+4,000 Free Online Courses from Top Universities
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Can you imagine taking free online courses at Yale, Google, Stanford, Princeton and other of the best companies and universities in the world?… With Coursera it’s possible!
In this post we have compiled for you, the best options of free online courses from the world’s leading online course provider, to turn your career around completely, without leaving home or spending a fortune.
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What is Coursera?
Simply put, Coursera is a virtual education platform, made up of some of the most prestigious companies and universities in the world; it allows you to take online courses in both free and paid modalities.
At present, it has an active catalog of more than 3,900 online courses and more than 400 specialties in 13 languages.created by companies and universities such as Stanford, Google, Yale, the UNAM and the Tec de Monterrey.
How to use Coursera?
The coursera platform is really very simple and easy to use. It keeps a simple design, which will allow you to focus on what you are looking for, without additional distractions.
Simply access the drop-down menu to see the available options, or use the search bar to enter the keywords that will lead you to the results you are looking for, and in the language you want them in.
In addition to this,
each result has different sections that explain, in detail, what the result is about.
the material to be covered during the course, an introduction by the teacher and information about the
course, an introduction of the teacher and the information about the course, the duration of the
the duration of the course, certification options, frequently asked questions and much more.
and much more.
You can enroll in most Coursera courses for free by choosing the. listener optionor opt for the paid option and obtain a certificate after completing all the assignments of the online course.
Note: some of the links you will see below are affiliate links, which means that if you decide to use the discounts and make a purchase, I may earn a small commission. This will be at no additional cost to you and will help me continue to keep this guide free. Thank you very much for reading me, it’s a pleasure to help you!
Why take a course on Coursera?
It was just thanks to this platform, that I managed to polish many of the talents that I discovered would make me multiply my income when I I launched my first blogI started to live traveling and I learned how to make money online. Topics that I never studied at university, simply because there was no syllabus that had them all.
To read how I multiplied my income while working in my pajamas, click here.
Coursera offers you the ease of acquiring a host of new skills, knowledge and certifications from the comfort of your home, at your own pace and for a very affordable price (or even at no cost).
The platform offers courses in categories such as: Education, Business, Digital Marketing, Computers, Arts, Design, Engineering, Health, Languages and many others. All of these give you the opportunity to improve yourself both in the workplace and personally, giving you an advantage over those who are not constantly working on your personal development and self-improvement.
Coursera also
guarantees you that their courses are taught by qualified professionals and
endorsed by some of the most recognized universities worldwide, allowing people
This allows people from anywhere in the world to have access to the highest quality education.
of the highest quality.
Types of courses offered by Coursera
The courses of Coursera consist of pre-recorded video lectures that you can watch at any time. In addition, they have student discussion forums, ideal for resolving your doubts about upcoming assignments, quizzes or exams.
Generally speaking, Coursera courses are free to audit (i.e. watch the videos), but if you want to get a Certificate, in most cases you will have to pay, although I have seen many that include free evaluations and certificates.
Let’s analyze a little more in depth the different modalities that you can find in Coursera, to take your courses online:
1.
Audits
If you wish to
acquire new knowledge on a subject of your interest, but you don’t want to spend money on certifications or
spend money on certifications or degrees, this is the perfect option for you.
you.
The audits of
coursera audits allow you to view all course materials and study them at no cost.
but you should note that you would also not have access to participate in course activities, have exams or homework
course activities, have exams or assignments graded or request additional support, among other things.
additional support, among others.
2.
Certified course
This is the most
most economical among the paid course options on Coursera.
With the option of the
certified course, you are entitled to all of the above-mentioned features (grading of exams and assignments, course activities, etc.).
(grading of exams and assignments, course activities, etc.), and in addition, upon successful
successfully graduate, you receive a certification of course completion from the university or learning
from the university or learning institution that delivers the course.
3.
Specialization
Specializations, are more complex courses or (more simply explained) a set of distinct courses that focus around a single specific topic. An example of this would be a specialization in photography, which includes courses in camera operation, image composition, editing, among others. These specializations maintain one or more special certificates of completion.
