Free courses are Coursera courses offered without charge to anyone who enrolls. They cover a range of topics. Some help you learn prerequisites for other courses, such as calculus. Others cover material that is useful to everyday life and personal development, such as the science of well-being and cooking and nutrition for children. Still others cover topics of general interest, such as the history of indigenous Canada or global diplomacy.
The benefits of free courses include introductory courses that can help you succeed in other classes, skills that will be useful in your professional life, and enjoyment from learning new things. For example, a college student may want to take Introduction to Calculus online before taking it for a grade on campus, to improve the likelihood of passing a notoriously hard class. Courses on successful negotiation can be useful before taking on a major project like a house remodel. Taking a course in another language can help you improve the language skills you already have. The range of free classes gives you the opportunity to explore.
Career opportunities that can arise from learning through free courses are based on improving your skills or introducing you to an entirely new field. Courses in negotiation, writing for the sciences, and managing remote teams can help you improve your skills and perform better on the job. Courses that cover languages or other cultures can help you work better with colleagues in diverse and global workplaces. Free courses on machine learning, financial markets, and English common law can help you determine if you like the work of computer programming, financial analysis, or law. Free courses offer a great opportunity to increase your knowledge.
Before starting to learn from free courses, you need no special skills or experience. Free courses can give you the experience you need to take other courses, such as introductions to calculus or Excel. Because there is no cost, your only investment is your time and energy. Free courses are offered at beginner, intermediate, and advanced levels and cover a wide range of fields.