# I want to learn something new

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-to-learn-something-new/736446>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [November 2, 2015, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-to-learn-something-new/736446 "2015-11-02T18:19:51Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Sitnam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Sitnam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sitnam)\
**Post date:** [November 2, 2015, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-to-learn-something-new/736446/1 "2015-11-02T18:19:51Z")

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I work at a computer all day long and have lots of short snippets of free time between tasks. There is no pressure here to look busy. I usually just goof off surfing the web and when I think of the years I wasted which I could have spent mastering something new I feel ill.

So here’s the deal:  
-something accessible on the computer is preferred, but it doesn’t have to be, desk space here is limited though.  
-I have headphones  
-I have to be able to put it down often and pick it back up, I have anywhere between 5 to 25 minutes of available time between work stuff.  
-Free is better, but doesn’t have to be.  
-I’d like it to be useful

So far I have been doing a steady regiment of Spanish lessons at duoLingo, a [Typing Attack](http://www.typingtest.com/games/typing-attack/) game to brush up my touch typing skills and I’m getting started with YouTube tutorials to learn GIMP.

Any ideas?

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**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\
**Post date:** [November 2, 2015, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-to-learn-something-new/736446/2 "2015-11-02T19:59:54Z")

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There are several colleges that post courses online.

[Harvard University](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLv7Gzc3VTO6ggFlXY0sOyw)  
[MIT OpenCourseWare](https://www.youtube.com/user/MIT)  
[University of Oxford](https://www.youtube.com/user/oxford)  
[stanfordonline](https://www.youtube.com/user/stanfordonline)  
[UCBerkeley](https://www.youtube.com/user/UCBerkeley)  
[UCLA Courses](https://www.youtube.com/user/UCLACourses)  
[YaleCourses](https://www.youtube.com/user/YaleCourses)