Online learning is one of the best things about the internet. Just about anything you want to know about any topic is available, and much of it—from podcasts to online courses—is free.

This morning, it occurred to me that I’d like to know more about psychology. What makes people do what they do?  I’ll admit, I have a rather large collection of self-help books, but it’s been a while since I formally studied the subject. I recall being fascinated to learn about Pavlov’s dogs and Harry Harlow’s monkeys. While in my twenties, I couldn’t imagine sitting still long enough to listen to people’s problems. Now, a part of me wishes I’d chosen psychology as a career path. So I thought I’d do a little research on the subject to see what I could find in the way of online learning.

What online learning opportunities are available online?

I Googled “learn psychology for free” and immediately found twenty videotaped lectures by Professor Paul Bloom, a psychology professor at Yale University. Each video, taped classroom lectures,  is about fifty minutes long. Midterm and final exams are also included, so I can test my knowledge to see how well my boomer brain is retaining the information. I’ve always wanted to take college courses while wearing my pajamas, and now I can. I can hardly wait to get started.

Learning Psychology online works for me. What about you? I encourage you to find something that interests you, then spend an hour a day exercising your brain by learning something new. Online learning makes learning fun.

Jan Fishler, MA, is currently co-authoring a new book, Don’t Stop Now, Making the Most of the Rest of Your Life (DontStopNow.us). She is also the author of Searching for Jane, Finding Myself (An Adoption Memoir), and has written several articles about alternative health and PTSD. You can learn more about Jan at www.JanFishler.net.