Distance learning is opening up avenues of education for everyone, everywhere, with an increasingly large remit of courses being offered through many globally based universities. You can take virtual classes, in which a professor lectures a physical class and you’re linked in via video-cam, or you can simply take an e-course in which classes are streamed via web-based media.

Although ‘for credit’ courses to contribute toward a degree are also available, these can sometimes be a little more pricey – a  simple Chinese-language semester long class taken via Harvard’s distance-learning portal can set you back just over $1000. And if you’re taking classes through an organization you have never heard before - to get a certificate for courses taken – do research it before paying up.

But better still, there are free e-courses for anyone to take at just about any age.

These are an invaluable way to either continue one’s learning or to prepare for a university degree ahead. It’s a wonderful means to find out whether you enjoy a subject before signing on to it for the long-haul degree.

1.  Coursera: Currently offers 339 university courses from 62 countries – ranging from those offered by Princeton University in the U.S., to France’s École Polytechnique, and the National University of Singapore – to name a few.

2. Khan Academy: Offers kindergarten through 12^th standard level video-based interactive tutorials and courses for anyone wanting to learn or brush up on skills.
 

3.  MIT Open Courseware: Free university level lecture notes, exams, and videos from MIT.
 

4.  EdX: Governed by MIT and Harvard University, offers a series of courses from globally based institutions.
 

5.  Udacity: Mainly offers university level courses in software engineering, programming, and design – from beginner to advanced levels.