Free Education...seriously? Seriously!

One of the hotly debated topics on Bigger Pockets and the real estate investing community in general is education.  You have people who swear by “guru” courses and even more people who swear at them.  Some people compare taking courses to anyone investing in the advancement of their careers, while others say there are alternative ways to learn that cost less.  I have been trying to find the best of both worlds and came across something with great potential for anyone trying to expand their understanding of real estate, business, or practically any academic subject out there…open courses.  

What is an open course?  It is a class offered for free online, often from top schools (MIT is well known for its course offerings).  These courses are sometimes several years old (sometimes just a semester) but can provide top-notch information at a great price…FREE!  No, you are not going to get the same education as if you actually attended the class.  No, they are not always presented in the most effective ways.  Yet, if you take the time to work through them, you can gain a wealth of information and further you’re investing knowledge. 

So, where do you find these courses?  All over!  If you Google open courses, you will schools like Yale and MIT that offer a wide array of courses to choose from such as:

Real Estate Finance and Investment

Introduction to Financial Accounting

Advanced Topics in Real Estate Finance

Entrepreneurship

And many more!

So as you consider how to advance your knowledge and how much money you are going to spend, remember how little you can spend (ZERO) as long as you are willing to self-start and self-discipline your way through the material.   I can tell you, I have learned a lot already and have started building a course schedule for myself.