It’s Saturday again. You're at home without any plans for the day as questions begin to arise. What is the weather like? What are your friends doing? Being in quarantine can become quite dry and overwhelming. If school is manageable for you, then you may find yourself with much more free time than usual. Even if you are not required to, it is always beneficial to use your free time wisely. Spending hours scrolling through social media, watching movies, or playing games may be entertaining, but aren’t extremely productive. With the spare time and motivation, you can utilize the several learning resources available to help you learn something new. As always, to remain cautious, before making an account at any of the following websites, please remember to ask for a parent or guardian’s permission. With that out of the way, let’s get started!
Firstly, there are endless resources online. Were you ever curious about learning about electronic circuit design? 3D modeling? Tinkercad teaches both. This website provides step-by-step lessons, and you are always free to create your own circuits or models while going at your own pace.
If you are more interested in coding, W3schools is a great place to start. Although the site places emphasis on web development, it carries tutorials for several different programming languages.
As you learn coding, you may find that you need an integrated development environment, or IDE, to execute your code in. These can also be found online, one example being repl.it. While you have the website open, you can share your code with a team to write code together during real time.
If you would like to challenge yourself, you can find free online courses to take. There are various websites that offer Massive Open Online Courses, or MOOCs. For instance, edX.org has a variety of subjects running from Architecture to Social Sciences. Many of them are oriented towards college students and professionals, but if you are younger and there is something that piques your interest, you are welcome to try something new!
Additionally, some universities publish courses online. For example, MIT OpenCourseWare offers courses with lectures, activities and materials so you can learn independently. If you are in high school, you can take courses at Modern States too. The CLEP exam courses are free, and after you complete them, you can request a voucher for the test and scheduling fees. If the college you attend gives credit for CLEP exams, then you can easily save a significant amount of money and potentially graduate earlier.
If possible, sign up for a library card at your local public library, school media center, or simply browse the online catalog. In addition to having books available for almost any subject you may be interested in, libraries also give access to relevant online databases. Some also offer classes to improve personal skills, so keep an eye on the calendar for any interesting events! If you would like to participate in contests or other competitions, they are often advertised on social media sites. It is always a good idea to ask your friends or teachers for any other resources that they find helpful.
This article is by no means a comprehensive list, so explore your interests to your heart’s content. As you go on with your day, please remember that an important component of learning is taking the initiative to pursue your own goals. Teachers will certainly help you get there, but in the end, your growth depends on your own effort, mindset and willingness to learn. Remember to take care of yourself and always do your best!
Websites:
Edited by: Khushi Kumari
Carmen is a high school junior. In her free time, she enjoys writing poetry and playing music. She hopes to go into the STEM field and go into engineering.
Comments