CRASH COURSE: GOT A MINUTE?

You don’t need experience to pick up these new skills. And you can even earn a certificate from some of these on-demand learning programmes in a fun and enjoyable way in 60 seconds, 60 minutes, or 60 hours for deep learning courses.

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You don’t need experience to pick up these new skills. And you can even earn a certificate from some of these on-demand learning programmes in a fun and enjoyable way in 60 seconds, 60 minutes, or 60 hours for deep learning courses.

60 SECONDS

Snappy Fixes

An awesome collection of solutions for those with a short attention span. The 60-Second Skills on LitmosHeroes.com offers hundreds of quick fixes and self-improvement skills for the workplace and home, from nailing that interview, dissecting a balance sheet, social media marketing, reducing stress and more. Prices start at US$2.49 ($3.55) per user per month but you can sign up for a free trial.

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Draw And Paint Like An Artist 

Daunting software such as Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator have never been easier to master with Envato Tuts+ 60 Second Video Tutorials’ free series at bit.ly/2yGelNb. Get helpful tips and tricks in a wide range of videos, such as Illustrator in 60 Seconds: How to Use the Layers Panel, and Photoshop in 60 Seconds: How to Customize a Flyer Template. The vids give you enough knowledge – and confidence – to explore the intricacies of designing.

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Fold Origami

Like A Pro Transform a single piece of paper into mind-boggling art – a mini 3-D sculpture – in 60 seconds. For starters, try an easy paper airplane or a boomerang, and when your fingers are feeling more dexterous, progress to an intricate lotus flower or fighter jet plane, with help at bit.ly/2UMOJqo.

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Cook Up

A Storm With The 60 Second Chef This one’s for you if you’ve always wanted to learn cooking but are intimidated by fancy jargon, ingredients or lack of skill. Patrick Drake, better known as the 60 Second Chef, teaches you how to whip up a storm through a fun online cooking course of 60-second video tutorials.

His delicious no-frills, bite-sized approach covers all the bases to make you a competent chef. On 60secondchef. com, you can purchase the complete 79-lesson course at £29.95 (S$53). Go through The Starter Pack (equipment to buy, how to sharpen a knife, basic chopping techniques and more), The Nutrition Pack (good fat or bad fat), The Main Pack (basic cooking techniques) and Bonus Pack (easy-to-follow recipes galore!).

His Youtube channel at bit.ly/2XdHoSj has a smaller selection of recipes such as the perfect pan-fried steak or sugar-free scones.

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60 MINUTES

Be A Web Expert

Through 10 video lessons at skl.sh/3b3U3eW, you can learn the basics on website data, and how to make it work productively. Conducted by Google Analytics strategist Jeff Sauer, the 60-minute course teaches Fundamentals of Google Analytics, which covers user demographics, key search terms, campaign tracking and creating dashboards. Get a two-month free trial or an annual plan at $11.50 per month.

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Quick musical fingers

You won’t magically transform into a guitar virtuoso after this 12-lesson course(total 60 minutes) but you’ll learn the basics. Known among fans for his quick-learning tutorials, Mike Boyd walks you through the fundamentals, from the anatomy of a guitar to how to hold the instrument, tune and strum it, along with a few simple chords. The course at skl.sh/2XnJTlj culminates in learning how to play two songs – Wild Thing, and Sweet Home Alabama. Get a two-month free trial or an annual plan at $11.50 per month.

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Paint masterpieces

The hour-long course with 14 lessons, Modern Watercolor Techniques, by American artist Cat Coquillette is perfect for beginners. Never mind if you can’t paint to save your life: The first few lessons at skl.sh/2x79KTC covers introductory topics like art supplies, colour palettes, and even brush control. Get a two-month free trial or an annual plan at $11.50 per month.

Learn how to distil complex motifs into simple shapes with a whimsical touch using watercolours.

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Revamp Your Home

Want a home makeover but don’t know where to start? Interior designer Rose Stanek will guide you from floor plan layout to lighting, colours and wall art. She covers the fundamentals of interior design in an hour of 51 bite-sized lessons at skl.sh/2JMx8sw. Scroll to the bottom of the class page and be inspired by how other students have transformed their spaces.

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60 HOURS

Goodbye Stick-figures, Hello Hyper-realistic Human Bodies

It’s a shame Jack didn’t take this course before Rose asked him to “draw her like one of his French girls” in Titanic. You guessed it – this course is for those looking to become savants at anatomical drawing, and who have a little more time on their hands. The 64-lesson (total 60 hours) Mastering the Human Figure at bit.ly/34uviFX costs $104.99. All you need is a pencil and paper or any art program on your computer. Art instructor Neil Fontaine is meticulous, covering everything from drawing basic proportions, different body parts, and even how muscles change in shape and size when the human body is in different poses. 

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Create your own 3-D models

Once you’re done, you’d be able to impress your friends and family with 3-D printed gifts, create video game assets, or design your dream home. This 60-hour course by game developer Rick Davidson will transform you from zero to hero using Blender, a 3-D animation software, to create 3-D models. On the menu are the basics of animation, and how to combine computer-generated imagery with real-life footage. This 349-lecture course ($204.99) at bit.ly/34qLxnu may be lengthy, but for what you can learn, it’s well worth it.

A useful course for those who aspire to be a comic artist. Learn how to draw a simplified skeleton, too.

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Be Your Own Therapist

Learn how to improve your mental health, increase emotional quotient, sharpen communication skills and understand the theories behind cognition and behaviour, all in 60 hours. Applied psychology teacher Kain Ramsay goes deep into how cognitive psychology can be used to positively impact the emotional and mental well-being of people around you and yourself. The Cognitive Behavioural Therapy Practitioner Certificate course at bit.ly/3a0HMpW is priced at $209.99.

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PHOTOS: 123RF & UNSPLASH