Coursera
A Free Digital Library
Coursera is an online education platform where you can find a wide variety of topics that can help you deepen your knowledge whether for your studies, work, or simply out of curiosity, the desire to learn more, and to gain general knowledge. From History, Economics, and Investments to Artificial Intelligence, Languages, and Sciences, there's content for every interest. In short, Coursera is a kind of digital library.
Plus Subscription
In most courses, you have free access to videos and written documents. It’s an excellent option if you want to use this "library" as support for your studies or to gain new skills.
However, if your goal is to obtain a digital certificate, which you can (and should!) add to your Curriculum Vitae and LinkedIn profile, a subscription is required. With Coursera Plus, you can take as many courses as you want and receive the corresponding certificates. Prices range from €52 per month to €352 per year.
Two Friendly Tips
First Tip: If you're thinking about taking more than three or four courses to get a digital certificate, start by using the free content. Watch the videos, take the quizzes, and write down the most important and relevant points in a notebook to refresh your memory later. When you finish, click on “start 7-day free trial” and cancel the subscription one day before it ends. Usually, Coursera offers a 50% discount on the first month as an incentive to continue with the Plus plan. If you accept, you have 30 days to complete the course exams and obtain your certificates before the monthly price returns to €52.
Note: The 7-day free trial does not include certificates, even if you complete the exams. You can only access digital certificates after activating a paid subscription for the courses you successfully complete.
Second Tip: If you're only interested in taking one or two courses, apply for financial aid. Coursera offers discounts of up to 75%, and in very exceptional cases, it may cover 100% of the course cost. What steps do you need to follow? It's easy: fill out a form explaining why you need the aid (you can mention that you're a student, for example). After 14 days, the request is usually approved.
This support is done course by course, meaning it only makes sense if you're interested in taking one, two, or at most three courses. In short: if you want to take many courses, follow the first tip. Otherwise, consider applying for financial aid.
My Experience
If I really wanted to make a difference in the PALOP countries, I couldn’t show up empty-handed. So, I took the opportunity to gain more experience in areas where I didn’t feel as confident. PA-LO Por Todos! was developed entirely on my own: I’m responsible for project management, marketing, content creation, communication, planning, budgeting, and more. Coursera ended up becoming a part of my team. Since I took several courses, I’m sharing my opinion on each of them below.
Google Project Management: gives you valuable insights into project planning. It’s especially useful if you’re thinking of starting a project from scratch, and particularly if you’re doing it alone. In the case of PA-LO Por Todos!, this course was essential to the project’s development: it helped me organize it and avoid some beginner “failures.” Of course, not everything was perfect. Since the course is divided into seven parts, each with different instructors, the constant switching between them became a bit confusing. ⭐⭐⭐⭐
(Google)
Meta Social Media Marketing: ideal for anyone who wants to learn how social media and digital marketing work. Instructor Anke Audenaert manages to hold your attention in every video, with a clear, engaging, and very consistent teaching style. In addition to the digital certificate, this course gives you the opportunity to take the official Meta Certified Digital Marketing Associate exam for free. If you’re considering a career in digital marketing, I’d say this exam is like the “GMAT” or national exam of Digital Marketing. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Click here to access the study guide for the exam.
