Free College Courses Online!

Many universities offer discounted or even free courses for seniors who want to audit them but that only applies if you, A) live near the school, B) can always attend at the school’s schedule, and  C) are healthy enough to walk across a large campus to get to the classes.

You also see the for-fee online colleges such as the U. or Phoenix, but what if you are just interested in learning something and not in getting a college degree?

Well you’re in luck because a few years a consortium of top U.S;. Universities and other schools including Harvard, MIT, Boston U. Berkeley, and the U. of Texas began offering real interactive online courses either for free with no credit or as certificate courses for a small fee.

Although these courses aren't specifically for seniors, they certainly fit into the lifestyle of many seniors.

Currently EdX.org offers nearly 400 courses complete with audio-video lectures, lecture notes, access to grad students, group discussions with fellow students, and even tests.

Course subject areas range from architecture, art and culture, chemistry, economics, business management, computer science (including the justly famous Harvard introduction to computer science), and more.

I’ve taken a number of these either to learn about new subjects or learn about new teaching methods for subjects I am already familiar with such as computer science, chemistry, and quantum mechanics.

Some upcoming courses which caught my eye include:

How to become an Entrepreneur

English Grammar

The History of China

Mandarin

Spanish

Astrophysics

Dog Behavior and Cognition (NOTE, some of the dog courses are expensive)

And much more.

Some courses are archived and can be taken any time.

Others are live and you must view the lectures and keep up with the class discussions within a few weeks.

Some are quite advanced and you need some advanced math to follow while others can be taken by virtually anyone with a high school level education.

And speaking of high school, the courses do NOT require you to submit any proof of graduation or any qualifications other than an interest in learning and there is no fee unless you need credit to add to your resume.

So, break out those number 2 pencils (or just break them) and go to EdX.org to expand your mind.