Stuck at home on a rainy day or in one of those moods when you feel like you have all the energy in the world yet you have nothing to do? Grab your tablet or laptop and your beverage of choice: we’ve got some learning to do!
I’ve always been the kind of person who wants to learn something new at every opportunity. I’m the girl who’ll go on weekend courses and take evening classes. I read textbooks for fun! So it’s no surprise that I use the internet mostly for learning new things. There’s literally a blog out there to cover every topic, so it’s each to find advice, tutorials and videos to teach you anything you need to know. Here are just a few skills that could be learnt online in an afternoon…
TOUCH TYPING
Okay, so not everyone enjoys learning just for the sake of it. But picking up a few life skills from the comfort of your sofa can be no bad thing, and doesn’t even take that much effort. For instance, if you have a job that involves a lot of typing why not teach yourself to touch type properly instead of using the old hunt-and-peck method? There are numerous websites like Typing Club or TypeRacer that will teach you where to find all the letters on your keyboard then let you pit yourself against other players in races to motivate you as you learn.
CASH COURSES
While we’re on the subject of skills that involve typing, why not teach yourself a better way to budget? From 101 courses to full MOOCs, you can learn how to make the most of your cash, work out where you are spending it most, and even plan a little saving for something you really want. You can see why this kind of course appeals to me, right?? You can download templates, create new spreadsheets, and the best thing about budgeting skills aside from saving you money is that they are transferable. Learning basic Excel functions at home can only put you in good stead at work too. 
A LITTLE LINGO
Learning a language online can not only be useful but will also prove to be a lot of fun. I’ve tried a few online courses and it’s so much easier with the listen-and-learn technique than studying language textbooks was at school! Plus, when you study online, you have millions of native speakers out there to practice with and don’t even have to do anything formal if you don’t want to. Want to discuss your favourite TV show in Spanish? Find people to meet up with when seeing a band overseas? With different providers like Listen & Learn, Verbal Planet, or Mango Languages, the possibilities are endless!
ESSENTIAL DIY
Youtube isn’t there just for cat videos, though they can be fun as well. Almost everything you want to learn (and even everything you don’t!) can be taught in a Youtube tutorial. Changing a tyre? Check a how-to guide first. Got paint on your carpet while decorating? There is a video for you to help you remove it. Not sure what up-do you need for your next party? There is a vlogger out there with ideas and advice. If you’re not sure where to start have a look at my DIY channel Cassiefairy 😉
MAKE DO AND MEND
Yes I know we are a disposable society, used to replacing everything instead of attempting to fix it. But a short online sewing course will teach you more than just about darning socks and sewing on buttons; with the right materials you could be making your own clothes, creating patch-work blankets, and could turn yourself into a champion of crafting.
COOKING
Whether you are looking for new recipes to try for yourself or planning on entertaining, learning to cook online gives you an almost-impossible amount of choices. From favourite dishes to baking techniques, choosing the best appliances and gadgets or finding difficult-to-get ingredients, you can get and learn just about anything you want to for cooking without leaving the house!
In short, learning a new life skill online can not only kill some time for you on a dull day, but can provide a stepping stone to adulting that’s not so daunting while still being fun. Now, the question only remains: what are you going to learn today? Let me know if you’ve learnt anything online in the comments below and tell me how you got on with the course you took…
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One Response
Thank you so much for the awesome links, Cassie 🙂 Love them all 🙂