(Meta)
Marine Biology: Although I come from a finance background, I’ve always had a special interest in Biology, especially when it comes to the word Ocean. Since I didn’t have much knowledge in the area, I felt the need to take a course that would help me better understand the importance of marine conservation for the Planet, particularly because one of the subprojects of PA-LO Por Todos! is the Ocean Project. I wanted to be better prepared, not only because of personal interest but also so I wouldn’t show up empty-handed. After completing the course, I feel much more confident about the initiatives I will undertake in São Tomé and Príncipe. The only downside is that the course has a lot of written content and few videos. ⭐⭐⭐⭐
(American Museum of Natural History)
Influencing - Storytelling, Change Management and Governance Specialization: This specialization includes four courses, and I can say that the first three were, in my opinion, the best I’ve taken on Coursera. Each course has two instructors, but unlike other courses (such as Google Project Management), the organization and consistency are much better. It’s very interactive and develops skills like storytelling, adapting to different contexts and realities, and persuasion/negotiation, which in my case were useful for securing important partnerships for *PA-LO Por Todos!*. The last course in this specialization (Risk Management), honestly, I found unnecessary. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
(Macquarie University)
International Travel Preparation: A very useful course if you’re traveling to destinations considered less safe, both in terms of physical security and public health. It gives you a summary of the main precautions to take before, during, and after your trip, such as diseases and how to prevent them, personal safety advice, strategies to avoid certain risks, and also information about possible cultural shocks and how to handle them. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
(Johns Hopkins University)
Foundations of Teaching for Learning: I took this course because I don’t have a background in education, and education is the central theme of the Preparação Project in Mozambique. When I was younger, I wanted to be a violin teacher and was curious to take this course. However, of all the courses I took, this was the least interesting. I found it confusing and of much lower quality than I expected: the videos were poor quality, and the constant switching of instructors was very confusing. ⭐⭐
(Commonwealth Education Trust)
Sustainable Development Goals: Sustainable Development Goals: An interesting course for those who want to better understand what the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are and how they are all interconnected. This course covers topics such as the impact of agriculture on climate change and the history of the planet and humanity in relation to sustainability. However, some videos were quite long and sometimes difficult to follow. I would say it lacked some dynamism to keep the attention. ⭐⭐⭐
(University of Copenhagen)
Becoming a Changemaker: there couldn’t be a course more aligned with the principles and values of the project. This course focuses on innovation and social entrepreneurship and offers insights on how to work in an organization aiming to create a positive social impact in different communities, using South Africa as an example. It was a very important course for PA-LO Por Todos!, and without a doubt, I will make use of it throughout the project. If I had to point out something to improve, it might be that the course could be a bit longer but besides that, it was perfect. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
(University of Cape Town)
Conclusion
Nowadays, there are many digital ways to access information, learn new things, gain new skills, and complement your studies (YouTube, the internet in general, or even ChatGPT). But, in my opinion, I consider Coursera more effective. Everything you want to learn is organized. You don’t have to jump around between videos, playlists, or websites. The platform’s credibility is strengthened by the institutions and companies it collaborates with: Google, Meta, Adobe, Stanford University, University of Michigan, IBM, Microsoft, and more.
Of course, just by taking one course, you won’t become the Ronaldo of Science or the Messi of Economics. But if you use Coursera as a complement to your studies or as support to develop your project, I guarantee you’ll learn more and much better.
MEF- Movimento Expressão Fotográfica
The Movimento Expressão Fotográfica is an association whose main goal is “to raise public awareness of the Photographic Arts and the use of imagery as an artistic stimulus, promoting photography as a form of expression, reflection, and personal development.”
Although I haven’t finished the course yet (I’m in the final phase), I can say it’s simply brilliant! One of MEF’s goals is to make photography accessible to everyone, and this is reflected in an in-person course that is very affordable. Luís and Tânia, two excellent instructors (and amazing people), will teach you the true "art of photography," from theory to practice, always in a relaxed and creative way.
This course is truly for everyone: young people, adults, and seniors. You will also have the opportunity to participate in photography activities, where you can put into practice what you’ve learned and develop techniques such as composition and lighting. If you’re interested in photography, the registrations for the next edition starting in November are already open.
Address: Rua Norte Júnior, N°17 A/D, r/c, loja 1. 1950-205 Bairro dos Lóios-Lisboa.
YouTube
Creating a Blog – Step by Step
I had no experience with WordPress, Elementor, or websites/blogs. But it only took me two hours to create a basic template for my site, which I then adapted to my style. Of all the videos I watched, the How to Make a WordPress Blog- Step by Step was the most complete. It goes through all the steps, and later, when you feel more comfortable, you can start customizing and putting your creativity into practice.
In my case, it took me a few months to really feel comfortable with WordPress, and even today, I keep discovering new things (for example, today I found out that I can add the stars I use for reviews without writing a single line of code).
A Complete Tutorial: Photography and Speaking on Camera
Thomas Alex Norman gives you several tricks and tips to improve your mobile photography and teaches you how to speak on camera (I haven’t reached that part yet). There are 95 short videos that grab your attention from beginning to end. They’re easy to follow and give you super useful tips.
