11 FREE Resources for Acquiring New Skills

WAIT, YOU CAN TAKE CLASSES FROM MIT…FOR FREE?

It’s easy to think the point of “learning” is to get somewhere or something –– a degree, a promotion, the opportunity to switch up your line of work, better pay. After all, wouldn’t time spent “learning” something with no obvious monetary benefits be better spent actually working?

It depends what you want for your future. Personally I don’t think that’s a wise mindset. See, constant learning is key to keeping yourself on your toes –– it helps you stay sharp & productive, which has benefits to both your personal and professional life. You might think some skills (for example, learning a language) may only have benefits to your personal life –– but those benefits could translate to your professional life as well. We live in an age where there are limitless possibilities for work. There’s never been a better time to soak up as much knowledge as you can. 

One of the foundations of the company culture at Quest is that human potential is nearly limitless. If you’re willing to set clear goals and put in the work to achieve those goals, you can transform your life into whatever you want it to be. So in the interest of this month’s theme on The Bloq, we’ve compiled a list of incredible resources available to help you make those goals a reality. Maybe your passion isn’t listed here, but don’t let that deter you from doing the research and finding out what opportunities are out there to help you acquire the skills you need to make your work/life dreams come true.

Codecademy

Simply put, coding is the language of the future. If you’re willing to invest a couple months learning, you can unlock an entire world of opportunities to create whatever you dream up on the digital landscape. Codecademy has taught a variety of languages to over 25 million people across the globe. VC investor Marc Andreessen once said “Software is eating the world.” –– so it’s probably a good time to take a bite out of that software meal. 

via blog.myeatclub.com

MyFitnessPal

With ~80 million users in 2015 MyFitnessPal was an obvious acquisition for Under Armour. The app is easily one of the most used by people who care about their health, including many on the IIFYM diet (including some of our own here at Quest.) It’s a companion that helps you track your caloric & nutrient intake to ensure you’re crushing your nutrition goals. Since you can go back and view your eating habits it can help you turn what was once an arduous routine into a healthy habit. And it’s free.

Inside Quest

Inside Quest takes you inside the minds of the most effective thinkers in the world. The IQ community is one of the most engaged communities, with stories of people commenting, uplifting and encouraging one another to power through the obstacles in their way. With guests like Tony Robbins, Tim Ferriss, Peter Diamandis, Jason Silva and Carol Dweck, it’s basically like the coolest version of The Great Courses with extra flair. Did we mention it happens to be hosted by Quest President, Tom Bilyeu?

via mitopencourseware.wordpress.com

MIT OpenCourseware

Consistently ranked amongst the best universities in the world, MIT offers a number of its subjects for free on the Internet. OpenCourseware unsurprisingly receives upwards of 2 million visit each month –– with over half coming from outside North America and 43% from self-learners.

Skillshare

If it’s new skills you’re after, a place like Skillshare seems like an obvious choice. The company is famous for its emphasis on teaching real-world skills. Live in a city & you’re interested in photography? Take a class in Cityscape Photography. Need to create a logo for a business you’re about to set up? Take one of many classes in Logo Design. The possibilities are endless.

via fastcompany.com

Duolingo

150 million people are learning a new language on Duolingo. 150 million! And with good reason, too –– research has suggested that being bilingual is like exercise for your brain. In a world that’s becoming increasingly globalized thanks to technology, knowing a second (or third) language could be more useful than you think.

via thalamus.co

Investopedia

You know when you’re at a party,
and people are talking about the stock market,
and you nod along like you know what they’re talking about,
but really you have no idea what they’re talking about,
because the stock market & all those numbers & arrows are very daunting?

Investopedia could be your one-way ticket out of confusion town. Consider looking at their free Stocks Basics Tutorial.

Khan Academy

Khan Academy started with a really simple aim –– Sal Khan who lived in Boston wanted to tutor his cousins in New Orleans. Since the technology for teleportation still doesn’t exist, Khan’s solution was to upload videos to YouTube. His cousins found the videos more useful than being taught in-person –– and with that insight, Khan built a company that educates millions around the world in an array of skills and disciplines.

via coursetalk.com

Coursera

Let us spell this out for you –– 1,500 free courses to pick from, partnerships with 140+ educational institutions from across the world, countless video lectures, and official certificates from accredited universities to prove your worth to potential employers and collaborators. So if you want to broaden your education on a budget and cherry pick your skills for the future, you’d greatly benefit from Coursera.

via spreeder.com

Spreeder

If the idea of reading sounds unappealing because of the time it takes for you to get through a book ––  Spreeder is for you. It’s an online resource that helps you improve your reading speed & comprehension. Users and the site claim to help you read anywhere between 2x to 4x your current reading speed. You can use all that extra time to acquire even more skills, taking you one step closer to being a modern day Plato.

via drawspace.com

Drawspace

Learning to draw might be an offbeat skill to have, but you’d be surprised at what it can do for you. Ever needed to sketch out what you want your website to look like for your designer? Or perhaps you’re entrepreneurial enough to find a solution to a problem with a product that doesn’t exist in the market yet? You’ll never know when being good with your hands will come in handy. Plus, drawing and the arts can broaden your worldview.

Did we miss any? What tools do you use to acquire new skills. There are hundreds of resources out there, so we want to know what works for you! Let us know in the comments below!