Instagram. Twitter. TikTok.

Instagram. Twitter. TikTok.

Instagram. Twitter. TikTok.

Does scrolling mindlessly across your social media accounts make you feel unproductive, maybe even miserable, at the end of the day? If you’re feeling so, perhaps it’s time to switch up your online habits and learn to make the most out of the world wide web instead.

There’s virtually a limitless number of websites you can utilise for free or at a minimal cost. From attending free classes to checking out virtual fairs, the internet is a pool of endless wonder — all within the reach of your fingertips and some just a smartphone away.

Here’s what you can do with your spare time.

#1. Build your portfolio

Do you spend an excessive amount of time curating your social media account so that your bio description and feed looks cool? Well, you should do the same for your career portfolio!

A career portfolio is basically a compilation of materials to showcase your skills, qualifications and experiences. This can include anything that highlights your best work and achievements, whether it’s samples of your animation and artwork or details of your volunteering work at an animal shelter. Having a good career portfolio can help future employers identify and understand your skill sets, personality and career goals easily.

These days you can create a portfolio online for free with various websites such as Wix, Behance, Crevado and Adobe Portfolio. If you want to boost your career before you graduate, you should also spend some time perfecting your profile on LinkedIn. This way, you’ll increase your chances of being found by job recruiters should they be impressed by your profile.

#2. Binge-watch inspiring and educational content

If the world is your oyster, then the internet is your bible. With the abundance of online content crawling all over the web, you can acquire knowledge with just a few clicks.

Feed your mind with a multitude of worldly ideas, philosophy and self-knowledge by subscribing to The School of Life on YouTube. They release weekly content covering topics such as Pop Culture, Sociology, Literature and Philosophy — enough to blow your mind. That’s not all, tune in to Ted.com and you’ll be intrigued by the myriad of thought-provoking perspectives from intelligent people of various backgrounds across the world.

If you don’t mind forking out some of your allowance in exchange for learning, Netflix is also a good start. Besides streaming thrilling movies or binge-worthy TV series, the media giant also offers subscribers documentaries about science and nature such as Our Planet (2019) and Mission Blue (2014), history like The Vietnam War (2017) and The Civil War (1990), and even food docuseries like Chef’s Table (2019) and Street Food (2019).

But don’t worry if you can’t afford it. Tune in to Top Documentary Films for an endless list of documentaries you can watch for free!

#3. Read up on personal finance

Employ your time in improving yourself by other men's writings, so that you shall gain easily what others have laboured hard for. — Socrates

Do you want to own a beach house of your dreams by the time you retire? Or travel with your significant other around the world before you hit 30? Perhaps you’ve got a bucket list of to-dos before you retire. Unfortunately, your dreams will merely be wishful thinking if you don’t start planning your finances early. But you’re in luck! As more people become aware of the importance of personal financial planning, money management tips are in excess!

For starters, Suraya on Ringgit Oh Ringgit often shares her personal finance journey and tips on how readers can save and make extra bucks on the side. Other personal finance websites you can check out include Mr Stingy and Dividend Magic. There are also comparison websites like iMoney.my and CompareHero.my that provide useful insights on money management for fellow Malaysians eager to learn about personal finance.

#4. Master school subjects and educate yourself

Studying school subjects is no longer constrained to the confines of your classroom.

Need to brush up on your English skills? Expand your vocabulary with Vocabulary.com. Perhaps you’re taking chemistry but can’t seem to remember the periodic table. Check out Ptable, an interactive periodic table complete with information of each chemical element. And if you’re looking to attend online courses instead, you can take up maths, science and engineering, economics and even computing classes for free on Khan Academy!

That’s not all. Now that computing skills are more crucial than ever, websites like Code Academy and Udemy make learning computer science and coding easier than ever.

On another note, if you’re planning to go globetrotting anytime soon, why not spend some time mastering foreign languages with apps like Duolingo and Memrise? With the abundance of tools available, there’s simply so much to learn!

#5. Go round the world with Google Street View

Got itchy feet to backpack across the globe but don’t have the moolah or even the time for it? Your dream to see the world isn’t over yet. Your good ol’ reliable GPS — Google Maps — can bring the world to your feet instead. Best of all, for free!

Simply visit Google Maps and search for a destination. Then, click on Street View and you’ll be instantly transported to your selected location, complete with a cool 360-degree view. You can explore glaciers and penguins in Antarctica, wander through the ruins at Machu Picchu and even dive into the Great Barrier Reef. Checking out new places has never been so hassle free!

#6. Join EduAdvisor’s Virtual Education Fair 

If you’ve finished SPM and still haven't decided what to study, we come bearing good news. EduAdvisor’s Virtual Education Fair is back with a bang with a whole lot of cool new features.

On top of being able to research for courses and universities and chat with education advisors online, you’ll also get to catch live a series of live webinars with professionals and experienced leaders from different fields such as engineering, medicine, law, you name it — all from the comfort of your couch. There are also personality tests and quizzes for you to take that will help you discover your destiny.

Now that’s what you call being productive. So stay tuned and don’t miss out on EduAdvisor’s Virtual Education Fair!

With all that said, now go forth and make full use of these online platforms if you’re game to stop wasting time and increasing your productivity.

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Josephine Serena

Media studies and journalism graduate. Buy me coffee and I'll spill the beans. Also really tall.