Every one of us complains for not ever having enough time to do the things we must. Well, while the quarantines imposed from the outbreak of COVID-19 are obviously resentful, they may actually be giving you a very good time to invest in yourself. As doctors and politicians fight the pandemic, you can spend a very healthy and productive time back home. Here are ten skills you can learn during the quarantine for free.
-
Search Engine Optimization
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is a list of techniques that you can learn to make sure your website or blog always appears on the top search links of Google. It is obviously true that a lot of people are currently making their living by writing for the internet right? Well a further large group of people is making money ‘altering’ their writing. These people get paid for making sure that the content by those hard working writers is optimized. There are multiple youtube tutorials and podcasts like the ‘Search Engine Nerd’ which teach you exactly this optimization. You can utilize this quarantine by boosting your blogs or make money by helping others boost theirs.
-
Better Resume
Okay, half the people out there do not make good resumes. Apart from your personal presentation, the only thing that speaks volumes about you for an employer is your resume. Luckily, you don’t really have to create something totally unique and amazing. There are thousands of free and stunning templates that you can use and customize for yourself. Canva is a great resource that allows you such free templates and numerous other services. So, why wait at all, start making your resumes from now.
-
Podcasting
Who doesn’t have an interesting podcast idea kicking around in the back of their head? This is especially true now as there is so much you are probably thinking while sitting back home during the quarantine. If you have decided what format of podcast you will be doing, the next step is to obtain the equipment. And guess what, your phone is actually sufficient– for now. While most phones have default podcasting apps (flex iPhone users) there are numerous free apps you can find and download.
-
Culinary Skills
Guys, this quarantine is your chance to impress your girl by breaking gender stereotypes and being the better cook. One, you’ll prove not being a typical guy. Two, she will see you as a source of free food and EVERYONE loves free food. All you have to do is learn this from whoever is making food at your home or online. Learning new culinary skills expands your repertoire of meals you can cook which makes eating at home, which is kinda the necessity under the quarantine, more interesting and cheaper.
-
Photography Skills
We all have a special place in our heart for great good photographs. You may have a nice DSLR or your phone has a pretty good camera and there, you’re good to go. Now you just need…some skills to learn. Luckily, the internet has your back. YouTube (again) is an amazing resource in this department. The popular website FStoppers now has a YouTube channel. That alone, is a great resource to learn basic skills.
-
PhotoShop
Yes, photography is great to master but you can take your photos to a whole new level by just some basics of Photoshop. But that’s really not all to Photoshop, there is so much more you can draw and design there. All you need to do is download Adobe Photoshop and begin exploring your imagination. Our favorite, Youtube of course, has tonnes of tutorials on all the things you can do with Photoshop.
-
Ethical Hacking
It sounds like an oxymoron, we know. However, this is all about hacking systems so that the loopholes are covered by the system provider/owner. There is a complete ethical hacking bundle sold by BoingBoing. They have courses titled: “Learn Website Hacking and Penetration Testing From Scratch,” “From Zero to Hero in Web, Network, and WiFi Hacking,”. Remember, it’s for a good cause. Just please don’t get carried away and hack sensitive systems during the quarantine.
-
Learn a new language
This may seem like a lot of work. We agree. But, do not expect writing essays as equivalent to learning a language. While most of us are taught the English language since childhood, we are only expected to write proper essays after a considerable amount of time. All you need to do is learn the basics and be able to convey a point across. Henceforth, the next time you go to an Italian or Chinese restaurant (hopefully after the quarantine is over) impress your friends by having a small chat with the waiters in their native language. You can learn new languages from scratch by numerous online resources as well. But we personally recommend Duolingo as the simplest and easiest to follow.
-
Workout
With you eating so much staying home and not going out, there is a chance that your bodies are not receiving the workout they need. Our bodies are like fighter jets, they develop malfunctions if they aren’t functioning. With the ample time you have under these quarantines, improve your bodies and start working out. There are some really incredible apps that can help you follow a customized routine for the muscles you wanna develop. ‘8min Abs’ is an app that helps you with of course, developing your abs (EVERYONE digs those). You can even go for 4 minute work out plans like ‘Tabata’ which can also lead to significant changes in your body.
-
Keyboarding
This may sound funny but typing can be a great deal. It’s always cool to notice someone type while not looking at the keyboard, and apart from computer related students, most people actually don’t type that fast. And you would probably not start earning from impressing your employer by your typing speed in an interview. However, it will surely increase your productivity at work thereby make you a more valuable employee. That can and will lead to raises and promotions. There are multiple websites and games that help you learn and master typing. Speedtyping.com for instance, offers free lessons that get you through the basics.
Have fun at home and remember to stay sanitized.