For the years since college, I have thought multiple times about returning to school. I enjoyed being surrounded by academics and books. I loved having access to professors with experience and ideas. And since I left I made sure to stay connected to the university library at Tulane as well as public libraries, local literary events, and cultural activities in New Orleans.

For a while I was extremely busy making a new life after college and building somewhat of a career. But now, 4 years after graduation, I am in a position with some extra time available to dedicate to studying again. I have not committed to graduate school, mainly for financial reasons, but I do love a great guided course. Recently I discovered Coursera

, an online forum which offers free classes for the masses. Thousands of people take the courses online, and they are graded. They are form the major universities also.

I recently logged in and chose two courses in my area of interest, politics and history. The history course is with the University of Virginia and the diplomacy course is through the University of London. They are filled with videos from professors, as well as short readings and discussion forums to converse with others about the material. I am loving it and in the end I will decide whether or not to pay the minimal fee (usually between $50 and $200) to have the certificate of completion.

Who knows? Maybe I will just be a part-time student and collect certificates and knowledge until I decide where I would focus my graduate studies, if that is the path. The main delight in these courses is that there is no stress. I have chosen the courses I enjoy and I motivate myself based on desire to read and learn of these topics.

These courses are quite an investment for the universities that produce them, but it is wonderful publicity for them. If I were to consider continuing my education, I would likely look into the universities I am studying remotely with right now. What a great idea and a real gift. Check it out for yourself!