Websites to learn almost anything for free

Here is a list of websites where you can learn almost anything for free.

In some of the websites, you don't even have to register at all, just link your Facebook or Twitter account in order to get started.

All of the subjects taught in these websites are provided free of charge and free of ads.

1. Memrise

Subjects taught: almost everything

Pros: The format is flashcards that contain mnemonic devices.

Cons: It does not help when it comes to learning grammar or formulae.

2. Coursera

Subjects taught: college-level courses

Pros: A user can get "statement of accomplishment" provided by the university at the end of each course.

Cons: The serious format could turn off some leisure-learners.

3. Duolingo

Subjects taught: six European languages (as of 2014).

Pros: can skip classes based on the level a person has previously attained.

Cons: as of 2014, there are only six languages.

4. Codecademy

Subjects taught: programming languages

Pros: One of the best programming language-learning websites for novice programmers.

Cons: It only teaches some basic programming languages such as Python, Ruby, Javascript, et al.

5. Khan Academy

Subjects taught: almost everything

Pros: The lectures are given in mostly didactical basis.

Cons: Too lecture-oriented

*I will add more websites to this list as soon as I find them. If you have any suggestions on free websites for learning, feel free to drop a comment!

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How to finish your American college education faster and cheaper

So the college education costs around $10,000-30,000 a year. If you're lucky, you can get scholarships and/or grants that can help you pay for them.

However, there are some unlucky few among you who have to pay twice the in-state tuition simply because you come from out-of-state or even from a foreign country.

Whether or not you pay a lot for your college education, you still want to graduate as soon as possible, right?

Then CLEP is the solution for you.

CLEP, which stands for College Level Examination Program, is a group of tests that assess college-level knowledge in several subject areas that are administered at more than 1,700 colleges and universities across the United States created by the College Board.

So for example, if you take a CLEP for Macroeconomics, and you pass that CLEP, you will be given 3 credit hours for that Macroeconomics class (without having taken the class at all).

What kind of CLEP tests are offered?

Almost every General Education classes are offered! General Education classes are the very basic classes that every American college student have to take, regardless of major. These include Algebra, English, History, and some Science classes.

Some colleges also offer major-specific classes such as Psychology, Business, and Nursing.

How do you study for CLEP?

There are two free websites that can help you with that:

1. Education-Portal (no registration needed)
2. Coursera  (registration needed, but all classes are free)

Other things you need to know about CLEP...

Be aware that not all colleges accept or even administer the CLEP tests. You need to find out for yourself by asking your college staff or advisers whether or not CLEP tests are accepted for college credits.

Also, CLEP tests are not free. From what I have seen in several college campuses, it ranges from $80 to $150... However, since it is still much cheaper than tuition for an actual class, I still suggest you take it.

Formats are different for each CLEP tests, but you can be rest assured that each CLEP test carries mostly multiple-choice questions with only a few short-phrase sentences (with the exception of language class CLEP tests where there are some essay questions).

For one, I regretted having taken Algebra class in my community college. I had to come and sit in class for Algebra which was too easy simply because I have learned it long ago in my high school in Singapore. The class was so shockingly easy and so useless that I had to spend my class time reading manga. If I had taken CLEP for Algebra, I could have just bypassed the class altogether and get 3 college credits automatically.

Colleges put the cap of taking as many as 40 to 50 CLEP credits for 4-year undergraduate students, which means that if you take around 40 CLEP credits before the end of your first three semesters, you could graduate with a Bachelor's degree in as fast as five semesters!

So...what do you think? Let me know if this tip is helpful!

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"World War Z" movie review

Since the movie is based on a book by Max Brooks, I do not know to what extent could we blame the plot's holes on the director Marc Forster. For those wanting a blend between "Resident Evil" and "The Day After Tomorrow", this is your movie. But be forewarned of the glaring plot holes.

Looks more like a video game poster

First, for an epidemic that occurs on a global scale, it seems somewhat odd that only USA and hardly any other countries are doing something about it. Even then, USA does not seem to knowledgeable about the disease, relying on Gerry  (played by Brad Pitt) and a Harvard virologist (who is shown to be killed not long in the movie), accompanied by heavily-trained soldiers who have so little knowledge about pathology. Thus, the entire country, or even planet, relies on TWO PEOPLE to do research about the virus... I mean, seriously?

Second, the Israeli wall scene seems a bit off. In the Israeli wall zombie attack scene is shown heaps of zombies making a mountain of themselves in order to climb the wall. Then, Gerry's conclusion was that the zombies were attracted by the noise of people singing. C'mon. Even if those Jerusalemites were only whispering, half a million people standing close to a wall would surely attract zombies.

Third, is the fact that the aeroplane crash seem to occur conveniently close to the UN health facility in Cardiff. Also, the only two survivors of the crash was...who else? Gerry and Segen, the Israeli soldier he has picked up at Israel (played by Daniella Kertesz). It is not shown how long Brad Pitt walked from the site of the crash to the health facility building, but judging from the fact that they didn't have to spend a night on the road, they probably walked there three or four hours, at most. The coincidence is a bit stretched thin here.

Fourth, is the fact that it is Gerry who found the vaccine! Infect yourself with a deadly pathogen, everyone...and you'll be saved! There are at least five other actual scientific researches in that health facility building, and it never occurred to them to try out a vaccine like that.

For an overtly-hyped zombie thriller drama, I must say that "World War Z" is rather disappointing. Yes, it has exciting trailer. Yes, it has fast-moving zombie attack scenes. The CGI is excellent too.

However, such great-looking features are unfortunately accompanied by weak story line.

Rating: 6 stars out of 10

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It has been over a year...

...since I last updated this blog.

I'm dual-majoring in Computer Science and International Studies with minor concentration in French at my current university. With the number of credit hours I am taking (18 credit hours/semester), it does not seem like I'd have much free time anytime soon. I'm also the Vice President of the university's Badminton Club.

When I do have free time, I spend it working at my part time job (which I couldn't disclose here for privacy reasons). Or watch some show episodes on Netflix. Or communicating with my long-distance American girlfriend in Illinois.

My university, which is located at the northern part of Kentucky (as the name says), is where I spend most of my time these days.

It's a decent place to pursue education, though the drab colour of the buildings is reminiscent of that of prisons (these are other people's words, not mine).

Personally, I don't really care about the visual aspect. The quality of education is decent, the in-state tuition is affordable (around US$ 9,500 per annum), the students are awesome, the activities are vibrant, and most of the professors I've had are PhD-educated.

So...yeah, things are cool.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Majoring in Comp. Sci., now I realize what a mess this blog's HTML is. I shall fix it when I have time.

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"Drawing from Memory" by Allen Say

Drawing from Memory, though at first may seem like a children's book, turns out to be a memoir filled with sketches of  Allen Say's early dabbling with the world of cartoon-sketching.

Having been born in Japan, he became an apprentice of one of the most renowned newspaper cartoonist of the time, Noro Shimpei. He attributed Shimpei's dedication and love to him as his ultimate inspiration to become the cartoonist that he is in Oregon today.

Personally, the book reminds me of Tetsuko Kuroyanagi's Totto-Chan, where hues of childhood naivety are imbued every several pages or so. It can leave us inspired, and makes us want to read it to a child in the family....son, niece, or cousin...as the story shows how following inspirations and dreams can make us find our inner callings.

Verdict: 9 out of 10

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