Calling all students, this upskilling platform is a great way to pass the time at home

Spending so much time at home means that many of us are looking for creative ways to keep entertained and as it turns out, there's only so much Netflix we can binge-watch before that too loses its appeal. If you're looking to put your time to good use and maybe learn something new while you're at it, then the free online upskilling courses from Vodafone X are the way to go. Level Up is included free as part of the Vodafone X student mobile plan, it gives students the opportunity to try out loads of new skills. Users can choose courses from six main categories (Audio, Visual, Art & Design, Entertainment Arts, Entrepreneurial and Tech) and as we revealed last week, Vodafone X has opened up the platform to all 18-25-year olds during the Covid-19 pandemic - giving you unlimited access to expert knowledge completely free of charge. I had a browse through some of the options and decided to give some of the visual classes a go - settling on The Art of Photography: Defining Your Visual Style and the Minimalist Food Photography course. First up, The Art of Photography. I chose this one as it was quite broad and sounded like a good place to start. The course consisted of six lessons, each taught by photographer Stephen Vanasco (AKA Van Styles) and focused mainly on street photography. My favourite part of this particular course was when Van Styles took us around New York City with him. It was really interesting to see how an experienced photographer can find inspiration from his surroundings... and was a welcome escape from my own bedroom. Though this course was mainly centred around street photography, the skills are applicable to any branch of photography you're interested in - it definitely taught me not to overlook the simple, everyday items when heading out with my camera.

I followed this course up with Minimalist Food Photography. This one was taught by photographer Kate Weybret. The course was split into 13 bite-sized lessons and wasn't a huge time commitment at only 34 minutes long. However, it's good to note that you don't have to do the course all at one time so you can dip in and out as you please.

This course was really engaging and you could even upload your 'class assignments' for critique from Kate and other participants which was a big motivation to get creative and showcase your work.

I really enjoyed learning more about photoshop and the process involved, not only in shooting your subject but in putting together your body of work and making sure it tells a story. Of course, these are just two of the many upskilling options available on Level Up which include classes on other topics such as how to win the internet and tips for perfecting your acting technique. So why not get creating, learning and upskilling? Head here to check it out and get access.