Key Takeaways
- Auditing online classes allows free access to course materials without the financial commitment of a degree or certificate.
- Coursera offers easy access to audit classes, providing lectures and readings on a huge variety of subjects.
- Consider paid options for certifications and official credentials from well-known companies and universities.
- Free options are also available on platforms like edX and YouTube.
Going back to school can be an expensive endeavor. If you are eager to learn but don’t have the cash for a degree, there are ways you can jump into online learning for free—by auditing classes!
What is Auditing a Class?
It sounds serious, but auditing a class is an easy option for people to try out an online class for free without any commitment. It’s very similar to the way students can attend a sample class at their university at the start of a semester. Auditing a class online gives you full access to all the course materials, including lectures and readings.
It’s important to note that one thing you don’t get when you audit a class is a grade, certificate, or any credit for taking the class. However, I think it’s better to learn a skill without a certificate than to not learn at all. If you are working towards your dream career and want to elevate your skills without putting in a major commitment to a degree, this is a great way to get started.
My Top Pick for Auditing a Class Online
I’ve been learning online at Coursera.org for over five years. I love it because the classes are broken down into 4-6 weeks of lessons, and they can be accessed through a desktop computer or their mobile app. During the pandemic, it was a way to try out new things and add to my current skill set. I studied everything from songwriting to learning Search Engine Optimization (SEO). Coursera makes it easy to audit individual classes, just by clicking a button.
Sometimes the audit button will be less obvious, but if you’re looking for it, you will find it!
On Coursera, if you audit a class, you can access all the lectures, readings, notes, and discussion boards that are normally included. What you won’t be able to do is submit assignments, take quizzes, or get a certificate of completion at the end of the course. But if you put in the time to listen to the lectures and do the readings, you’ll still be learning the skills, so I think it’s still a beneficial alternative.
The Perks You Get When You Pay for Online Classes
On the other hand, if you are auditing a course and decide you want to pay the fee to fully enroll (or sign up for a subscription), this will unlock more features.
In most cases, you can earn a certificate of completion, and some specialties can even provide official certification from big companies like Google, Meta, and more. If bulking up your resume is your goal, you will want to consider the paid version of these classes, because then you can officially add the coursework to your resume and LinkedIn profile. To earn a full Bachelor’s or Master’s degree, you will have to expect to pay a bit more, but many schools offer a variety of online options to help you towards your career goals.
Some Totally Free Places to Learn
There are lots of options for free online learning. If you’d prefer to join a class in a more well-known school, some major universities offer introductory courses and free trials through the edX.org platform. Similar to Coursera, edX offers free auditing and paid subscriptions for online classes from schools like Stanford University, Harvard University, and more.
Another option is to do some leg-work and research topics that you’re interested in on YouTube. While you might not find organized coursework as easily as you would in a structured class from Coursera or edX, there are thousands of creators uploading explainers and how-to videos. You might have to do more work to find videos with credible information, but it’s definitely a free way to learn more about new topics! You can also look for specific learning apps (such as Duolingo for learning a new language) on your favorite App Store if you already know exactly what it is you’re looking to learn more about.
There are a lot of ways to learn online for free, or with significantly lower prices than a traditional college experience. No matter what you’re interested in learning, don’t let financial barriers slow you down.
