There are nearly 1500 courses that you can take on Coursera, spread out among several academic disciplines. While the courses that you will want to take may differ from someone else’s interests (especially based on the subject areas you marked as your preferred ones when you signed up for Coursera), here are overviews of five of the best courses on Coursera. These are courses that are enrolled in frequently, or have had a lot of positive feedback from people who have taken them.
Top 5 best courses on Coursera
1. Learning How to Learn
University of California – San Diego
(www.coursera.org/learn/learning-how-to-learn)
This course not only covers mental tricks and strategies used by professionals in various fields to help them master difficult subject matter, but also explores the mental science and research behind these tricks. You’ll learn about how the brain processes information in at least two very different ways, debunk myths about learning, acquire memorization techniques, and develop strategies for dealing with procrastination. Whether you’re studying for tests, working on projects for your job, or even picking up a new hobby, this course will teach you how to stop struggling and wasting time, and start getting better at what you want to do.
2. Programming for Everybody: Getting Started with Python
University of Michigan
(www.coursera.org/learn/python)
This course uses the “Python” computer language to teach you the fundamentals of how to write computer programs. It sticks to using the simplest commands and concepts, such as variables (values in a program that can change), conditional statements (choices that cause the program to act differently depending on the responses that it gets), functions (mini-programs that can be used by other parts of the program), and loops (things that a program can do repeatedly). It doesn’t require any advanced knowledge of computers or math; as long as you have a basic idea of how computers work and how to use them, you should be fine. And, if you get good at programming, you can try the rest of the “Programming for Everybody” courses on Coursera to learn some advanced techniques!
3. Think Again IV: How to Avoid Fallacies
Duke University
(www.coursera.org/course/thinkagain)
If you’ve ever wanted to be better at discussing or debating a topic that you feel strongly about, then this is the course for you. You will learn how to analyze, deconstruct, and evaluate arguments that other people make. More importantly, though, you will learn how to make your own arguments stronger by mastering some simple rules and techniques for thinking about any subject, as well as identifying and avoiding common, easy-to-make reasoning mistakes. By differentiating between strong and weak arguments in these ways, you’ll have an easier time deciding what to think, say, and do. And if you like this course, you can complement it with courses in data analysis and persuasive writing.
4. Roman Architecture
Yale University
(www.coursera.org/course/romanarchitecture)
Great for travel and history buffs, this course provides an architectural survey of buildings and monuments from the time of the Roman Empire. It focuses on buildings and monuments from Rome, Pompeii, and Central Italy, but also examines Roman architectural influence in neighbouring countries in Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East. In this course, you will analyze the urban planning and decoration strategies of imperial Rome’s civil engineers. In doing so, you will discover and discuss not only how Roman architecture was influenced by Rome’s politics, society, and culture, but also how it in turn influenced the politics, societies, and cultures of Rome and the territories conquered by its empire.
MARCH 2018 UPDATE: This course is no longer available at this time.
5. Growth to Greatness: Smart Growth for Private Businesses – Part 1
University of Virginia
(www.coursera.org/learn/smart-growth-strategy-1)
Want to start your own business? This course will help you plan how you’re going to get it off the ground. In it, you’ll examine what’s fact and what’s fiction about growing your small business, and analyze entrepreneurial success stories. You’ll also learn about the “four Ps” (preparation, prioritization, pace, and processes) that are key to a successful start-up, and evaluate four basic strategies for making a business of any size bigger and better. Finally, you’ll put it all together by creating a growth plan for your own (hypothetical) small business. If you like part one of this course, then there’s a second part to the course that will help you plan and manage the human resources (i.e. employee) side of your small business.
MARCH 2018 UPDATE: This course is no longer available at this time.
Those are our top recommendations for courses on Coursera that you might like! Is there a course on Coursera that has a special place in your heart, and that you think our other users would like, too? Let us know in the comment section below, or on our social media feeds!
