Learn & Upskill at Home
by Vibhuti Amin, Founder of Pink x Alumni
During times like these, amidst the chaos of COVID-19, as we indulge in extra hours of sleep and plates of home baked goods, it is also vital that we allow our minds to remain active. How better to do this than to dive into the vast world of online courses, competitions and activities on offer? No matter where your interests lie and what age group you belong to, I guarantee the internet has something in store for you. We’ve compiled a list to show you the best place to go for whatever learning you want to do.
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If you’re looking to browse a variety of courses and explore topics you’ve never had the opportunity to learn before, visit edX. Universities such as Harvard and Imperial College London are currently offering over 60 free courses on edX, ranging from basic programming to religious scriptures. Check these out for unique and interesting topics to learn about during circuit breaker! |
| Other websites, such as Coursera, TedEd, BrainPOP and Khan Academy allow you to explore subjects of your choice. Coursera and Khan Academy offer courses ranging from beginners to university levels, while educational websites such as TedEd and BrainPOP cater primarily to a younger age group. Geniebook is a local platform conducting online classes for English, Math and Science students from Primary 2 to Secondary 4. If you want a headstart to grade 8 math or university chemistry, thesesites are perfect for you.
Visit their websites here: Coursera, TedEd, BrainPOP, Geniebook, Khanacademy |
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Are you a science kid looking for activities and experiments to do at home? The James Dyson Foundation has created engineering and science challenges for you to do at home daily! The Naked Scientists platform also has experiments, podcasts, articles and quizzes for all age groups. If you’re a physics and astronomy geek, be sure to visit Cernland to learn more about the universe in an interactive and fun way.
Visit their websites here: TJDF, Naked Scientists, Cernland |
| If you’re looking to develop on your coding skills, visit Codecademy to explore 12 different programming languages. Coding lab offers a variety of courses and hackathons for all age groups! Once you learn your choice of coding, master your skills at Code Wars, an interactive challenge. Have a game in mind that you’ve been wanting to design? Use this circuit breaker to build your own android app on MIT’s App Inventor.
Visit their websites here: MIT App Inventor, Codewards, Code Academy, Coding:Lab The Lavender Spaceship Project is also conducting online coding, engineering and robotics courses exclusively for girls aged 5-14! Be sure to check them out. Visit their websites here: The Lavender Spaceship Project |
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Are you a STEM student who has a passion for video making and editing? Join the Junior Breakthrough Challenge to stand a chance to win prizes worth $400,000! Just make a video explaining a science or math topic. If you’re interested in Girls in Tech’s cause, visit Pink x Alumni where you can upload your own interviews with women in STEM! All ages are welcome.
Visit their websites here: Breakthrough JC, Pink Alumni |
| If you want to use this school holiday and circuit breaker period to learn a new language, visit Duolingo. Miss the outside world? Use National Geographic’s Online Classrooms to explore the fascinating natural world around us, straight from your bedroom.
Visit their websites here: Duolingo, National Geographic |
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Finally, if you’re planning to start university this fall and want to prepare for your college classes, attend UCL’s Prep for Uni Course or the Open Yale Courses. Yale’s website offers numerous courses that are taught during one’s first year of university. |
I hope this selection of courses allows you to find an activity to delve into for the rest of the circuit breaker and school holiday period. If there is a course you are keen to study but haven’t been able to find it, you can visit Class Central, which allows you to search most websites listed above within one search. Find a course or challenge and get started! There’s never a wrong time to learn. Stay safe, healthy, and never stop learning.
About the Author
Vibhuti Amin is a recent graduate of UWCSEA in Singapore. As a girl of STEM herself, she founded Pink x Alumni, a platform for women in STEM to interact with each other and explore areas of STEM through interviews and forums.
