Things you can learn online that you never thought you could – words Al Woods

“Laptop Online Learning” (CC BY-SA 2.0) by bluefield_photos

The internet is a wonderful place where anything goes and, more importantly, where you can learn about pretty much everything under the sun.

Indeed, as much as the internet is a tool for connecting us to friends, family and anyone else around the world, it’s also a vehicle for knowledge and understanding – new things to learn in life. Of course, some of pieces of information are more useful than others, but the point is that all of it is there.

When all is said and done, technology’s greatest gift, at least with regards to the internet, is enlightenment in one form or another. Yes, some of the stuff you read online might be inaccurate. However, if you know where to look, you can find something that gives you a new skill or perspective on life. In this article, we’ll point you to three things you can learn online you never expected you could. What’s more, you don’t need to have any prior knowledge or, most importantly, you don’t need to leave your house to add another skill to your CV.

Cocktail Making

“Cocktails :)” (CC BY 2.0) by Shehan Obeysekera

If you fancy yourself as a bit of a Tom Cruise in Cocktail, then there’s a course online for you. If you scan the culinary section of CosmoLearning.org, you’ll come across the “mixology” section which contains a course by Cocktails U. Split into video segments, the multipart course will teach you the history of and how to make 50 of the world’s favourite cocktails. Everything from classics like the Cosmopolitan to the more exotic Bee’s Knees and Bijou is on this free course.

Once you’ve mastered the basics, you can find a host of more advanced courses such as Paul Martin’s where he teaches you the finer points of mixology and the things to avoid when making cocktails. Basically, if you love a tipple or you just want to show off in front of your friends, you can learn to make cocktails online.

Stock Trading

“Stock Market Mind Games” (CC BY 2.0) by Visual Artistics

OK, so you might not become the next Wolf of Wall Street, but you can learn the basics of trading online. Thanks to software such as MetaTrader, you can connect to the daily trading markets via designated online platforms. Then, by using something known as leverage, you can use a small amount of money to make real world trades worth thousands.

Put simply, online trading companies now give you access to various commodity and stock markets and allow you to invest for a fraction of what it would cost if you were inside a “professional trading environment”. What’s also great about platforms such as IG is that they’ll teach you the stock market process via a series of webinars, market insights and blogs. Essentially, if you’ve ever been interested in trading, you can now take baby steps into the industry through a combination of low stakes investments and virtual tutorials.

Survival with a Twist

“The Walking Dead Season 5 trailer screen” (CC BY 2.0) by Casey Florig

One of the more obscure but nonetheless intriguing online courses out there is The University of California at Irvine’s survival course. Using the post-apocalyptic world of The Walking Dead as its reference point, the eight-week course will teach you about various skills required to survive from a scientific perspective.

The course doesn’t contain tips on how to fire a shotgun at a zombie, but it will cover some of the fundamental principles of society, psychology and our own place in the world. For those that love to explore the human interaction on all levels, from physical to emotional, this course is great. Although it originally ran in 2013, the beauty of the internet means that nothing is lost forever. Indeed, a quick YouTube search for Society, Science, Survival: Lessons from AMC’s The Walking Dead will find you what you need.

So, there you have it. Although this is just a taste of the awesome skills to learn that expand your mind online, it’s obvious from our three picks that you can learn just about anything you want via the internet. As long as you’re ready and willing, technology is there to broaden your horizons in the most efficient way possible.

Things you can learn online that you never thought you could – words Al Woods