Spend the summer with benefits: Where to learn music, coding and languages
Text: Alexandra Bazhenova-Sorokina
Every day there are new paid and free resources. for online education: we have selected several new courses that can give new meaning to this summer.
MIT
math, technology and more
It is no secret that over the past couple of years, almost all the best universities in the world have begun to lay out their work materials: some partially, some entirely. Among them are such heavyweights as Harvard, Oxford and MIT. In addition to lecture podcasts, full-fledged programs appear with texts and exercises that you can do yourself. It should be understood that such resources differ radically from remote training: you will not receive a certificate or a teacher who would monitor your progress and correct mistakes. Nevertheless, all these materials are the most valuable source of knowledge, and when, if not in summer, use it for your own pleasure.
Stanford
writing skills
There are, however, online university courses that can be taken not only to broaden the horizons. On such programs, you will really be fully educated, and on the basis of your work you will receive a certificate that will be an aid to your resume. Applying for such classes is necessary ahead of time: for example, if you register before July 2, you can get on the Stanford program for those who want to write a novel. Together with a group of like-minded people you will go through all the steps of creating a literary text on a unique course on writing skills.
Future learn
from the history of blues to physics
Short and interesting courses on topics from macroeconomics to blues history are traditionally sought on the Coursera platform, which works with the best universities in the world. However, besides it there are not inferior and - not least - completely free Edx courses, and the British platform Future Learn, owned by Open University. The main plus of the latter is the courses of leading British universities and colleges. They are interesting not only with truly original and complex topics (from "Causes of War" to "The Higgs Boson"), but also with the opportunity to join the world of classical academic English.
Lynda
video lessons
It is not always clear where to look for video materials for training (the DIY universe of YouTube is not counted), moreover, not all free courses provide texts and exercises with good videos. At the same time, the video format will be much more convenient for many, and certainly a hundred times clearer. The leader in this niche is Lynda.com, a platform operating since 1995; there you can find thousands of educational videos about almost everything. The service works by subscription, but to find out whether you need it, there is a free trail.
Yandex
coding
Obviously, the future is high technology, and computer science is the most important of the new sciences. Today, to understand at least a little bit in coding, data analysis, cloud technologies and other IT topics is no less important than to be able to speak English. For those who are ready to go to the brave new world of computers and the Internet, there is a mountain of resources, but the online courses of the pillars of the industry: Yandex and Microsoft deserve special attention. Recruitment for many of them is just open, and in addition to serious skills, you can also get immediate knowledge about Internet security or have some fun by learning how to invent bots.
Udacity
new knowledge for new work
If your goal is to find a new specialization or restart a faded career, conventional online courses will not be enough. Since many people need to constantly pump skills and master new knowledge in order to outpace competitors, a corresponding resource has appeared. Udacity platform offers expensive online courses from a couple of months long with the saying name "Nanodegree" - "Nanodegree". Ideally, after the program, you can not only boast a certificate, but also easily find a new job. The organizers even make "career insurance", that is, they are committed to returning the full cost of the course if you fail.
My dream
playing musical instruments
Obviously, few people want to learn a new profession or specialization in the summer, but everyone can find time for something relaxing and pleasing. If you have always wanted to play some unusual instrument, but do not want to look for a teacher, there are courses in this case. For example, in the international online music school "My Dream" promise to teach the game on a variety of instruments, including bassoon, cello and folk like pandora and ocarina. Courses are divided into basic and in-depth, and children over seven and adults have the opportunity to start with a trial lesson. The only negative: even for a trial lesson you will need a tool - on the other hand, and what did you expect?
Langmaster
World languages
Studying foreign languages on the Internet is a separate jungle in which it is easy to get confused. The difficulty is that such courses often need to be paid before you understand whether they are suitable for you or not (if not, then you need to give it up with peace of mind). But do not be discouraged, online language programs and self-learning applications continue to improve and add all new languages. Duolingo, Memrise and Busuu are still key in this area, but each of the platforms has its pros and cons, and you can only understand what suits you, only in practice. LangMaster, less well-known in Russia, also provides a lot of materials and a well-thought-out method.
Hogwarts
no magic
Stand out language courses on Skype. It is not always easy to find a distance teacher for the language you need, and in this case there are, for example, courses Hogwarts-online or Language Life; language spread - from English and Arabic to Georgian and Estonian. Training on skype is slightly inferior to offline training and often compares favorably with regular online courses. The only problem: it’s not so easy to follow the competencies and qualities of each individual teacher, despite the assurances on the site. Nevertheless, it is quite possible to try and find the right one for you.
Bang! Bang! Studio
painting
Another hobby, which is so often not possible to afford, is painting and drawing. There are a lot of online schools on this topic, and it is not so easy to figure out which of them is better to apply for summer joy in sketching or plein air. The main rule: read reviews and view content. One of the most reputable studios in Moscow Bang! Bang! Studio has long been offering paid online courses on a wide range of topics, from lettering to basic human anatomy. A rich selection of courses and the "School of Veronica Kalacheva," living a lively offline life in Moscow and St. Petersburg. And on the resource Hudozhnik.online you can, if you wish, take a free trial lesson.
Cover: Tiger music