Best Free Online Classes to Take During the COVID-19 Pandemic (2024)

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Amid this pandemic, there's still hope that you can make good use of your time. In this article, we highlight some of the best courses you can take for free.

Due to the rapid spread of COVID-19 virus, most people have forced to stay indoors and practice social distancing, self-quarantine, as well as remote work. If you find that you’re faced with hours of boredom while not knowing what to do, we suggest expanding your knowledge by enrolling in some online classes.

Now is the best time to learn. To support those stuck at home, many universities and websites are offering free courses to visitors, giving you a chance to learn a new skill or practice a more healthy lifestyle while isolating.

We’re here with our top suggestions to help you make the best out of these trying times while staying safe in the comfort of your home. Don’t waste this opportunity to advance and better yourself as a person.

Fitness and lifestyle to stay in shape during the quarantine

Perhaps the most important thing to do while spending an extended amount of time indoors is to stay healthy. Many people fall into the habit of spending most of their days in bed or sitting in front of the computer, eating junk food and unhealthy meals.

However, did you know that staying healthy is one of the ways that can help you fight COVID-19?

Pro-tip: Being healthy is one of the best ways to increase your productivity. As well, it can help you fight the COVID-19 virus.

The classes below will certainly help you get rid of this mindset, helping both your body and soul to stay in top shape.

Do Yoga With Me

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DoYogaWithMe is an excellent website for everyone looking to improve their lives through yoga. The website’s mission is to unite people in a helpful, healthy community, pointing everyone in the right direction both physically and mentally.

Most of the content on this website is free, however, they’re offering a 2-month trial of premium features to help those in quarantine get access to a wide variety of yoga classes and challenges. With every course getting an assigned skill level, even beginners can pick up yoga, while those who’ve already been practicing it can find expert instructors without having to leave the house.

Jordan Yeoh Fitness

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For avid lovers of the gym, it might be a difficult time to get the workout you’re used to without the expensive equipment. Fear not, Jordan Yeoh Fitness is a free-to-access YouTube channel, where you can find extremely useful workout tips that can be done from home. Jordan has created a series of videos where he showcases workout tips without expensive gym equipment, allowing everyone to quickly pick up exercises.

If your New Year’s resolution was to shred some pounds or put on some more muscle, we definitely recommend checking Jordan out.

Quar Eye

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Are you looking to expand your cooking knowledge and make some delicious, healthy, and filling quarantine meals? Look no further than Antoni Porowski’s Quar Eye series, available for free on his IGTV. He shows viewers easy to make recipes, giving you the opportunity to have fun with cooking. The sporadic uploads ensure that you get more than one recipe to try each week with Antoni.

Learn how to code for free

Learning a new skill is not only a good way to pass time while in lockdown, but also a solid plan for the future when the quarantine is over. Use your time to learn how to work with code with the help of many readily available, free online courses.

Codeacademy

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Not sure where to begin with coding? We suggest trying out Codeacademy. Sign up for free and browse through a large variety of courses, all focusing on different parts of coding. The website provides great learning tools, allowing you to learn as you go, giving you instant feedback on your work, and providing real-world practice.

Get familiar with Computer Science

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Head over to edX to enroll in CS50x, Harvard University's introduction to computer science. The free, entry-level course aims to take a look into vital topics for programming and coding such as algorithms, data structures, security, software engineering, and web development. The course’s teacher, David J. Malan, focuses on coding languages such as C, Python, SQL, and JavaScript, with a side of CSS and HTML.

For a more structured approach, we definitely recommend this course to get more knowledge about computer science and programming. While the course itself is free, for a one-time fee of $90 USD you may purchase a Verified Certificate to show that you’ve completed training.

JavaScript drawing and animation

Coding isn’t all about websites and complex scripts. With the Intro to JS: Drawing & Animation course offered by Khan Academy, you can easily learn how to create drawings and animations using JavaScript. The course is entirely free of charge and goes in-depth about having fun with coding. This is a great exercise for anyone looking to learn something new and let creativity flow while keeping a distance from social interactions.

Free websites and apps to learn a language

Fulfill your plans of learning a foreign language with the help of these tools. Knowledge should never be locked behind a paywall, and every entry on this list recognizes that. Getting familiar with another language is a long-time project, but the quarantine is a perfect place to start at without running into problems such as lack of time or energy.

