Online learning has grown significantly in the past few years, but what was once done out of necessity and safety is now being done more regularly due to its many benefits for learners. The World Economic Forum notes that quality online learning is essential for future-proofing skills and accessing opportunities for growth and development. Besides being convenient and accessible, the online world has no shortage of notes and resources from reputable sources that can aid learning. If you're someone who's leaving school, you don't need to worry about missing out on important knowledge or opportunities that can help hone your skills. Here’s why online learning notes and resources are vital for upskilling:
Compiling resources
When learning online, taking notes on topics that you might find relevant to your skill set is good. However, it’s easy to focus on and take note of areas you’re interested in, which can limit your depth of knowledge and impact growth. Instead of looking at a subject or field solely from your own perspective and understanding, you can tap into others’ insights and supplement these with your own to further broaden your know-how.
Note-sharing platform Studocu showcases how compiling study notes and resources helps enrich the learning experience. Users can access documents from thousands of institutions worldwide, taking a global approach to learning a subject. You can access an international network to help enhance your learning with peers on the same learning path, even if you're not attending school. Here, you can continue to exchange notes and insights, helping each other grow and succeed.
Diversifying content perspectives
Before the Internet, it wasn’t easy to access learning resources that tackled varying aspects of a particular field or area of expertise, especially those that have often been overlooked or minimised. Now, accessing diverse types of content is easier than ever, and looking at these resources can help bolster your learning and upskilling outside of a school setting.
Other than written documents, platforms like YouTube have long been a place to access video content, including for learning and building skills. The wide array of content by experts, everyday individuals, and reputable institutions can help make topics easier to digest and make sense of. The varying views and levels of knowledge can be informative no matter your experience level. Instructive videos, crash course learning content, and deep dives on lesser-known topics can boost your skills and expertise in your field of interest. Looking into different kinds of content can also help you learn which one suits your learning style best, making upskilling more efficient.
Learning from experts
If you're leaving school, you might be worried about being unable to learn from experts in various fields. Though you may not meet them in a classroom, the online world connects experts and educators to people outside learning institutions. Online courses grew in popularity during the pandemic, but they've remained great resources for school leavers who want to gain expert knowledge and skills without being in a learning institution.
Some platforms like Reed Courses and Alison offer free or low-cost courses where you can gain certificates, diplomas, or other recognised qualifications. You can also tap into various fields like animal care, beauty and fitness, coding, digital skills, radio and TV production, and many more. There's likely a free or low-cost online course suited to your area of interest. These courses are taught by experienced experts who are knowledgeable in the field, and their guidance can help you build unique or employable skills that can be attractive to employers even if you're no longer studying in school.
Online learning is ripe with resources and notes to help you grow and develop, but navigating without the right mindset can be challenging. Our post on how to “Create a Growth Mindset” highlights how crucial it is to be open to learning, ensuring that you find value in all sorts of information, even if they don’t seem relevant to your skills or knowledge. Addressing areas for improvement that you’ve been avoiding is also a great way to use online learning, as many resources can streamline the process. Upskilling is a process with many ups and downs, but using online learning material efficiently and effectively can help bolster your abilities and prepare you for the next step in your life. For more on jump-starting your career, visit Not Going To Uni to learn more.
