In one of our last blog posts, we introduced some ways to ‘de-stress and re-motivate’ after exams. One of them were planning early for December break! And guess what: vacation is now just around the corner! After a couple of weeks of lectures, a mugging-filled reading week, and a few exams, we will all be rewarded with a four-week long break. So, what are your plans for the break? If you have yet to make any, why not build your skills by learning online?
Wait, wait… what? Learning?
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We might have just stunned you for a bit right there – more formal classes would be the last thing you’re hoping to do after the exams! But hang on… By ‘learning’ here, we meant something a tad different. Do you ever snoop around friends who’re taking other majors, hoping to explore a different subject, but didn’t have the time and energy to explore a formal module from the faculty?
Look no further, because with the plethora of Open Courses (MOOC – Massive Open Online Courses) and videos available online, you can pick up a skill without having to invest a lot of money (some courses are even free!). We’ve compiled a list of some popular platforms, where you can take courses over the break to equip yourself with fascinating new skills.
From universities around the world
While there certainly is already a wide variety of modules available at our own NUS faculties, taking courses from other prestigious schools all around the world can certainly help you gain a wider perspective. Visit Coursera and Edx for free online courses from top universities all around the world.
MIT OpenCourseware – a beloved, bookmarked website for Engineering and Computing students – is a virtual library, – even with recorded videos for some of the best lectures at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
Into coding, business & management, or design?
Basic coding, business & management, and design seem to be the top three most popular skills that people are interested in picking up these days, regardless of their major. While you may not have the time (or interest) to pursue an entire degree in these areas, you can always train yourself to have decent skills so that you can embark on a personal project, or even pursue a side career with them!
The break is a great time to get hands-on experience with softwares such as Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator!
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For aspiring coders, Free Code Camp provides a learning ‘map’ that you can follow to gain skills in frontend and backend web programming. It starts with basic HTML and CSS, and after a few months of training, you can even join a project to help NGOs with building a full site. While the winter break might not be long enough to master all the courses and become a full-fledged programmer, learning the basics might help you discover a new interest in coding. Sololearn is also a great platform to learn traditional programming language such as Java, C++, and Python.
If you yearn to do something more sophisticated to your photos than using Instagram filters, or if you want to become more business-savvy, Udemy is for you! Udemy provides a huge list of courses, ranging from design, business, and development to languages, photography, and even music! Unlike the previously mentioned platforms, not all courses are free (with course prices ranging from under S$100 to around S$200), but many of them are worth the hefty price tag if you can part with the money. Remember to check the ratings and comments before you commit!
Duolingo’s lessons are like games, where you can receive rewards.
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You are never too old to learn a new language – so why not add another language to your list of language proficiencies? Duolingo’s language ‘lessons’ are stress-free and fun (yet effective) that you may actually forget that you’re taking classes! When you are ready to start communicating in the new language, visit Lang-8. Lang-8 is a platform where you can write short, freestyle entries in a language that you are learning and native speakers of that language will proofread and give tips on your writing. Nothing like the locals to help you get it right! You can also help out with other learners who are studying your languages!
Youtube galore
We understand that the idea of ‘courses’ can be a bit intimidating. After all, you’d just come out of the exam battlefield, and could use a breather, especially during your vacation. In this case, Youtube videos are as great as the previously mentioned courses for picking up new skills. Skip to a music video anytime you feel stressed or bored! We’ve scoured the video community for some channels that you can browse.
Own an Apple mobile gadget, and wish your own app could run on it? Vea Software provides step-by-step tutorials on building an iOS app using Swift on XCode. You can also learn to configure a data management system on your app using Firebase by Google.
This could be you recreating Youtube! Why not challenge yourself?
Screenshot retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Xv1mJvwXok
If you need more guidance, Brian Voong’s channel, Let’s Build That App, has a handful of video playlists teaching you how to make a range of apps. The best part? You can recreate top websites such as Youtube itself just by following Brian’s tutorials.
How can we forget Ted-Ed and Crashcourse? These well-known channels impart valuable knowledge via fun, short videos. Crashcourse’s videos are geared towards traditional subjects, whereas Ted-Ed’s videos open up discussions regarding the most curious and interesting topics such as ‘What Causes Cavities?’.
PHLEARN has great tutorials for Adobe Photoshop. You never know when you are going to be tasked to design a swanky poster for an upcoming product launch or event at your future job… Better to start now than later!
They teach you how to remove literally anything from a photo!
Screenshot image retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ifhEx4adAa8
All that said, these are skills that are usually picked up while sitting on a chair (or lying down on a couch). What about skills that get your heart pounding and sweating out those calories? Cody has amazing lessons for those of you who enjoy being active. Browse their yoga, dance, and exercise tutorials for a healthier you!
Shawn Barry’s channel, Shawn Barry, Creative, has an interesting video list titled Design101 for Beginners. It will teach you the basic fundamentals in design in five short, interesting videos. The Futur features fun episodes where two witty guys discuss a variety of themes, such as Brand Identity and UI/UX design (Their opening sequence is so amazing it’ll probably entice you into jumping right into your own project! Or maybe that’s just us).
Now what?
After you’ve chosen your pet skill to learn for vacation, it’s useful to draw up a learning roadmap, just to keep track of how you’re doing. The most important thing to remember is to not stress yourself out – this is supposed to be for fun! Instead of a roadmap, another alternative is to give yourself a fun project to do: you could build your own blog from scratch, help out with a friend’s startup, or design a customised mug or t-shirt that you can give your friends as a creative gift!
Also, it is a good idea to have liked-minded people to share your learning experiences with. Picking up a new skill on your own can be overwhelming and demoralising. You can join a study group (on Meetup or Facebook groups), and help each other keep track of progress. For example, FreeCodeCamp has a Facebook group for Campers in Singapore where you can join meet ups every month to code together. If there aren’t many groups around for what you’re learning, starting a blog on WordPress or Blogspot to keep a log of what you learn everyday also works. For coders, opening up a Github repository can help you keep track of your practice codes and projects, and for designers and artists, Behance is the place to showcase your portfolio with fellow artsy peers.
With a bit of effort, we can learn anything!
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We hope these tips have made you look forward to the break even more. What would you like to try learning during this vacation? Leave your comments and share your skill-building tips below or on our Facebook page!
