What comes to your mind when you think of online learning? A way to gain knowledge? A means to learn new skills? A pathway to the career of your dreams? These are just some benefits of online learning; I experienced plenty more!

Online learning led me to diverse fields and a brand new, I-never-thought-I’d-do-that career, but that’s just the tip of the iceberg. I’ve found friends all around the world, started a new hobby, and watched my self-confidence inflate.

In 2012, when I discovered online courses, I welcomed the opportunity to learn about subjects that I wasn’t able to study earlier. I had no idea that 13 years later I would be thriving in a new career, playing the ukulele, and having online conversations with people from the Americas, Europe, Asia, and Africa from my home in Australia.

From Constellations to Epidemics – What I’ve Learned

My first course was on Coursera. It was an astronomy course that was so difficult that I struggled with it for weeks. But, I realized that it wasn’t the same as working towards a university degree, and I wouldn’t lose anything by not completing all the coursework.

I had an interest in how living things survive and interact with each other and their environment. So after crashing and burning in the astronomy course, I managed to finish courses on nutrition, logical thinking, and biology. Other courses that have stuck in my memory are about genealogy, sharks, happiness, archaeology, history, music, and geology. Sadly, some of these are no longer available.

I learned how the climate, ecosystems, and our health are changing due to the relentless burning of fossil fuels.

In 2014, I took a course on epidemics, followed in 2018 by one about malaria. I was fascinated by malaria all my life because it spelled the end of my father’s involvement in World War II when he was repatriated from New Guinea to recover at home. Later, I also learned how mRNA vaccines work and how effective vaccines were produced quickly during the COVID-19 pandemic.

I also expanded my interests and opened up to modern times. I took courses on using AI, creating useful prompts, and streamlining processes. I found I didn’t have to limit the use of AI to my professional life, and used it to plan a vacation. As my knowledge of varied subjects increased, so did my self-confidence.

Embracing World-Class Universities and Platforms

While my first 15 courses were from Coursera, I particularly enjoyed my first courses on FutureLearn (Start Writing Fiction) and edX (Making Sense of Climate Science Denial). I welcomed the opportunity to learn from Harvard, MIT, Penn, Stanford, Caltech, The Open University, Johns Hopkins, and other universities from 18 countries around the world.

I’ve seen geological formations in Greenland, dinosaurs from Africa and Asia, and ancient Egyptian texts. While exploring a myriad of fields, I finished over 200 courses within 13 years.

Different course providers have different learning interfaces. It was interesting to see how the same course differed between Coursera, edX, and FutureLearn. What was more interesting was that I adapted to every platform.

I aced FutureLearn courses since they were easier to navigate and complete, whereas I was patient and breezy with Coursera since the curricula would be detailed, and I could leave and come back whenever I wanted. With edX, I pushed myself to match the rigor of every course.

Tip: If you want a challenging course, look at edX first, or if you want a more general course, try FutureLearn.

I also became observant. For example, I found that FutureLearn courses have better discussions these days, although sadly, many of the comments are just opinions without much engagement between learners.

The Start of a New Career

In 2014, I discovered Learning How to Learn and became an instant fan. The techniques I learned in that course have helped so much, particularly managing procrastination and letting the brain switch between the focused and diffuse modes of learning. I did the course over again and paid for a verified certificate, and in my quest to find more online courses, I signed up to Class Central the same day that I received my certificate.

Over the years, Class Central has nurtured the online learning community. Because I had taken so many courses (more than 50 when I joined Class Central in late 2015), I was invited to join a MOOC Club for online learning enthusiasts.

One day, Barbara Oakley, one of the instructors of Learning How to Learn, posted a request in the MOOC Club for serious MOOCers to help her with research for a new book and course highlighting how learning can enrich lives. I wrote to Barb and ended up with a small role in Mindshift.

I proofread the Mindshift book before publication, and we kept in touch. Since that initial contact, I have taken all of Barb’s online courses (the English versions), met her twice, and we climbed Brisbane’s Story Bridge together.

Meanwhile, I started a blog, trying to find a way to make a little money while pursuing my learning passion. It didn’t directly earn money, but the experience of setting it up and writing the posts helped me land a job with Class Central in early 2018, answering emails, expanding the Help Center, and writing articles.

Seven years later, I’m still here and still relishing the challenge. I’m delighted to work from home with flexible hours in a career I love.

Friendship, Community, and My Ukulele Group

Part of my role is to explore a range of interests and write Best Courses Guides (BCGs) in various subjects. As a lifelong guitar player, I found the best online guitar courses, then later wrote a guide to the best ukulele courses. Watching ukulele videos stimulated my interest, particularly when I discovered a local group. Every Thursday morning, I go to the uke group! I’ve made new friends and we learn more songs every week.

Although I meet my ukulele friends in a physical room, I have also made many online friends whom I am unlikely to meet face-to-face. But our passion for learning connected us anyway. Fred has taken over 400 MOOCs. Karen reads, takes MOOCs, and writes about her experiences. And I’m glad to share my journey with fellow global learners.

I’m Still Learning

My Class Central colleagues teach me, encourage me, and inspire me to keep learning. With my work answering learners’ questions and writing about online learning, I’m constantly finding new courses to take.

One of the most liberating aspects of taking free online courses is being able to drop a course without penalty if it’s too hard, too basic, or just doesn’t grab my interest. All I’ve lost is a bit of time. For instance, I took four of the five courses in Michigan State University’s Become a Journalist Specialization, which taught me research and writing techniques. I didn’t complete the capstone project because I was scared of interviewing sources. Having that Specialization certificate didn’t matter to me. The course had already offered me something valuable—my writing had improved.

It’s great having the freedom to do the courses I want, when I want. This year alone, I’ve learned about health, AI, communication, CSS, and critical thinking. And I love being able to binge courses or come back to a half-finished course after a break.

I’ve gone from geeking out over astronomy to strumming the ukulele, while making friends worldwide and landing a job I love. With a computer or phone, anyone can learn something totally new, plunge into a hobby, or just connect with other learners. It’s never been easier to keep learning and growing.