What began as something only BU faculty and staff had access to in 2017 became something BU students gained access to in 2018. Lynda.com is a website that offers on-demand courses and videos about the latest technology and workplace and creative skills. Access has also been given to Lyndacampus which has topics for teaching and learning in post-secondary.

To access this resource you must first sign up for Lynda.com using your BU email address (you got a link in your BU email about it). Next they send you an email to that account. Following the link, you create your account which is basically entering in your full name and creating a password. When you have done that it brings you to a homepage that highlights some popular videos, and even videos that are popular specifically on your campus. You can watch videos on project management, time management, “College Prep: Writing a Strong Essay” and so on. These videos can help you learn skills that are helpful both for university and for a summer job or career. There are a ton of categories on technology, developing, business, photography and so on. You can also take a “guided tour” which shows the viewer how to use the site.

So why is this a cool thing for students? If you know an area you need to develop further, such as time management, you can watch videos to better yourself. It might sound pretty corny, but employers are impressed by someone taking initiative to self-educate and identify weaknesses or skills to develop. It also allows people to teach themselves how to do things like coding or how to use Powerpoint. Basically, Lynda.com can allow you to become a better employee and a better student simply by spending some time watching videos.

It is unclear how long BU students will have access to this resource, so check it out while you can!