Take a minute to think about your career: Do you find it rewarding? Are you happy and motivated to go to work each day? On the contrary, do you spend time daydreaming about what life would be like if you’d chosen a different career path? Perhaps you are in sales or accounting, but you’ve always dreamt of a career in architecture. If that’s the case, you are in luck: Harvard University is offering a new online course in the basics of architecture to help you take the leap and pursue your dreams, no matter your age or financial situation.
Regret Your Career Choice? You’re Not Alone!
As it turns out, nine out of ten people regret their career choice! That’s a lot of people dissatisfied with their jobs. Considering you spend the majority of your life working, this means that 90% of the population spends most of their time wishing they were somewhere else. This unhappiness and general life dissatisfaction can lead to mental, emotional, and even physical health problems.
Unfortunately, many people don’t feel like a career change is an option for them, and we don’t blame them: A career change can be scary. It’s a risk and usually involves an investment of time and money. If you’ve been working in your field for twenty years or more, changing careers means a loss of experience and seniority, and can often mean taking a pay cut at first.
Despite this, it is becoming increasingly likely that you will change your career at least once throughout your lifetime, so if you are unhappy where you’re at, why wait?
Free Online Architecture Course at Harvard University
Harvard’s Graduate School of Design is adding The Architectural Imagination to the school’s repertoire of free online classes. While the course doesn’t give you credentials to actually start working as a certified architect, it does give you an introduction into the world of designing structures and buildings, with the option of purchasing a certificate at the end.
The course is set up in three modules:
- Architectural drawing and typology taught through videos and at-home exercises.
- The power of architecture to transform raw materials into buildings and beautiful parts of a landscape, with a focus on materials and technology.
- The role of architecture in society and its ability to bring about social change.
The best part about this free online course is it allows you to learn about and decide if you have a true interest and passion for architecture before taking the full time and financial investment in actually enrolling in a full program. If you are interested in Harvard’s online architecture course, you can find more information here on what to expect and how to sign up.
More Free Online Courses
There are so many online course opportunities for you to learn new skills and explore your interests in a low-risk environment, to discover whether a new career path is the right move for you.
Not only does Harvard have many online course options including a Learning in Retirement program, but there are other Universities and online programs that make it easy for people of all ages, experience, and education level to find their true passions and a meaningful career.
Check out the University of Toronto’s free online course database, or this list of some of the best online course offerings from school’s in America.You can find courses in everything from business to music and the arts, sciences, law, and everything in between!
If you or someone you know needs a career change, let this be the little push you need to start exploring your options. We promise you won’t regret it.