The Simple Sasquatch Review of

If you’re looking for a budget-friendly way to learn, Skillshare is going to be your best option. They offer two different versions of the platform. Their basic program is free. Though not nearly as extensive as the paid version, you still get plenty of quality lessons. You can choose from over 2000 free classes, as well as gain access to the community pages that let you communicate with other students.

Skillshare’s premium subscription will run you $15 USD per month. You can also choose a $99 per year option, dropping the price down to only $8.25 per month. You’re able to try out the premium version for an entire month for free, giving you more than enough time to see if you like it. So, what’s the difference? With premium, you’ll get unlimited access to the platform’s classes. There are nearly 30,000 of them, so it’s a pretty fair deal! In addition, you’ll be able to enjoy other perks like offline access, teacher support, and 0 advertisements.

This platform is very user friendly. You’re able to run the service through your desktop or your smartphone, making it more accessible. The categories are also easy to navigate, with all options listed underneath “create”, “build,” or “thrive”. You’ll also be targeted with trending courses, recommended courses, and ongoing workshops that you can join.

All course videos will be instantly available when you click on the course. From there you’re able to see the lesson plan, check out the course’s reviews, and have access to the profile of the course instructor. Since Skillshare’s courses are largely run through video only, you won’t have to worry about needing any additional software. However, as Skillshare focuses on artistic learning, some courses may require you to have specific materials. Course lesson plans will warn you of this before you decide to join. For example, if you want to join a calligraphy class, you’ll be warned about whether any special pens are needed.

Signing up for this learning platform takes seconds. You can choose to sign up through Facebook, Google, or email. Once you insert your information, you’ll be taken to a page asking you whether you’d like to try the free service or the premium. No verification is necessary for the free route, and you’ll instantly gain access to all the free courses. Videos are available to access on the platform and don’t require any downloads.

Courses on Skillshare are not accredited. Fortunately, many of the fields that are featured on Skillshare do not require any certification to practice within them. So, the need for accredited courses is not as big as it would be in another field.  In terms of instructors, courses are frequently taught by industry leaders who have plenty of background in their chosen field. Notable instructors include Seth Godin, Jessica Hische, and Paula Scher. So, there’s a good chance that you may stumble on a popular name in your prospective industry!

As most of the courses are hands-on, it’s common for the lesson plans to have a goal of project creation. If you’re taking a creative writing course, you may have the goal of writing a short story to meet the expectations of the course. The discussion boards make it easy to share your work and communicate with others, both to gain insight into the project and to receive feedback. If feedback from like-minded others is important to you, this can be a major draw to choosing this platform.

What's the range of courses on Skillshare?

Skillshare is not going to be the best option for you if you’re looking for something that involves more math or sciences, like a software engineering program. The available courses learn towards the artistic and creative subjects. Animation, fine art, graphic design, and photography are some of this platform’s leading categories. However, if your interests are at all arts-driven, there’s a great chance that they’ll be something for you.

For more in-depth support on specific courses, Skillshare’s discussion board allows you to ask for help from your peers. If you need support on anything else, there are a few ways to get in touch with the platform. They have a request form where you can quickly summarize your issue, allowing the team to get in touch with you with a resolution. There is also a decent help center with frequently asked questions. Unfortunately, if you’re trying to get in touch with the platform’s customer service team over the phone, you’ll be out of luck.

Skillshare won’t give you the tools needed to replace any accredited college or university. Their courses also won’t give you much for marketable skills outside of the art world. However, for a budget-friendly (or even free) price and accessible learning, it’s a wonderful tool for young creatives or those considering changing their field to something more artistic. The ease of its platform also makes it a wonderful choice to introduce to older children or teenagers to help broaden their imaginations and creative spirits.