Pursuing a degree?
More and more universities are offering the option to take classes online. Typically people use this option to work alongside their studies, or take on extra classes to graduate faster, but we’ve seen many of our past Edumads take a whole semester of online college classes so they can continue to move their degree forward while travelling with us.
There are two ways you can take online college credits while travelling with us.
- Enquire at your current university about the availability of online classes. They may well have their own classes to offer you, in which case you can enrol in a semester of online classes through them.
- If your college doesn’t offer online classes, or you aren’t currently enrolled anywhere we’ve got your covered! We’ve partnered with a couple of online universities to offer you their classes. You can sign up to take them during our program and transfer them back into your current degree at your home university. Or if you’re not currently enrolled, transfer them into your degree when you eventually do enroll.
If you want to learn more about the universities we’ve partnered with, fill out the form found through the button below!
Want to become a Digital Nomad?
The world is changing. The 9 to 5 office job is dying. More and more jobs can be completed entirely online.
Ditch the commute, ditch the arbitrary office hours, and choose the freedom of the Digital Nomad lifestyle.
A Digital Nomad is someone who works online and as a result, can work from anywhere in the world. They're usually either:
- A full time employee that is permitted to work remotely
- A freelancer serving clients all over the world through the internet
- An entrepreneur that is able to run their business online
If you want to join their ranks, you'll need to know practical digital skills such as those listed below. They can be learned for much less than the cost of a college degree, and if you master them, you'll be able to earn money online in no time!
In each section we've recommended some courses. We either have direct experience with these courses ourselves or they have come with a strong recommendation from our network. We do suggest that you do your own research into courses in the space that interests you as there is a whole universe of courses that all offer something slightly different.
Software Developer
Software developers, also known as coders or programmers, are responsible for designing the computer programmes and operating systems that we use in everyday life. This website wouldn't exist without the work of software developers, neither would Facebook, Netflix, your iphone. They all rely on the work of Software developers to function.
It's a fantastic career to get into at the moment. The demand for software developers far outweighs the supply and will continue to for many years to come. It's also a very well paid career, with median incomes around $100,000 per annum.
There's a lot to learn in this domain, and it's not for everyone. But learning the fundamentals of software development is going to serve you no matter what career you pursue.
recommended courses:
Digital Marketer
Digital Marketers are defined as people who can use the Internet to find new leads and get customers...aka money. It's probably the most valuable skill that's needed by businesses in the digital age. All the below are created and managed by Digital Marketers:
- Facebook & Instagram ads
- Google ads
- Social media content
- Blog posts
- Affiliate marketing
Almost every business on the planet needs the expertise of a digital marketer so it's an excellent area to learn, and you'll never be short of opportunities to apply your skills either for your own ventures, or somebody else's.
It's a good idea to get familiar with all aspects of digital marketing first and then start applying what you've learnt to your own business ideas or other people's as a freelancer.
recommended courses:
IG Ivy League
Graphic Designer
If you’re a creative person, then being a graphic designer is great way to monetise your artistic talents. Companies of all kinds will always need designs for logos, promotional materials, websites, merchandise, and more, meaning there are lots of opportunities.
To make it as a digital nomad designer, you’ll want to be familiar with programs like Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign. If you want to design websites, you’ll also need to know HTML & CSS. There are many types of graphic design including brand design, website design, and product design. If you're starting out you'll want to learn a little bit about all types and then choose a niche to specialise in.
It's a perfect skill to learn if you want to be a Digital Nomad as your value is in the designs you create, which can be done anywhere, typically using design software.
recommended courses:
Live Large Design School
Virtual Assistant
Virtual assisting is an amazing way to kick start an online career and income without a ton of experience or tech skills. It's essentially the same as an executive assistant/secretary, but online! They complete all manner of administrative tasks for business like bookkeeping, social media management, customer service support, light graphic design work, the list is endless!
recommended courses:
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90 Day VA
Copywriter
Copywriting is the process of writing advertising promotional materials. Copywriters are responsible for the text on brochures, billboards, websites, emails, advertisements, catalogs, and more.
