Online shopping manager Paula Mendoza spent her time being productive by completing 20 Ivy League and global university online courses while under home quarantine due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Mendoza previously made her mark as the first Filipino traveler to be featured on the History Channel after visiting all Philippine provinces within 3 months after she arrived back in the country from a 2-year stint as an overseas Filipino worker in Saudi.
This time, the former OFW focused all her attention on studying and was able to finish at least one course every day during the community quarantine that kept people at home.
The 28-year-old from Makati who goes by her moniker “Balikbayang Liwaliw” on Facebook shared about her course studies saying she first tried out one course, like the flow, and then found herself completing more until she stopped at 20.
Mendoza also shared insights about the value of experience and learnings as she encouraged everyone to keep learning.
“Sa kahit anong simpleng bagay, palagi kang matuto. Gawin mo muna para sa sarili, tapos gawin mo para sa ibang tao. Mas makakapagbigay ka kasi kung meron kang laman. Aapaw ka at dadaloy lang ito. Pagpatuloy mo lang, lahat naman tayo palagi lang merong natututunan.”
(You always learn even in simple things. Do it for yourself first, then do it for someone else. You can give more if you have something within you. You will overflow and it will just flow. Just continue, all of us are always learning something.)
Here are the courses Paulo Mendoza completed during the ECQ:
- UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA
– Achieving Personal and Professional Success - UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO
– Social Media Advertising - UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON
– Dynamic Public Speaking - THE STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK
– Strategic Self Marketing and Personal Branding - UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA
– Work Smarter, Not Harder: Time Management for Personal & Professional Productivity
– Effective Problem Solving and Decision Making
– Initiating and Planning Projects - RUTGERS UNIVERSITY OF NEW JERSEY
– Strategic Sourcing - HEC PARIS
– Building Your Leadership Skills - MCMASTER UNIVERSITY
– Finance For Everyone: Value - MACQUARIE UNIVERSITY
– Marketing analytics: Know your customers
– Strategic management: Be competitive - UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND
– Developing Innovative Ideas for New Companies: The First Step in Entrepreneurship - NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY
– Leadership Through Social Influence
– Content Strategy for Professionals: Engaging Audiences
– Connecting with Sales Prospects - IE BUSINESS SCHOOL
– Brand Identity and Strategy
– From Brand to Image: Creating High Impact Campaigns That Tell Brand Stories - NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF SINGAPORE
– Strengthening Your Widening Network - TECHNION – ISRAEL INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
– Cracking the Creativity Code: Discovering Ideas
Mendoza took the courses from coursera.org for free. The worldwide online learning flatform features more than 2,000 courses and Specializations developed by 140+ of the best colleges and universities in the world.
“It was quite exciting! You can feel you’re in a real class. You just have to pass every exam and submit all the needed requirements for you to complete the course and gain a certificate afterwards,” Mendoza says in her interview on CNN Philippines.
If you want to follow her example, Mendoza advised future learners to check the course syllabus first before enrolling to get an overview of the topics that will be discussed and know what to expect in the program.
The Philippines’ De La Salle-College of St. Benilde is offering Filipino sign language online lessons to raise funds for deaf students and frontliners affected by the lockdown.
Meanwhile, the Work at Home online platform for artists and other freelancers to offer their services was launched on Labor Day while Dingdong Dantes’ Yes Pinoy Foundation promotes work from home arrangements.
SEND CHEERS in the comments below to Paula Mendoza for making the most of her time during the ECQ by finishing 20 Ivy League university courses!
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