From pop music videos and cooky nursery rhymes to cats making chefs and sports clips, YouTube is usually a source of distraction or pure entertainment. But it can become a powerful learning tool. You just have use it for more than entertainment or a guide for relaxation.
You’ll find hours of research and centuries of knowledge packed in fun, dynamic and intelligible videos available on this platform.
But where do you look for interesting and educational videos?
A few subscriptions to interesting channels are enough to transform your YouTube feed, providing you with knowledge every time you’re looking for something to watch.
Here is the selection of ten channels worth your attention.
1. Scribbr
Let’s start with the basics. Writing papers the right way is a must in every discipline. There is so much to learn about academic requirements, and sometimes instructions from a professor are not clear enough for the peculiarities to be understood correctly.
Thus, Scribbr is created to help you with that. The channel will walk you through the format, structure, and types of essays in short 3- to 7-minute videos. However, if you still have difficulties with writing, try custom service from a professional paperwriter who knows the ins and outs of any academic task. It will make everything about a particular assignment clear once and for all.
2. Vox
If you are limitless in your curiosity, Vox will work just fine. It touches social and cultural phenomena of modern days, along with interesting facts from multiple disciplines. This channel is a great source of insights into the fast-changing world we live in. It helps broaden one’s outlook. Plus, it gives the viewer the potential to become the most interesting person in every room.
3. Wisecrack
This channel is all about applied liberal arts. No philosophical topic is too complicated if it is explained via popular culture content. The team reveals what moral lessons comic books, superhero movies, or animation characters represent, reflecting on how such ideas manifest in society.
This channel will be a precious find for philosophy or cultural studies students. The best thing about Wisecrack is that it doesn’t feel like learning when you watch it.
4. TED-Ed
Not only have TED events gone mainstream, but the recordings of speeches within this project are usually teacher-approved sources of knowledge, perspectives and insights. Indeed, many students get assigned to analyze or reflect on some TED talks. The speakers are always exceptional professionals or famous individuals whose tips have proven to work.
As it often happens, you can visit the channel for some motivation and learn something about cryptocurrencies or another popular subject.
5. Crash Course
Crash Course will be of great help when one needs to grasp a specific topic in a short time. All the information its videos provide is well-researched and evidence-based. So it will either give you an understanding of the subject or help you further investigate the matter. The creators also try to keep their content fun, so get ready to learn a lecture-long piece of information in up-to-15-minute videos.
6. AsapSCIENCE
As the channel’s name implies, it provides its audience with quick shots of knowledge on specific topics. Every crash course is arranged, and the disciplines vary from social sciences to organic chemistry or astronomy. Plus, there is a special course on work with information and media literacy, which is essential for contemporary students. Hence, if you want something more profound than one video on a topic, go ahead and take an entire crash course.
7. National Geographic
All the channels we discussed previously are more compact and loaded with information. In contrast, this one is for slow learners. National Geographic is an acclaimed media also present on YouTube. It will be a perfect option for you if you want to learn something interesting and exciting about our planet while relaxing, doing the morning routine, or cooking.
The content on this channel is meditative and educational at the same time. Go for it when in a curious mood and learn about the world through high-quality content.
8. HowStuffWorks
This channel is created by and for people who have not given up on their childish curiosity. HowStuffWorks is there to explain things we don’t think about much, such as how physics makes birds fly, how the microwave works, or where is the place of popular culture in our life.
The range of topics the channel covers is impressive and will certainly contribute to the general knowledge of their audience. Although topics may seem complicated first, the delivery is relaxed, so you don’t need to have any background knowledge to understand the content.
9. Khan Academy
Among all the channels on the list, Khan Academy is the most serious one. It is a collection of lectures and courses from professors and educators from all over the world who tailored their material to an easy-to-understand online format. Besides, these are the courses on fundamental disciplines that all YouTube users can take for free.
The channel has the same structure as Crash Course; only it delivers information in a more formal way. But do not confuse formal with boring since the lecturers will amaze you.
10. Oversimplified
The final channel, Oversimplified, is the most laid-back one. It’s closer to entertainment than actual teaching. Videos on the channel explain significant historical events in an oversimplified way — namely, with voiced-over DIY cartoons.
However, with such an entertaining delivery, the content shows a profound understanding of historical nuances. Come for a few laughs and learn along the way.
YouTube: A Good Educational Tool
Getting smarter is a process, and there is no rule that it must be hard when you’re getting information online. YouTube proves it perfectly.
Of course, it does not substitute college education. Yet, switching to entertaining content that is also educational will not only provide you with specific knowledge from different fields. It will improve your critical thinking skills, which are crucial for any student. So grab some tea and combine your favorite leisure activity with learning.