4. Bachelor’s or Master’s Degree
If you want to earn a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree, but don’t have the time to attend in-person classes, Coursera gives you the opportunity to do it completely online.
On the platform you will find different options for online careers and degreesalthough most of them are in the area of business and information technology.
Another great advantage
of taking your degree online with Coursera, is that it gives you the option of applying for financial
option to apply for financial aid.
How much do courses on Coursera cost?
Unlike
most online learning platforms, Coursera maintains three types of payment options for its
types of payment options for its students: subscriptions, segmented payments, and single
payments and one-time payments.
The prices of
courses depend on the type of course you take (audits, certificate course, specialization or degree), subject, duration and complexity,
specialization or degree), the subject matter, duration and complexity of the course.
A basic course
with certification can cost around $50.00, while a full degree will cost thousands of dollars.
degree will cost thousands of dollars.
The platform
also maintains many courses completely free of charge and, as mentioned above, it also offers the
above, it also offers the possibility of attending the same in its audit format, free of charge.
audit format, free of charge.
Whichever
whichever option you choose, you can be sure that you will receive a world-class education
world-class education, taught by professors who are experts in their fields and backed by prestigious universities.
universities of great prestige.
20 Tips for taking your first course on Coursera.
If you are new to the world of online coursesIf you are interested in online courses, you probably have some doubts that you want to solve before making the decision to enroll in one. That is why here I share some useful tips so you can take that first step without further delay:
- Update your Coursera profile and make sure you use your full name, as your profile name will be used for your certifications. Add the email you would like to be used to contact you with updates about your courses and add some information about yourself that you would like to share with your future classmates.
- The number of course options you will see that may catch your attention will be overwhelming, so take the time to decide on something that really interests you and will be of benefit to you.
- Take pencil and paper and make a list of all the options that you like or seem important to you.
- After that, be sure to review all the information available about each one, especially if any of them hold requirements that you may not yet meet.
- Make sure you will be available and have the necessary time to attend the course, on the dates indicated on the Coursera platform. Don’t stress if this is a problem, most courses open several times a year.
- Once you decide on the course you want to start and register, verify that you have received the registration email.
- Some courses require course materials and these can be either physical or electronic. Make sure you have everything you need before the start date.
- Pay attention to the main page of the course on the course start date, where you will see all the relevant information and it will be updated by the teachers.
- Try to keep an agenda (either physical or electronic) of the due dates for assignments or exams that you have to take.
- Look at the setting options in your course and disable notifications that you do not want to receive in your email. A good idea is to disable forum notifications, as they can come in the form of spam when all students decide to comment on a topic.
- If the course you have decided to take is not in your native language, even if you know the language well, it is recommended that you use subtitles. This way you will avoid missing any important information that may be difficult for you to understand by ear.
- Organize your time. This is key, especially if you work or have other responsibilities. Try to keep a specific study schedule, where you can sit in peace and quiet and watch your videos. Likewise, look for times during the week or month when you can do your homework and study for future exams.
- Don’t be lazy and take notes! This will not only help you when studying or reviewing content, but it has been proven to help in the learning process when in addition to seeing or hearing something, you write it down.
- If you like to study with others or must do group work, you could create or join virtual study groups with your fellow Coursera members; or better yet, invite a friend to take a course with you!
- Take advantage of all the tools that the Coursera platform offers you. Use the forums or any other means of contact available to you to ask all the questions you want and solve all your doubts. Don’t be embarrassed!
- If you have opted for a certificate course, specialization or degree, you must make sure that you have successfully completed your course and that you also meet all the necessary requirements to receive your certifications. It is recommended that you do this before the completion date, so that you have time to complete anything that may be missing.
- Try to save any material shared during the course, as well as any valuable information that may be in the forums. You never know when you might need a refresher and ultimately, the information imparted in these courses is worth its weight in gold.
- Once you successfully complete your course, keep an eye on your email to receive notification of your certificate of completion.
- Put your certificate to use! Coursera certificates can not only be printed and shared on different social networks, but you can also add them to job search platforms.
- Celebrate each of your achievements, be proud of yourself and always go for more!
