The 4 Best Ways to Continually Learn Online
Increase your knowledge daily from the comfort of your home
As soon as you put on your cap and gown after graduating college, you’re in a battle to keep learning. The new world you step into is full of distractions and pressures that keep you from educating yourself.
Everyone knows they should read every day and take time to continually improve their knowledge. Most people just can’t find the time to sit down and read a book.
There are two options a this point:
- Quit learning.
- Find easy ways to learn.
Most people select option one, and it stagnates their careers. They never change or grow because they aren’t getting additional knowledge.
A small amount of people select option two and actually look to improve themselves. You can and should be one of these continuous learners.
I’ve done the early work for you and found four easy ways to learn every day. They’re all online, and they only take a few minutes each. However, the mental benefits are immense, so take the opportunity.
Duolingo
Learning a second language is incredibly beneficial if you travel. You can talk to the locals, get around by yourself, and generally just enjoy yourself more.
That’s not the only benefit though — learning a language actually makes you smarter. One study found that students who studied a language for only a short time each day performed better on cognitive skill tests.
Duolingo is the best way to learn a language for a few reasons.
- Ease: You can simply log into the app, click a lesson, and learn. The format is easy to understand and the lessons aren’t difficult. They just teach you a little bit at a time so you can constantly grow your vocabulary.
- Speed: In only a few minutes a day you can get your daily Duolingo done. It’s not hard to do something for 5 minutes or less.
- Effectiveness: Duolingo might not make you fluent, but it can definitely teach you words you need to know and give you a great introduction to a language.
The game-like format of Duolingo makes it seems less like a lesson and more like entertainment. Your short daily session will be done in a moment and you’ll have quickly increased your thinking ability.
As I said above, Duolingo surely won’t make you fluent at Spanish or Chinese, but it will give you exposure to a language, teaching you vocabulary and basic communication.
edX
What if I told you there was a way to learn from Harvard and MIT within the comforts of your own home? What if you could even get a certificate showing your learnings from those fine institutions?
33 million people are doing that exact same thing right now, learning online and truly changing their life.
The reason edX is such an incredible program is that it allows anyone to learn about any topic they choose. It empowers people to constantly learn, even if they’re working 55 hours a week and have 5 kids.
They’re not forced to go to boring classes that waste their time. They can learn when it’s convenient for them and they can learn about subjects they care about.
edX (and programs like it) is the secret weapon in learning on your own because it gives you high level learning for a low price. It’s the hardest option on this list, but it can definitely be the most effective.
Programs like edX are exactly what we need in this country because they empower everyone to learn. People without anything can go to the library and learn online — that’s the magic of online programs.
Politico
Keeping up on the news has tons of benefits that can help you in any part of your life.
It will make you more aware of the world — you’ll understand other countries and the international relations they have.
It will help you be more aware of the political climate here in America. You will be able to intelligently discus current events and be a more educated voter.
Reading Politico will also make you better at rational reasoning and thinking through problems. When you read about an important issue, your mind subconsciously analyzes the problem and decides a stance on it. The more you read and study, the better you will get at finding solutions.
Overall, studying the political landscape can improve your life in a few concrete ways, but you will begin to enjoy it as you learn about current events ever day.
Wikipedia
Every person has gone down a Wikipedia rabbit-hole once in their life. Usually that is considered a bad thing — a terrible waste of time.
Most of the time, though, Wikipedia can provide useful knowledge in an easily accessible way. You can learn about any topic you choose simply by clicking on the link.
The best habit with Wikipedia is to read one article each day on a topic you care about. It’s like Warren Buffett says:
“Read 500 pages like this every week. That’s how knowledge builds up, like compound interest.”
Reading 500 pages a day like Warren Buffett may be a little above your pay grade, but studying one Wikipedia article is not. You can learn about any topic you choose, and it’s only a few clicks away.
Takeaways
Learning is an everyday process not a graduation ceremony or a test. You can build your own program for learning every day, whether it be with the tips above or your own findings.
The key is continual growth and improvement. When you learn every day, you can do what Warren Buffett says: compound your knowledge until it grows exponentially.
Find something you can consistently do that is fun and effective. If it’s fun you’ll enjoy doing it and if it’s effective it will cause real change in your life.
