- Guest Contributor
- April 19, 2021
If you’ve been doing gig work for a while, you may have considered taking an online course to improve your credentials.
Then you think back to your younger years and how bored and frustrated you felt with school. Your grades reflected your attitude, and you feel uncertain whether an online course would be different. However, completing a course you choose online is worlds apart from having to sit through classes that do not hold your interest.
An Online Course Can Refresh Your Ability to Learn and Think Critically
Keep in mind that your brain is a muscle that requires exercise just like any other muscle. It is all too easy to fall into work that does not challenge you but is steady and pays the bills. You complete the same tasks each day without needing to think much about them. While it does not happen overnight, you may find that you lack the ability to think critically after a while. You simply accept what you hear and read without investigating it any further.
Enrolling in an online course is a convenient way to exercise your brain and challenge your intellectual growth. This is true whether you use what you learned to further your career or are only interested in personal development.
You Can Choose from Several Types and Styles of Online Courses
Taking an online course gives you significantly more options than you would find at any college or even community education courses. Whatever your interests, you are sure to find an online course where you can learn more about it.
Some formats available to you included a self-paced course, videos, eBooks, and interactive discussions. There is no rule that says learning has to involve sitting still at a desk and listening to someone talk for hours every day. In fact, one of the best advantages about online learning is that it supports a variety of learning styles.
You Are in Charge of What You Want to Learn
“Why do we have to learn this if we are never going to use it?” is a common refrain among students from grade school to high school. When you take an online course, you never have to think that again. You are learning skills or more about a subject because you want to, not because you have to. Selecting a course based on your own interests and goals and then doing well in it can give you a great feeling of satisfaction.
Gig work is competitive, just like any other type of job. The more education you are willing to pursue, the greater opportunities you can expect to have.
About the Author: Lisa Kroulik has worked as a freelance content marketing writer for 10 years. She loves the work and the lifestyle it affords. Learn more about Lisa’s work and availability through Writer Access.
