Describe something you learned online

Something useful that I learned online is how to edit videos. About two years ago, I volunteered to make a short film for my sister's wedding, and I realised I knew absolutely nothing about editing software, so I decided to teach myself.

I used a popular video-sharing website, where there is a wealth of free tutorials, and I also followed a short beginners' course on a learning platform, which cost a small fee. I started with a step-by-step tutorial for a free editing programme, and I'd watch a ten-minute video, pause it, and copy exactly what the instructor did on my own computer. After a few days, I could cut clips, add music and put in simple titles. I kept practising on my holiday videos, and within about two months I felt reasonably confident. The wedding film turned out well, and my sister cried when she watched it, which I took as a good sign.

Overall, I have mixed but mostly positive feelings about learning online. On the plus side, I could study at my own pace, repeat anything I didn't understand, and fit it around my job. It was also much cheaper than a class. On the negative side, you need a lot of self-discipline, because nobody checks whether you're doing the work, and there's nobody to ask when you get stuck. Still, for practical skills like this, it's excellent, particularly when you can put what you learned into practice straight away. I've since started editing short videos for friends' small businesses.