skills.
Need more?
These online providers are extending their lists of free courses for people who are really interested to learn:
- Oxford Home Study – If you’re looking for free courses online that will earn you certificates of completion, this site’s perfect for you. You can also access their premium courses for a minimal fee per program.
- Coursera – Courses you can finish in a day? Here’s a list they’ve prepared for you!
- Harvard University – Who doesn’t want a Harvard Certificate? In case you missed, here’s a post from Youth Opportunities linking to a guideline on how to apply for Harvard University courses for FREE!
With a massive list of free online courses (and except for poor internet network in the Philippines, sadly) why else miss learning opportunities and productivity while staying at home? I say, instead of just scrolling on your social media, scroll through these lists and learn more.