Nelson Mandela once said that education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world. Unlike earlier times when getting an education or learning a new skill was expensive and restricted to institutions, today the internet has made it possible to access fantastic learning resources for little or nothing.
Udemy one of the world’s leading online learning marketplaces has over 25000 courses on a wide range of subjects from health and fitness to music, pet care and training. The courses are taught by over 14000 expert instructors at prices anyone can afford. In this post we take a look at five of the best Udemy courses under $50 that will have you using your time more efficiently and make you more productive at work.
Are Udemy Courses Worth Your Time and Money?
Before we take a look at some of Udemy's Best Office Productivity courses, here's a look at some of the pros and cons of doing an online course at Udemy.
- All courses are available on demand.
- You can learn at your own pace any time you want.
- You can take up a course on any device - a Mac, PC, tablet or smartphone.
- There are over 25000 courses to choose from, on any subject.
- Courses are highly affordable; many courses are free, others priced between $10 to $500.
- Tip: Udemy offers plenty of big discounts on its courses, so if you find one you want to take up one that's too expensive, just add it to your wishlist and wait for a promotional offer to show up (if you are in no hurry to study).
- Courses are available in many languages including Spanish, Turkish, Italian, Portuguese and German.
- Many courses offer exercises to work out and quizzes to assess your understanding.
- Some courses also offer a certificate of completion.
- You can chat with fellow students, ask questions and engage with the instructor of a course.
- A refund policy is available if you are not satisfied with a course.
There are also some things you need to keep in mind when taking up an Udemy course.
- Different students have different learning needs and all courses may not match your learning requirements.
- Not all courses are professionally designed. Anyone can create a Udemy course, and some courses look like a YouTube compilation, so it is wise to check reviews and previews before signing up for one.
Now that you are aware of the various aspects of taking up a Udemy course, here is our pick of the top ones you can consider trying.
Microsoft Excel Training for Absolute Beginners
This course has over 19 lectures and 36 minutes of content and is designed for anyone who has never used Excel before.
In this course, you will learn:
- The absolute basics of Excel – opening, closing, saving, reopening files.
- Navigating Excel
- The Excel UI
- Adding and deleting data
- The basics of formatting
Student Feedback!
Entering the World of Excel
This course is the clearest and simplest description of Excel for the beginner that I have come across. Although I felt that Jed was moving too quickly for me in the beginning, but I watched the lecture again and it made good sense to me. It is evident that Jed (the lecturer) is deeply steeped in Excel and most willing to share his knowledge with anyone interested. I look forward to continuing my learning with Jed via additional lectures given by him. Thank you for providing such a wonderful experience for me.
Student Review
Eye-catching Presentations using Microsoft PowerPoint 2010
This course has over 14 lectures and 1 hour of content and is designed for users who have a basic understanding of PowerPoint.
In this course, you will learn how to:
- Prepare a presentation by collecting and refining information.
- Create an outline for your presentation.
- Create eye-catching slides using graphics, images, animations and videos.
- Create your own unique PowerPoint designs.
- Make use of shortcuts when you deliver presentations.
- Apply basic guidelines for captivating your audience and keeping them engaged.
Student Feedback!
Great Course, Perfect Presentation!
Really love the professionalism and effort put in by presenter for this course. Easy to understand and good samples to go along with each lecture is shown. Powerpoint is not my expertise and I've learned a lot of useful tips in creating excellent presentation. Thanks for the tips on presenting as well. Nice celebration in the ending 🙂
Student Review
Manage Email, Time and Contacts using Microsoft Outlook 2010
This course has over 13 lectures and 1.5 hours of content and is designed for users whose Microsoft Outlook and want to use it more effectively.
In this course, you will learn:
- The best email management practices.
- The methodical categorization and prioritization of email.
- How to navigate Outlook and finding what you need quickly.
- How to manage your calendar and tasks.
- how to manage your contacts and stay socially connected via Outlook.
Student Feedback!
Outstanding!
Outstanding course! Goes way beyond teaching the intricacies of Microsoft Outlook. Also great as a management tool, that teaches people how to use email effectively.
Student Review
Fast Track to Microsoft Excel Beginner + Advanced Training
This course has over 60 lectures and 6 hours of content and is designed for users who know a bit of Excel but want to ace it.
In this course, you will learn:
- The Excel Interface and basics like entering data in cells and AutoFill.
- The basic of formatting data.
- Basics of formulas, references and functions.
- All about conditional formatting.
- Introduction to charts.
- Indepth look at various functions.
- Macros and VLookUp.
- Pivot Tables and Pivot Charts.
Student Feedback!
?From 0 to Excel in a few weeks
This has taken me from a bare bones novice to a pretty adept Excel user in about a months time. I have already advised many of my colleagues what a great program this is!
Student Review
The Ultimate Gmail Productivity System For Business
This course has over 52 lectures and 3.5 hours of content and is designed to help Gmail users (although others can benefit as well!) increase their productivity and spend dramatically less time on email.
In this course, you will learn:
- The key frameworks to improve your productivity.
- How to decrease the frequency of checking and processing email.
- The most effective way to process email.
- How to decrease the amount of email you receive.
- Manage your contacts.
- how to increase email processing speed.
- How to put what you have learned in the course to practice.
Student Feedback!
The Smartest 2 Hours You Will Ever Spend!
I just spent about 2 hours going through Scott's course. I've already implemented many of his suggestions (really fast). My guess is this will save me an hour (at least) every single day. Think about that over the period of a day, a week and a month. In two days you recapture your time spend in this course - everyday after that - if is free time! Thanks Scott - appreciate it...Student Review
Comprehensive Microsoft Word
This course has over 18 lectures and 1.5 hours of content and is designed to help you design and customize professional documents with ease.
In this course, you will learn how to:
- Apply basic Word formatting.
- Change the layout of a document.
- Use templates.
- Create resumes.
- Add images, text boxes, bullets, comments and WordArt.
- Use charts and tables.
- Add bibliography.
Student Feedback!
Very informative course!
All of the lectures were significant, simple and very informative; I am glad that I went through them. I thank Mr. Hudgens for making this course available for everyone. It covers all of the topics that are in demand by most Word users.
Student Review
Leave a Reply