After A layoff

Now what !! Where do you go from here?

Out of work? Well why not attend Harvard, MIT or Berkeley for FREE

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What did I just say..”….Attend Harvard,  MIT or Berkeley for Free”. But these are among some of the top universities in the world and getting into these school are next to impossible. Well this is why you are here and I will explain how you can take courses at these and many other universities.

So how do you accomplish this impossible tasks, well a few words come to mind “Coursera” and “edx”?

[quote] Coursera partners with various universities and makes a few of their courses available online free for a large audience [/quote]

[quote] edX is a massive open online course platform founded by Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University to offer online university-level courses in a wide range of disciplines to a worldwide audience at no charge. [/quote]

Well Coursera or edx give you the ability to register and take university level courses for free. At the end of the course you receives a certificate from the host university. This is a great option if you would like to satisfy your curiosity in another area, or maybe you want to see if you have what it takes to go full time in a program. Whatever the reason, they are great options what you can explore at NO COST to you. Be warned however that this is the real deal, the courses are not “easier” because it is free. You will have assignment, projects and exams. But if you bring you “A” game, this could be one of the most rewarding experiences of your life.

As of the date of this posting Coursea has the following categories (21) with 222 courses throughout those categories.
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As of the date of this posting EDX has the following courses.

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  • 7.00x: Introduction to Biology – The Secret of Life MITx
  • CS191x: Quantum Mechanics and Quantum Computation BerkeleyX
  • 8.02x: Electricity and Magnetism MITx
  • CB22x: The Ancient Greek Hero HarvardX
  • ER22x: Justice HarvardX
  • PH278x: Human Health and Global Environmental Change HarvardX
  • CS184.1x: Foundations of Computer Graphics BerkeleyX
  • 6.002x: Circuits and ElectronicsMITx
  • Stat2.1x: Introduction to Statistics: Descriptive Statistics BerkeleyX
  • CS188.1x: Artificial Intelligence BerkeleyX
  • CS169.1x: Software as a Service BerkeleyX
  • CS169.2x: Software as a Service BerkeleyX
  • 14.73x: The Challenges of Global Poverty MITx
  • 3.091x: Introduction to Solid State Chemistry MITx
  • 6.00x: Introduction to Computer Science and Programming MITx
  • HLS1x: Copyright HarvardX
  • CS184.1x: Foundations of Computer Graphics BerkeleyX
  • CS50x: Introduction to Computer Science I HarvardX
  • PH207x: Health in Numbers: Quantitative Methods in Clinical & Public Health Research HarvardX
  • 6.00x: Introduction to Computer Science and Programming MITx
  • CS188.1x: Artificial Intelligence BerkeleyX

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As you can see your options range from the Sciences to Arts or Business. If you are ready for a challenge, step up, go get registered and start the next part of your life.

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But wait there is more :

I am a big fan of TED and the various speakers. It was through TED that I first head of Khan’s Academy.

[quote]Khan Academy is an organization on a mission. We’re a not-for-profit with the goal of changing education for the better by providing a free world-class education for anyone anywhere. [/quote]

As of this post date, the Academy has 4000 videos across the follow categories:

Math

Arithmetic and pre-algebra, Algebra, Geometry, Trigonometry and precalculus, Calculus, Probability and statistics, Differential equations, Linear algebra, Applied math, Brain teasers, Vi Hart

Science & Economics

Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Cosmology and astronomy, Organic chemistry, Finance and capital markets, Microeconomics, Macroeconomics, Computer science, Healthcare and medicine, LeBron asks, Projects, MIT+K12

Computer Science

Drawing, Programming Basics, Animation, User Interaction

Humanities

History, American Civics, Art History

Test Prep

SAT Math, GMAT, CAHSEE, California Standards Test, Competition Math, IIT JEE, Singapore Math

 

If you were intimidated by those “Big Names” at the start of the post, Khan Academy offers that starting point that will lead you on your way to Harvard (And maybe beyond). They cover everything from Basic Math to Art History. Khan is also perfect  if you have Kids that are struggling to learn various subjects at school. Because everything is online (And FREE) you can give your kids that added resources they need to learn without having to worry about cost. If you make it part of your “parent/kid time” it will be that much more valuable.

So now you see that education is always within your reach, so what’s stopping you? Any other excuses?

 

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Image courtesy of sippakorn / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

 

Comments

  1. Great stuff in here. I registered for a few courses in edx a few months ago. I didn’t finish everything but it was indeed the real deal. Good job as always bud.