This text is known as “copy.” Copy is everywhere, it’s part of a $2.3 trillion industry worldwide. Unlike news or editorial writing, copywriting is all about getting the reader to take action. That action might be to make a purchase, sign up to an email list, or engage with a product, service, or company.
Copywriting requires zero qualifications, it's all about results! There are successful copywriters with college degrees and some who didn't finish high school. Some copywriters are only 18 and some are retired. Some copywriters are stay-at-home moms and some left six-figure corporate jobs.
The only thing you need is a computer and an Internet connection. Everything else can be learned., you have all the qualifications you need to get start
Copywriting can be an extremely lucrative career. If you're highly effective and you pick the right niche to focus on you can earn more than 6 figures a year!
recommended courses:
Wealthy Writer
E-Commerce
E-commerce is the buying and selling of goods and services using the internet, although it's most often understood as the selling of physical products online.
There are a few clearly defined types of E-commerce:
Retail and Wholesale
The standard form of E-commerce is when a seller manufactures their own products and sells them online to either a consumer or another business. They handle everything from design of the product to handling inventory, and finally shipping the product to the consumer. They may sell them on Amazon, or through their own web store that might be hosted on a ecommerce platform like Shopify, specifically designed to build websites to sell products online through.
Dropshipping
Dropshipping is selling products that you as the seller never come into contact with. The customer orders the product online through your store and then the product gets shipped directly from the manufacturer or an intermediary. The most common method of dropshipping is Amazon FBA (fullfillment by Amazon). The intermediary in this case is Amazon. All you have to do is drive the customer to your product and Amazon handles the rest!
Subscription
Subscription E-commerce is when the customer signs up to receive a physical product on a regular basis, typically monthly, until they choose to cancel. Successful examples of this are Blue Apron, Mentorbox, and Birchbox.
Digital Products
E-commerce doesn't have to be physical! Technically digital products fall into the category of E-commerce too. The most obvious form of digital product sold online is an info-product, typically a book or an online course.
recommended courses:
Amazing Seller Machine
The Amazon Method
Ecom Elites
Teaching English Online
For a native English speaker, teaching english online is probably the easiest way to earn an online / remote income. the barriers to entry are very low. You usually need a bachelors degree (the subject is unimportant) and a TEFL, and that's it!
TEFL stands for Teaching English as a Foreign Language. It's a standard course that teaches you the fundamentals of teaching. There are many levels that you can qualify at but often employers don't specify which you need so the cheapest shortest course can work!
There are many companies that hire teachers. For many you'll be teaching Chinese students (both adults and children) through an online video connection. Don't worry, you don't need to know their language! The best employers even provide you with lesson plans, so you don't even have to prepare for each class.
recommended courses:
Premier TEFL
i to i
VIP Kid
Become a better human
Maybe you've just graduated from high school or university. Or maybe you’ve had your head buried in a career that you’re not passionate about. You feel like they need some time to breathe, take a look around, and make some big decisions about what’s next. Your next step feels like it’s going to set your course for a significant portion of your life and it demands some serious thought, and maybe a change of scenery and perspective.
It's vitally important that you get to grips with who you fundamentally are to understand which step you need to take next. You might not have ever taken the time to get to know yourself, and not only get to know who looks back at you in the mirror, but who do you want that person to be? At this pivotal moment in your life you still have the opportunity to make deliberate steps to a better life, through personal development. This development can come in many forms, and 6 weeks in a new environment, away from the life that has shaped the current version of you, is a great opportunity to explore them.
Mindfulness & Meditation
Mindfulness is a word that nowadays is closely related to meditation, and is in fact a style of meditation but it has its own definition. It is the quality of being present, and fully engaged with what you're doing in the moment. Being mindful means being free from distraction, being aware of your thoughts and feelings but not being a slave to them, and having no judgement against yourself for having them.
