Education Beyond the Classroom

As Penumbra is located on a college campus, the majority of those who work and collaborate here are undergraduate and graduate students. Consequently, many of us are strapped financially. While it can be difficult to build your professional and personal skills on a budget, there are a number of fantastic online resources that students can use to their advantage. One such resource is the Harvard catalog of online courses, which provide quality classes for little to no cost at all. 

These classes are offered on a range of topics, including Art and Design, the Humanities, and even some STEM courses, such as Computer or Data Science. Scrolling through the catalog, I was shocked by the depth and caliber of the content that these classes cover. For example, Harvard offers several introductory courses for learning to program with popular systems such as Python, Javascript, and Scratch. This resource offers valuable information that can be utilized in real-world settings for the low, low price of Free Ninety-Nine.

I personally have enrolled in Professor Karen L. King’s Introduction to Christianity Through its Scriptures course, which focuses on studying the growth and study of the Christian religion. Through a combination of videos, readings, and online discussion posts, I felt very comfortable navigating edX, the online learning service that I follow the course through. It felt very similar to using Canvas, as the class syllabus and all its resources are very clearly displayed next to the course modules. This specific course is only a month long and requires a mere 3-6 hours a week. While some of these courses may require a bit more interaction than others, they are bite-sized chunks of information that can easily accommodate a student’s typical workload. 

Though the majority of the classes Harvard listed are free to use, there are some additional payment options a user is free to make if they choose to. For example, some of their Health and Wellness courses such as Cognitive Fitness or Starting to Exercise are offered for $30. These classes are condensed into 2 weeks and are geared more towards personal development. However, they are still wildly affordable considering the quality of education that is being offered. Additionally, if a user wants to receive a verified certification for their course, Harvard offers those certificates for $149. While the certifications are a bit pricey, they’re a great option for those who want to improve their professional resumes and build skills for their prospective career. 

As the fall semester kicks off for new and returning students, I urge each reader from every walk of life to explore Harvard’s online courses. Though it is difficult to become competitive in each of our prospective fields, we owe it to ourselves to give it the best shot possible. One of, if not the best way to do so, is through education. If anything, I urge our readers to take this as a great opportunity to see if something new piques their interest. We are never too old to stop learning.