Traditional learning like schools offers a great way for us to obtain a degree or learn new skills. But there are disadvantages in this medium: first, it is very expensive and second, actual presence is mandatory. There is a better way and worth investing. It is through E-learning.
E-learning is an interactive way to learn skills or acquire knowledge through the internet via information products like videos or webinarseries. The price of the courses usually ranges from $9-499 (Php400 – 20,000) which is way cheaper than universities and the best thing is that you can take this course while snorkeling in Maldives or climbing Machu Picchu.
One way to obtain a course for FREE is through Coursera, TreeHouse, Codecademy and other online courses. However, the topics for these websites are very broad and it would take you 3-6 months to finish. My recommendation is to try Udemy!
Enter Udemy
Udemy is an excellent website for learning great stuffs like Basic Accounting, Fashion Design, Android App Development, Stress Management, Photoshop CS6, SEO, Project Management or even Self-defense. You name it and most certainly they have it.
The best thing that I like about this website is that it's very cheap and the courses are well-structured. Besides, there are other relevant advantages that set Udemy apart from other sites.
Top 9 Advantages of Udemy
1. User-friendly
The user-interface and web design is really great. I never had a hard time searching for the courses I've enrolled, available courses, instructor's profile and payment processing. It's simply perfect.
2. Course reviews
Before you enroll in any course, you can browse through the course reviews and see for yourself what others are saying about. You can rate courses from 1-5 stars and post comments about your experience. Some instructors though will ask you to give a positive review for an incentive. This is solely to increase their rankings but your review greatly depends on you.
3. 30 days Refund Policy
It´s absolutely safe. One time I saw a course on Swift and iOS Development. I checked the instructor, his experience, what could I learn on the course and the requirements. It's all fine. So I hit the “Take This Course” button and paid with my Paypal account. I went through the course but on the 4th video, there was something that I needed to install for me to run xCode (MacOS program) because I'm a Windows user. Unfortunately, my computer wouldn't allow me to install the program.
In the "About" section of the course, the instructor stated that if someone couldn't install the program, he can opt out and ask for a refund. I emailed the instructor about my case and asked to cancel the course. Automatically, he sent me a refund. No fuss. It´s that easy. As long as you cancel within 30 days, you´re good to go.
4. Niche courses
There are numerous courses out there and you can enroll easily what you can imagine. You simply have to choose the best ones based on ratings, reviews and price. Read about the course entirely and see if it matches what you need.
How to pick the best Udemy courses
a. Read all about the course
Navigate through the course description, instructors (to see if he is competent enough on the subject), the requirements (so that you would know if it requires an intermediate knowledge or if it's newbie-friendly); or if it requires a software to install or an investment to start.
b. Topics and video length
The individual topics and video length are very important to see if the course covers everything that you need to know and it's not missing anything. Try to check the preview video(s) if the instructor's coaching style is clear enough in terms of the following:
- Amplitude – make sure you understand exactly what the instructor is speaking on his lecture. Some instructors have soft voices that you don't hear what they are saying. For me this could be a deciding factor.
- Quality – select instructors that speak and enunciate the words clearly. Although most instructors have presentations on their lecture, others don't. It will be hard for you if the voice is not conducive for learning.
c. Ratings
Nothing could go wrong on a course with 5-star ratings. Check out the average rating and if it's less than 5 stars, search the least rating and read the comments for you to have a glimpse of what other students are saying.
c. Price
Some courses are FREE. Yes, you don´t have to pay a dime. Other courses are extremely expensive like Shoemoney System but other students are not satisfied about it so don´t be deceived. Intuitively we know that the higher the price, the better but it doesn't apply all the time.
5. Payment Options
When I enrolled in my first course, it took me just a blink of an eye to process my payment. Yes it's fast and easy. You have two options to pay: Paypal or credit card.
I prefer to use Paypal because it's fast and safe. You simply have to type your email and it´s done. I suggest you sign up for Paypal here.
Credit card is another option but it's not safe all the time because you are exposing your credit card number every time you make a transaction. Thus, the recipient can see your credit card number and we might not know if it will be in good hands or not.
6. Full autonomy
One thing special about Udemy is that no one is putting pressure on you to learn. Learning should be fun. You decide when to start and when to proceed. You control the pace. If you want to take it slowly in details, it's up to you. Or if you want to skip the minutiae you can do so and go to the next chapters.
7. Mobility: Udemy App
Udemy has its own Android and iOS apps. What's better is you can even download the videos so that you can view it offline!
Here's how to download videos:
a. Select the course that you want
b. Click the download button (you need to hit the download button every chapter)
c. Wait until it's done and voila, you can now view videos even without internet connection!
8. Completion certificate
Some courses offer a certificate of completion. This is great for courses like Social Media Marketing, Project Management or Talent Management because you can use this as reference for relevant purposes.
9. Discounts
This is what I love most! Some premiumUdemy courses are expensive that you can't chase the price. What I usually do is add these courses on my "Wishlist" and wait until they offer discounts.
This is how I acquired my course on CPA Secrets for just $10! The original price is $97 but when Udemy offered a 90% discount, I had no doubts but to buy. This happens frequently as they are continuously promoting courses.
Update: Sign up HERE and get started to learn for free!
Conclusion
Udemy is a goldmine if you want to learn new skills. The site is user-friendly, courses are cheap and you can even enroll FREE courses. Just make sure to check the ratings, reviews and topic discussions before you enroll. Overall, the courses are worth investing. I highly recommend this site!
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