10 Websites to Learn Something New in 30 Minutes a Day

Sean is the founder and CEO of Rype, a language learning app. He's an entrepreneur and blogger.

Learning something new is always an exciting endeavor. The problem is that most of us get wrapped up in busy distractions throughout the day and never find the time to learn the new skill we want.

What’s worse is that some of us spend hours learning this new skill only to give up after a few months, which is precious time that goes down the toilet.

Luckily, there’s a better solution:

Instead of using our time to sit through long lectures and lengthy video courses, we can take advantage of all the amazing learning websites that can help us learn something new in 30 minutes or less.

I’ve collected the best sites that teach a diversified list of topics to share with you today as you jump into the learning process.

1. Lynda

Estimated time: 20-30 mins
Topics: Business, marketing, design, software tools

Get access to thousands of courses with a 10-day free trial to develop your skills in business, Photoshop, software, and much more. Lynda (by LinkedIn) offers courses and tutorials taught by expert teachers, so whether you want to upgrade your skills for personal or professional use, you’ll find just what you need here.

2. Skillshare

Estimated time: 20-30 mins
Topics: Cooking, design, software tools, marketing, photography

Ten dollars per month gets you access to bite-sized, on-demand courses taught by leading experts like Gary Vaynerchuk, Roxane Gay, and more. With each course, you’ll know you’re getting high-quality information that will inspire you to continue upgrading your knowledge.

3. Hackaday

Estimated time: 5 mins
Topics: Life hacks, productivity

This website delivers tips to make your life easier and more productive. Just 5 minutes a day is all you need to learn new hacks to improve your lifestyle. Many of the topics are related to new and old technology, but you can find a little bit of everything here.

4. Codecademy

Estimated time: 15-30 mins
Topics: Software development

A gamified approach to coding, Codecademy helps anyone build a website through an interactive learning method. Learn any programming language from HTML, CSS, Javascript, Ruby on Rails, and more by actually practicing with the language instead of spending your time on theory.

This is a great option for anyone who wants to build up their resume or brush up on the basics for their job.

5. 7-min

Estimated time: 7 mins
Topics: Health & Fitness

Most of us aren’t as fit as we would like because of the time constraints caused by work, family, and hobbies. Putting our workout apparel on, driving to the gym, and driving back can take up a lot of our time.

This website will go through dozens of 7-minute routines to get you in shape and ready for the day ahead, so time is no longer an excuse!

6. Calm

Estimated time: 10 mins
Topics: Meditation

Get guided meditations right to your screen. With Calm, you can learn different types of meditation where a teacher can guide you step-by-step through the process. Even if it’s your first time trying meditation, you’ll find this website and app easy to follow and incredibly enlightening.

This site is great for those who struggle with stress and anxiety and need to learn how to tap into the power of the breath to increase relaxation and overall wellbeing.

7. Highbrow

Estimated time: 5 mins
Topics: Business, creative skills, design, history

When you sign up for Highbrow, a great learning website, you’ll get bite-sized email courses delivered to your inbox every morning to learn everything from film history, marketing, business, and more. Each course is only five minutes long and presents information on everything from happiness to productivity to the art of negotiation.

8. Big Think

Estimated time: 10 mins
Topics: Technology, science, life

Learn from the world’s experts about scientific breakthroughs, revolutionary business concepts, and more in short videos. These videos talk about Alzheimer’s research, social media data, developments in space technology, and more. If you find yourself in a boring moment, open Big Thing and drink in some interesting and inspiring knowledge.

9. Khan Academy

Estimated time: 30 mins
Topics: Academics

Recognized by Bill Gates as one of the best teachers online, Salman Khan breaks down complicated subjects into simplified concepts to help you understand them in minutes, not weeks. With each course, you can study at your own pace and devote just a few minutes to your lessons each day if you want.

10. Rype

Estimated time: 15-30 mins
Topics: Foreign languages

Are you “too busy” to learn a foreign language? Meet Rype, your personal trainer for languages. Get unlimited 1-on-1 private language lessons with professional teachers around the world.

Each lesson is just 30 minutes, allowing you to fit learning a new language into your busy lifestyle. You can try it free for 14-days and see for yourself.

The Bottom Line

With all of the amazing resources out there, you don’t have any excuse to wait to learn a new skill or gain more knowledge on a specific topic. Whether it’s for a hobby or your career growth, any of the above learning websites can help you achieve a new level of education and expand your mind without a huge time and money investment. Get started on a new learning experience today.