Online & Summer Courses
In an increasingly globalised world where experiences are just a click away, there is a need to improve knowledge and skills at all times. Constant improvement increases our success in the job market, but also personal satisfaction. For these reasons, taking part in summer courses during vacancies is a great option to acquire some essential tools and to come in contact with different realities. In case of impossibility to travel or spends some weeks abroad, online courses tackle this challenges and have similar benefits.
Summer Courses
The Summer Courses last between 1 and 10 weeks and offer the possibility of combining studies with vacations, since part of the time is spent in the classroom and the other part is allocated to discover the city and be in contact with the other students.
These opportunities are available to everyone and are beneficial in multiple senses. For undergraduate students, these summer courses allow them to better explore some subjects, discover a new interest and maybe even choose a field for the Master’s degree. Master’s and PhD students have the possibility to deepen knowledge in certain topics for their thesis. For people who are already working, summer courses are also an attractive option, since it allows to learn more about a certain field, improve professional performance and career prospects.
Regarding location, these courses are spread all over the world, but especially in Europe and there are options ranging from free to paid courses. Some useful websites where you can start your search are Summer Schools in Europe, AEGEE or directly on the universities’ websites.
Considering that these have several costs associated such as travel, accommodation and food, we suggest combining two programmes – for example, doing the summer course during an Erasmus+ internship or during a volunteer project. Usually is possible to negotiate working hours and find some free time to take a course.
Online Courses
Online courses are the best option for those who do not have much time to travel abroad, but still want to acquire new knowledge and improve skills. Platforms like Coursea, Edx and Udemy offer a wide variety of courses from prestigious universities around the world. Some courses are fully free and you will only need to pay to receive a diploma, if needed, while others have a fee.
Online courses are very beneficial and reduce the costs associated with summer courses, while allowing a greater flexibility to study anywhere and at any time of the day. However they require some discipline, since it is not always easy to have the motivation to study. Even though this lack of motivation might be a negative aspect of online courses, it is also an opportunity to develop a sense of responsibility and learn techniques to maintain the motivation. Overall you should choose a course that you are interested in, since it makes it much easier!