As COVID-19 continues its rampant spread, society must change along with it. Many states’ stay at home orders has a high chance of being extended into the summer months. Teenagers are finding their summer plans canceled, internships taken virtual and an overall void schedule. For most teenagers, they are experiencing a completely unscheduled two months for the first time. They have limitless time on their hands and thousands of resources available. The question remains: what should one do with the immense free time they are now granted?
The answer to this question is continued learning. Accredited and esteemed universities are offering their irreproachable courses online, free to anyone of any age. One has the ability to take hundreds of other courses from Ivy League Universities, including the “Science of Well-Being” class from Yale University. Now is the opportunity to use one’s time for further education. The standard high school curriculum omits many topics; topics that one can enhance their understanding of through these online courses. By engaging in high-level education over the summer, one can stimulate their brain through these uncertain times.
These courses are self-paced, meaning one can complete on their own time and schedule. It is a low-pressure environment where the only thing gained is knowledge, not just a grade. In fact, very few of these courses have corresponding grades or college credit. The true gift in them is a specific and centralized course on a topic of interest. So, for those who are yearning to exercise your brain and enhance your education, a list of the platforms supplying these courses are linked below:
- edX
- Coursera
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- Carnegie Mellon University
- Stanford University
- Harvard University
- Open Education Database
- Class Central
Carly Brail is a sophomore at the High School of American Studies in New York. She is a Staff Writer for Fresh Ink for Teens.
