Rather than waste your life on Facebook and Instagram, put your daily interneting to good use.
Here’s a list of websites that will actually make you smarter:
CodeAcademy — Learn programming languages like HTML, CSS, and Javascript with this free, interactive resource.
Coursera — With more than 800 free courses on topics that range from internet history to financial engineering, the education platform helps you deepen your knowledge across a range of subjects.
Digital Photography School — Read through this goldmine of articles to improve your photography skills; they’re helpful even if you’re a complete beginner. There’s also an active forum where you can find a community of other photographers to connect with.
Duolingo — Sharpen your language skills with this fun, addictive game. It’s a college-quality education without the price tag. If you’re looking for more free language-learning materials, you can also try BBC Languages.
edX — From classes like The Science of Happiness to Responsible Innovation, edX offers tons of MOOCs from many of the world’s top universities.
Factsie — Did you know the horned lizard can shoot blood out of its tear ducts? Keep clicking through this site to find unusual historical and scientific facts, along with links to sources. Another great site for fun facts is Today I Found Out.
Fast Company’s 30-Second MBA — In short video clips from from accomplished corporate executives, you’ll learn great business advice and life lessons, really fast.
Freerice — Expand your vocabulary while feeding the hungry. It’s the best way to feel good about yourself and learn words you can use for the rest of your life.
Gibbon — This is the ultimate playlist for learning. Users collect articles and videos to help you learn things from iOS programming to effective storytelling.
Screenshot/Harrison Jacobs
Instructables — Through fun videos and simple instructions, you can learn how to make anything from a tennis ball launcher to a backyard fort. You can also submit your own creations and share what you make with the rest of the world. Still wanting to learn more? You can visit eHow and gain a wide range of skills, such as how to cook, decorate, fix, plan, garden, or even make a budget.
Investopedia — Learn everything you need to know about the world of investing, markets, and personal finance.
Khan Academy — Not only will you learn a wide variety of subjects through immensely helpful videos, but you’ll get a chance to practice them and keep track of your learning statistics, too. It’s a great way to further your understanding of subjects you’ve already taken or to learn something new.
Screenshot/Harrison Jacobs
LearnVest — The personal finance site offers news, classes, and resources to help you learn the basics of managing your money.
Lifehacker — On this highly useful site, you’ll find an assortment of tips, tricks, and downloads for getting things done.
Lumosity — Train your brain with these fun, scientifically designed games. You can build your own Personalized Training Program to improve your memory and attention and track your progress.
Screenshot/Harrison Jacobs
MIT Open Courseware — Want to be as smart as an MIT student? Check out classes and course materials from the institute here.
Powersearching with Google — Learn how to find anything you ever wanted by mastering your Google search skills. Also, read this article on 100 Google tricks that will save you time in school.
Quora — Get your questions answered by other smart people, or read through the questions other people have asked. You can learn anything from productivity hacks to the best foods of all time.
Recipe Puppy — Enter in all the ingredients you can find in your kitchen, and this wonderful search engine will give you a list of all the recipes you can make with what you have. It’s a great way to learn how to cook without the hassle of buying everything beforehand. For a more extensive list of recipes, try AllRecipes.
Spreeder — This free, online speed-reading software will improve your reading speed and comprehension. Just paste the text you’d like to read, and it’ll take care of the rest.
StackOverflow — It’s a question and answer site for programmers — basically a coder’s best friend. Other great sources to learn code are Learn X in Y Minutes and W3Schools.
TED-Ed — This is a new initiative launched by TED with the idea of “lessons worth sharing.” It is meant to spark the curiosity of learners around the world by creating a library of award-winning, animated lessons created by expert educators, screenwriters, and animators. You can create your own customized lesson to distribute around the world by adding questions, discussion topics, and other supplementary materials to any educational video on YouTube.
Udemy — Feed your brain with online courses on everything from web development to playing the guitar. You can also teach your own classes through the platform.
Unplug The TV — A fun website that suggests informative videos for you to watch instead of TV. Topics range from space mining to “How Containerization Shaped the Modern World.”
VSauce — This Youtube Channel provides mind-blowing facts and the best of the internet, which will make you realize how amazing our world is. What would happen if the world stopped spinning? Why do we get bored? How many things are there? Watch the videos and find out.
his is an update of an article originally written by Maggie Zhang.