Need a New Hobby? Maximize Your Free Time With These Online Classes

Not too late to learn new things

Another year in a pandemic means we’re still getting creative with how we spend our free time. But we’ve likely grown tired of that tried-and-tested hobby or maybe we’ve almost watched (and re-watched) Netflix’s entire catalog that nothing seems interesting anymore. Maybe it’s time to take this as a sign to try something else that’s equally fun and productive, such as taking online classes for a new hobby.

The beauty of taking new hobbies online is that we can expand our horizons from the safety of our own homes. There’s a vast selection of options available depending on your interests, free time and budget. If you’re feeling lost on what to try, we offer you online courses in the Philippines for your consideration.

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Learn new recipes

Upgrade your home meals and discover new recipes you can whip up yourself with culinary online courses. Himpossible Recipes was created by Chef Him Uy de Baron and his family. He offers weekly culinary lessons which cover multiple cuisines fit for all tastes and cravings. Each class is inclusive of a live session via Zoom and a kit of ingredients delivered straight to your doorstep. All you need to do is to DM them via Instagram to enroll in a class. To view the schedules and prices of each session, just go to their story highlights.

Enderun also offers short courses through their Online Culinary eXperience program. Learn from the best as the short courses are taught by Culinary and Pastry chefs from The École Ducasse Manila. Each class has packages and prices that vary, depending on the level of access you plan to avail yourself. You can opt to take the video access-only package at Php1,000. You can also go for the whole Online Culinary eXperience with video access, a live session with a chef, an ingredients kit and a certificate. Prices are Php3,800 for pastry classes and Php5,800 for culinary classes.

Learn a new language

We’re no strangers to falling down the rabbit hole of a new interest. Over quarantine, the popularity of K-drama, K-pop, Japanese anime and manga grew as more people turned to these during their spare time. The best part of enjoying these is discovering a newfound appreciation for their cultures. Level it up by learning a new language. For the K-culture fans, Kmmunity PH released an instructional video series called K-Talk for your basic hangul learning. But if you want to level up your skills, here are four places you can bookmark for hangul lessons.

For those planning to learn Japanese, there are a lot of options for online courses in the Philippines to learn the language. Ateneo de Manila University’s Nihongo For Everyone program is PHP 4,200 per cycle which covers 30 hours of synchronous and asynchronous learning. Meanwhile, the Nihongo Center Foundation Inc., together with The Philippine Institute of Japanese Language and Culture, is also offering Nihongo classes from July onwards. The tuition fee is Php11,500, for 66 hours of reading, writing and speaking lessons.

Learn more about design

Anyone can be creative, but being well-versed in expressing it visually takes skill and practice. For the frustrated graphic designers or creative minds that want a little guidance on what works and what doesn’t work, you can turn to Canva’s Design School. The design platform offers free online courses for those who want to understand the basics of design and branding. Courses in social media mastery and impressive presentations are available, too.

Canva also holds free online events and webinars for specialized aspects of design and marketing, such as designing for accessibility and nailing the perfect pitch. So whether you’re planning to learn from scratch or looking to master skills bit by bit, Canva’s features are free to help grow your eye for design.

Learn more career-upgrading skills

If you plan to develop your career, Google offers a course on Data Analytics to equip you with the skills to clean up, analyze and understand data. Having a better grasp on data can help you pinpoint what works, what doesn’t and what else you need to improve so you can continue growing your business every day. Take an additional course about Data Analysis to further improve the way you read your results.

Google also offers other online courses, such as Project Management and User Experience Design. Expanding your knowledge about your industry and the tools that break it down is one way to stay on top of your game. While it’s not a requirement, an additional certification or two might help you reach more career milestones. Who knows, what is a quarantine hobby might help you land your dream job or a promotion that’s a long time coming.

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Now’s the perfect time to seize the opportunity to try a new hobby or increase your skills. Whether it’s for your passion project or additional work skills, it wouldn’t hurt to learn something new. There are a lot of opportunities waiting for you after a new hobby, including a new business.