Five Unique and Totally Free Online Opportunities

Now that most areas have WiFi connectivity, the internet is bringing a range of exciting learning opportunities straight to smartphones and laptops. Even better, many of these sites and services offer free guides or gifts.

Some are useless but entertaining. For example, there’s a Wiki-How article on how to make Play-Dough from scratch. Another website, OCEARCH, provides live marine research data on sharks. Site visitors can literally watch a shark with a tracking device travel the open seas.

Not all pursuits are so delightfully useless. For those who want to learn a skill on a budget, the internet provides opportunities to better the self — no sticky dough or Great Whites involved. Some, like Space Engine, allow users to explore space and learn about astronomy. Others, like Globe Genie, let visitors travel virtually around the world.

But those looking to learn a craft will have to show ingenuity to find a reliable website that offers a free service, then dedication in developing their chosen skill. Let’s take a look at five sites that offer totally free opportunities to learn something new.

Sports Betting Welcome Offers

Ads for sportsbooks seem to be everywhere, from the sidelines of UEFA matches to the local bus stop. Most promos offer extremely enticing deals, like deposit matches and other bonuses. Most seem too good to be true — and they are.

However, savvy sports fans should always be on the lookout for free bet no deposit offers if they want to develop their punting skills. These are the only true ‘free’ offers on the table from oddsmakers. Typically, welcome bonuses include a deposit condition, which means newcomers will first need to connect their banking information and put down their own money.

With no deposit bonuses, offers are truly free. There’s no risk because there’s no money deposited into a betting account. This way, sports bettors can put their statistical knowledge to the test and develop their analytical skills.

Many sportsbooks also let users connect with their handy betting guides, which makes learning the ropes and perfecting strategies much easier. Be sure to check terms and conditions, as some no deposit promos have time limits and play-through requirements.

Electronic Books for Download

Most public libraries, like the McMillan Memorial Library, contain hundreds of thousands of bound books. However, eBooks have grown in popularity in recent years. Not only is it easier to shop for options online, but storing and traveling with eBooks is often easier.

Project Gutenberg has spearheaded the charge for free online eBooks. Currently, the website has over 60,000 options available for download. They can be saved in a variety of formats, from plain text to EPUB to PDF documents. This means that books can be downloaded to almost any device, regardless of how advanced the phone, tablet, or laptop is.

The project began back in 1971, which means the website has plenty of non-English options from contributors in the past decades. Be sure to check out affiliates of Project Gutenberg, including their Project Gutenberg Self-Publishing Press for indie authors.

College Courses

In the past, only students with access to academic funds could hope for higher education. However, the growing trend of online universities has lessened tuition costs around the world. Even better, Coursera, which has been active since 2012, decided to collect available free courses from schools around the world.

Coursera was started by Stanford University in the US. The idea of the project is to compile courses and certification classes from related topics in order to create degree programs. During the project’s launch, some 150 universities contributed over 4,000 courses.

At the moment, that number has expanded to over 200 university partners across 29 countries. Like the other opportunities on this list, be sure to check the fine print. Coursera offers one course for free per year and an unlimited amount of Guided Courses. Those looking to develop their existing profession can audit courses for free.

In terms of education, other unique opportunities are available for those interested in coding and language specifically. Codeacademy offers resources for newcomers to learn how to code for free. Duolingo offers mini-games and lessons to learn a range of languages, from Hindi to Korean to the fantasy language from Star Trek, Klingon.

Virtual Museum Tours

Ever wanted to visit the Louvre in Paris or the Vatican Museum in Rome? Don’t worry about prohibitive travel and lodging costs — many of the world’s most prestigious museums are now offering free virtual tours.

Though in response to lagging travel numbers, these virtual tours seem likely to stay. Though they won’t offer virtual visitors access to all galleries and shows, art and history buffs can head online now to access free tours from the Louvre in Paris, the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, and even the Vatican’s Sistine Chapel, which offers a 360-degree view of the painted ceiling.

Aside from the heavy hitters listed above, other eligible museums include Amsterdam’s Rijksmuseum and New York City’s Museum of Metropolitan Art. Keep in mind that to access these virtual tours, online visitors will need to have sufficient bandwidth and video players to run correctly.

Travel Back in Time (Musically)

In terms of free music, the internet has a long list of free streaming options. Sites like YouTube and Soundcloud put a nearly unlimited number of songs and artists right at the tips of visitor’s fingers. However, download options are typically limited, especially with apps like Spotify.

Noisetrade is a free solution that lets visitors download music to their devices. Though the music selection isn’t quite as wide as paid subscription services, Noisetrade offers plenty of hits for listeners of all ages.

Another interesting option is Radiooooo (written with five o’s). The website doesn’t allow users to download music. Instead, it connects them to the top hits from around the world, all the way back to the earliest days of recorded music.

To get started, head to the website and enter a decade and location. From there, Radiooooo plays the top-charting hits from the selected era and place. Ever wondered what Argentinians listened to in the 80s? What about India in the 1940s? Radiooooo has the answer.