Duolingo

Duolingo is the go-to place for learning a language while having fun. Its addictive structure allows users to gain points and compete with each other on weekly leaderboards, advancing up ranks while learning new languages. The daily reminders won’t ever let you slack, and the fun interface is definitely an ease to use for both web and app users.

Babbel

Unlike most places for learning a new language, Babbel focuses on rather underrated aspects of getting familiar with a language. Learn how to speak, read and write in your target language for free, then upgrade to advanced courses if you wish to take your journey a step further.

Let creativity flow with fun and free courses

If you’re looking for skills that cater to a niche or simply want to browse through endless pages of content to choose from and pick an interesting topic, we got your back. The following websites are all collective places of free, user-generated courses and tutorials that help you learn anything from playing an instrument to becoming a video star.

Udemy

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At the time of writing, Udemy has almost 7000 free courses available for all registered users. All of these courses are made by users, ready for you to consume. Master new skills, learn more about the world and get help when it comes to your struggles.

Skillshare

While Skillshare is a premium website, they offer a 2-month trial which unlocks the entirety of the website, including every single course. Generally, Skillshare courses are professional and put together with consideration for each student. Many teachers give out assignments, allow you to communicate and share your progress with fellow users in the same course as you, and lets you become part of a community.

We hope that our article was able to get you interested in learning a new skill while staying safe from the ongoing COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak. We wish you good luck in your adventures — as Confucius said, “It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop.”

Best Free Online Classes to Take During the COVID-19 Pandemic (2024)

FAQs

Is Alison courses legit? ›

Is Alison's free online courses legit? Alison's free online courses are legit and provide a variety of educational content but the certificate may not be recognized by employers in all fields or industries. The free courses are often self-paced, and learners can access a limited amount of content and assessments.

Are free online courses worth it? ›

Free online classes can't replace a formal degree. However, these courses can help you build concrete skills and knowledge, establish a specialization within your field and stay up to date in fast-changing industries.

Are Google courses free? ›

Can you take Google Coursera courses for free? Yes. If you click on one of the individual courses and hit "Enroll for free" on the course page, you should see an option to "Audit this course." (Note: You will need to register for a free Coursera account to access this feature.)

Is there any online course for free? ›

Unlock the door to limitless learning with edX's free online courses—where education is free and accessible for all. Whether you're a seasoned professional looking to upskill or an eager lifelong learner, edX offers a diverse array of subjects to fulfill your educational endeavors without straining your budget.

Is Harvard really offering free online courses? ›

It doesn't get much better than that. We've checked out everything on offer and lined up a standout selection of free online courses from Harvard University. You can learn about Python, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and many more useful topics, without spending anything.

Do employers recognize Alison certificates? ›

Are Alison diplomas recognised? Specifically with regard to Alison: No certified college or university can or would accept an Alison course for credit towards a degree, and I am almost certain that an employer would view an “Alison Diploma” as a joke. ALISON IS NOT “ACCREDITED” BY ANY SCHOLASTIC AUTHORITY ANYWHERE.

Are Alison courses actually free? ›

All Alison courses are free to learn. However, Alison certificates are not free. The prices depend on course types: certificates, diplomas, or learning paths.

Are Alison certificates really free? ›

How much does Alison cost? All Alison courses are free of charge. However, Alison certificates are not free. The prices depend on course types and the form of a certificate that you choose.

What is one downside of taking online classes? ›

Online courses require the self-discipline to set aside chunks of time to complete your studies. It means you have to make online studying a priority and not let other activities interfere. Sometimes, it means making difficult choices.

Are Harvard online courses certificates worth it? ›

Are Harvard online certificates worth it? Yes. These online certificates from Harvard are totally worth it. Being a part of the Ivy League university, Harvard online courses follow the same quality of education even at the online platforms.

Do employers take Google certificates seriously? ›

Yes. Google Career Certificates are recognized by a large number of top employers, including industry leaders such as Google, Deloitte, KPMG, Loblaw, Mosaic, Shopify, and TELUS.

Is Coursera free? ›

However, Coursera still has many courses for which even the graded assignments are completely free. You must sign up (Join for Free) with Coursera before you can see the price. Your Class Central account is not the same as an account with Coursera.

How much does IT cost to take a Google course? ›

While taking the Google Cloud certification training courses on Coursera for 30 days is free, the exams carry fees ranging from $99 for the lowest level certificate (Cloud Digital Leader) to $200 for the Professional levels.

Is Coursera no longer free? ›

Is Coursera Still Free? Yes and no. A few courses on Coursera are paid only.

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