Like most other products of the Indian education system, I grew up being a marks oriented (as opposed to a learning oriented) student. My curiosity died a slow death, with the constant reinforcement of the notion that the main goal of each academic year was to do exceedingly well in examinations. I really enjoyed getting good grades, and that was always my biggest motivation to study.

I stumbled into the world of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) almost three years ago. That was when the paradigm shift took place in my mind- I started learning for the sheer joy of it, instead of simply as a means to an end. edX and Coursera became my two best friends. One of my biggest regrets in life was that I had to choose a career path at the age of fifteen, without even getting a chance to explore all my options.

MOOCs gave me the chance to do just that. Suddenly, I had the opportunity to study any subject that caught my fancy, right from Behavioural Economics to Entrepreneurship and the Psychology of Criminal Justice. It is such a privilege to be able to learn from the best professors in the top universities in the world. Their ability to make a subject come alive, that too through a digital medium that does not afford any face to face interaction, is absolutely incredible!

Since then, I have taken more than twenty MOOCs . My favourites so far are The Science of Everyday Thinking on edX and Social Psychology on Coursera. MOOCs made me fall in love with learning, and for that, I will always be grateful.

Amisha is a Post Graduate in Public Relations from SCoRe, Class of 2017 and a Graduate in Psychology from R.D. National College with a perfect 7.0 GPA. Her background in psychology helped her get keen insights into human behaviour which she has applied in the field of Public Relations – she completed an internship in Public Relations with Edelman India. She is also a pro photographer, and a passionate traveller.

She can be reached @amishatirthani  on Twitter and as Amisha Tirthani on LinkedIn.