We understand why someone might be interested in online training programs in general and free online programming courses in particular. It makes perfect sense to try to max out your skills and qualifications in the most convenient way possible, especially in today’s market where the competition makes everyone need to improve their resumes as much as the can, but the daily responsibilities make it hard to attend a traditional programs. This seems to be precisely the reason for which online courses were created: to enable virtually everyone with an interest for it to catch up with their education or change their career path while also not requiring their actual physical presence.
Contrary to what some traditional education promoters might say, this is a good thing and it holds a desirable amount of flexibility not because it makes for lower standards, but actually because it enables obtaining education on the same standards, but on more reasonable terms and less of a toll on one’s other engagements. This is especially important to those of us who have a particularly busy life; either because we’re trying to catch up on missed education while also dealing with other adult responsibilities, or because we’re enrolled in an already demanding form of education. Since you’re looking for free online programming courses, chances are that the college you’re enrolled in, if the case, is something IT related, and everyone knows how difficult such a specialization can be. Whatever your particular case is, an online training program can indeed be the answer to many potential problems and help you reach your educational and career goals faster, but only if you pursue it safely and take some necessary precautions first.
Concerning free online programming courses, it should be noted that the offer for these is particularly high – you can find such programs basically everywhere, from the brochures of every community college to almost any learning platform on the internet. That can be both beneficial to the field, since there are plenty of options to choose from and the competition makes the offers better, at least in theory, and detrimental because if the niche is popular enough, that also makes room for scams. In order to make sure your experience with these courses will be good and you’ll obtain everything you need from the online training program you’ll choose, you need to take some precautions first.
1. Do you really need the courses to be free?
Of course that given the choice, almost anyone would rather enroll in a free course rather than paying for one, no doubt, especially if the quality is the same. The problem is that the quality isn’t always the same and, in most cases, free courses need to be regarded skeptically before you can be sure it’s really the same deal with no hidden catch. Some of the invisible strings that
may come with a free online course is either a camouflaged fee, a poor quality of the course content, or, the most serious threat, you could risk discovering that the course isn’t actually properly accredited after you’ve already wasted time on it. These problems can be avoided if you make sure to thoroughly check the background of any online training program you may be considering.
2. Double check the legitimacy and accreditation of the course
For the most serious issue, the only way to make sure it’s all in good order is by making a few phone calls to your state’s education authority, in case you have doubts. Unless the free online programming courses you’re interested in are offered by a reputable university, this is the path we recommend. If you don’t want to call the authorities, you could just inquire at your own
college or desired work place if the certificate you’ll be obtaining is accepted by them or not.
3. Think about the goal you have
There are a variety of reasons for which someone may be interested in attending some free online programming courses, so your situation may be quite different from others’. But whatever your goal is, make sure you keep it in mind before deciding what program you want to enroll in, so you can choose accordingly. If you’re mostly in it for the credits, check that your university will recognize and accept the. If you’re in for a certificate, make sure it’s a legitimate one, etcetera.
4. Once you start, don’t be tempted to slack.
The chief danger after you enroll in an online program is the tendency to procrastinate work as much as you can, since there isn’t as much pressure to keep up, compared to a traditional course setting. Don’t fall into the procrastinating spiral because then you risk the lessons becoming difficult enough to be hard to comprehend, and you may find yourself needing to pick it up all over again. Yes, online training is less demanding in terms of the hassle, but just as demanding intellectually as a traditional course. Maintain your motivation levels balanced and everything should be alright.
Leave a Reply