Three Ways to Enhance Your Learning Right Now

By: Nina Gasbarre, BBA candidate

Nina is a third year BBA student specializing in accounting. She is keeping busy during the pandemic by taking two online summer courses and practicing her German on Duolingo. She hopes to get back to a new normal in the near future and will further appreciate all opportunities and experiences she encounters. 

During times like this, a lot is uncertain, and unfortunately for undergraduate business students including myself, this pandemic has resulted in the loss of some summer jobs and internships. Personally, I feel that while I am not able to learn transferable skills from an internship, I am still able to find ways to develop my skills. It is amazing what you can do from the comfort of your own home. Here are three ways in which students can actively develop professional skills, all while remaining safe.

Learn a new language: We are so lucky to live in an age where technology is readily available. There are plenty of apps and websites which offer free language courses including Duolingo, Busuu and Babbel. These apps begin slowly with basic vocabulary and then increase to longer sentences. A language is something that can provide students with an advantage when applying for future employment. 

Take advantage of free courses: There is an abundance of free offerings at a variety of different universities. Not only is it interesting to learn from Ivy league schools like Harvard and Stanford, but such material is particularly intriguing and relevant during this pandemic. Some of the course offerings include coping with mental health and artificial intelligence. Such courses are a great opportunity to learn something new that you may not have had the opportunity to learn at Schulich.

Reminder: LinkedIn Learning is also free for all York University students with a Passport York Log-in, offering thousands of instructional videos and non-credit courses on a range of topics by industry leaders. Check it out! 

Enrol in a summer course: Now that we have more time on our hands at home, taking a York elective or Schulich elective for third- and fourth-year students is a great idea to get ahead in your studies. It’s no surprise that the Schulich course load is a lot to handle! In order to lighten your load during the fall and winter terms, taking a summer course allows you to focus your attention closely on four courses as opposed to five during the fall or winter term. 

Although this pandemic has turned our world upside down, this will pass, and it is important to remain positive in these times. Stay safe and healthy!