For those of us spending lots of time at home, this is a great time to learn something new.
Want to go on a virtual tour of the Met Museum with a top-tier Columbia art professor? Or learn about the history of the Olympics from a professor at UNC Chapel Hill? How about discover the science of intelligence with Amherst’s top professor of psychology? Now you can whenever the mood strikes through One Day University.
You may have heard of One Day University, or even attended one of its events. Pre-pandemic, the organization hosted wildly popular seminars in 61 cities around the country — including Miami.
Like other institutions of higher learning, One Day U has decided to go virtual so that everyone can “attend” fascinating lectures by professors from Harvard, Yale, Columbia, Stanford, Cornell, and dozens of other schools.
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Here’s how it works. Every weekday at 3 p.m. EST, One Day U live-streams a brand-new one-hour talk featuring one of more than 200 engaging professors. They are open to all members — no advance registration required. Anyone with a computer or tablet can participate.
Here’s a video snippet of a talk by Professor Catherine Anderson of Amherst College on Understanding Intelligence.
During a live talk, attendees can enter questions at any point in a “Chatroll” box on their screens. Then, the professor goes through and addresses questions in the last 15 minutes of the talk.
One Day U sends out an email to members every Sunday called the “Weekend Scholar” with a schedule of the week’s upcoming talks and direct links to view, so members can add the week’s talks to their calendar.
Just visit the website and click “upcoming talks,” or click on a talk in the “Weekend Scholar” email when it is time to stream.
Photo: One Day University
One Day University has a reputation for unique, interesting, eclectic topics, with a diverse lineup of talks: The Science of Happiness; The Worst Supreme Court Decisions; Women in Comedy; Beethoven and the Beatles; and Why Art Matters will all stream live this spring.
Missed a live talk? No worries! Membership also includes access to a searchable video library of past 500-plus talks on topics including history, art, politics, psychology, literature, film, science, and much more.
Among the most popular:
- Hamilton vs. Jefferson: The Rivalry that Shaped America | Louis Masur, Rutgers University
- What We Know About the Brain | Jessica Payne, University of Notre Dame
- The Musical Genius of Frank Sinatra | Anna Celenza, Georgetown University
- The Presidential Library: Books that shaped Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln, FDR and More | Joseph Luzzi, Bard College
- Four Paintings Every Art Lover Should See | Tina Rivers Ryan, Albright-Knox Art Gallery (formerly Columbia University)
- Positive Psychology: The Science of Happiness | Catherine Sanderson, Amherst University
- Four Films that Changed America | Marc Lapadula, Yale University
Members can access all of these plus hundreds more in One Day University’s video library here.
Photo: One Day University
One Day University is perfect for lifelong learners of all ages. You don’t need a college degree, just a curious mind that likes to dig in to a variety of topics and issues.
While the One Day U professors hail from prestigious universities, they are also experts in making their subject matter accessible to learners of any level.
Talks are just 50 minutes, with no homework or tests (woo-hoo!), and designed to be enjoyed without a background knowledge in the subject matter.
If you did attend One Day University in Miami, you may have paid $100 or more. Now you can “enroll” for just $8.95 per month or $89 if you pay for the entire year in advance. It doesn’t take a math whiz to know that calculates to about 25 cents per day.
Not only can you participate in new live-streamed lectures five days a week, but you get unlimited access to the video library.
Right now, One Day University is offering a two-week free trial to anyone who signs up for a membership, but you can try a whole month for FREE here. After that, it’s just $8.95 per month or $89 per year. It’s a lot cheaper than college tuition — and maybe you’ll learn more, too!
Photo: One Day University
One Day University memberships also make fantastic gifts. Gift memberships are available for the full-year price of $89.
When you purchase a gift membership, you enter the name and email address of the recipient, and the date and time you would like the gift to be sent. You can also enter a customized message.
The gift recipient is sent a certificate via email on the specified date/time. This certificate has detailed instructions for them to redeem and set up an account.
Gift recipients are not required to sign up for a recurring membership or enter a credit card to use their gift — they just get one year of full access, unless they choose to renew after that. You can buy a gift membership for the lifelong learner in your life here.