It differs from meditation in that it isn't a temporary state that is only experience while meditating. It's a way of living that allows us to be more present in any situation.
In a world full of distractions, mindfulness can be an extremely powerful tool, that can be cultivated through training, in the form of mindful meditation. Time away on an Edumadic program is a great opportunity to cultivate this practice of mindful meditation and see what a life-changing habit this can be.
Resources:
Waking Up App
Self-Awareness
Who are you? Have you ever asked yourself that?
Knowing yourself might be the most important piece of information that we ever acquire. Throughout your formal education you will have studied what can sometimes seem an infinite expanse of topics, but you likely have never studied yourself. Considering how powerful this study can be, it seems strange to us that this isn't a core part of the curriculum at any stage of education.
What makes you tick? Are you an extrovert or an introvert? What childhood experiences have an impact on your character and personality to this day? How do other people see me? How do I see myself? These are just some of the questions that we believe we should all be asking ourselves. They're also questions that professionals in the Psychology field have been asking for many decades, and as such there are plenty of tools out there to help you figure these big questions out.
Thinking deeply about the answers to these questions, while in a new environment like that which you will find on an Edumadic program, can be particularly revealing. You're in a new environment around new people that don't know who you are in any capacity. Your fellow Edumads have no pre-conceived notions of who you are so they offer clear mirror upon which to reflect.
Resources:
Self-Authoring
Big 5 Personality test
Health
Nutrition
Another subject that is totally neglected in our formal education system. What we put into our bodies is our fuel, our life force. Everything we do and are is a product of the nutrients that we consume. Why then, are we still neglecting our bodies with the Standard American Diet. A simple google of this term makes for bleak reading.
The jury is still out on how exactly we should fuel our bodies. But what we do know is that the Standard American Diet is not the way to go. Vegan, Keto, Plant Based, Paleo. Have you tried them? Maybe our programs are a great opportunity to dip your toe in a different way of eating. Especially in environments that might be better suited to it.
Fitness
Many of our program locations provide the opportunity to explore one or more activities that will get your heart rate pumping. Whether it be yoga in Bali or surfing in Spain, there's always a new sport to try your hand at.
Local education opportunities
Almost all of our locations have opportunities to learn something tangible on the ground while you're there. These can be a great addition to your core learning goals, and get you out from behind your computer screen into reality. A few that people have pursued in the past:
Surfing
You may have noticed a heavy surfing theme in the locations that our programs run in. This might have something to do with our Founder's obsession with the sport.... just maybe. In the locations where surfing is a possibility we're always within walking distance of the closest beginner spot. We always make connections with local schools and instructors to get our Edumads great deals on lessons and board rental.
Available in: Bali, Costa Rica, Canary Islands
Yoga
Yoga isn't far behind surfing in Edumadic's most beloved past times. In many of our locations you'll find a handful of yoga schools that offer classes from beginner to advanced. They often have ancillary classes and educational opportunities as well in topics like breathwork, sound healing, and meditation.
Available in: Bali, Costa Rica
Language
There is the opportunity to learn the local language in all of our locations. Classes are usually very cheap and learning while surrounded by native speakers and with opportunity to practice every day is the most efficient way to progress. You'll be blown away by how far your knowledge can progress in such a short time frame.
Available in: Everywhere! Though Spanish is the most popular language people want to learn which is spoken in Costa Rica and the Canary Islands.
And a whole load more!
Other learning opportunities on our programs include
- Scuba and Freediving in Koh Phangan, Koh Lanta, and Bali
- Salsa in Costa Rica and the Canary Islands
- Rock Climbing in the Canary Islands and Bali
- Muay Thai in Chiang Mai, Koh Phangan, and Koh Lanta
Create your own curriculum
There are courses in anything and everything on the web from knitting to neuroscience. And there a number of education platform that amalgamate these courses into searchable databases.
We've seen many Edumads pick courses from these platforms, to learn topics they're interested in without the incentive of becoming a digital nomad, or obtaining a degree. Purely learning for the sake of learning. What a wonderful concept!
