While watching a TVC or drama, have you ever wondered who wrote those lines? Screenwriting or scriptwriting refers to the art and craft of writing scripts for digital and mass media such as TVC, YouTube, plays, feature films, video games, etc. Nowadays, scriptwriting offers a dynamic career with opportunities for writers in film, television, and digital media. Here are the best free online international scriptwriting courses in 2024 to launch your writing journey. 7 Free Online Scriptwriting Courses  . Scriptwriting: Write a Pilot Episode for a TV or Web Series (Project-Centered Course) In this free, project-centred course, you will write a complete pilot episode for your unique TV or web series. Over 21 hours, spread across 3 weeks at 7 hours per week, you will break down the creative process, discover a structured approach, and produce a polished, pitch-ready script.  This course emphasises "Active Learning," meaning you will learn by doing. Gain confidence in your ideas and abilities, preparing you to pitch your first script and start your next project. The course holds a 4.5 out of 5 rating based on 741 reviews. You can get more details here  https://www.coursera.org/learn/script-writing Read more: Free Online Content Writing Courses Learn Screenwriting Basics from 'The Avengers' This free, 30-minute tutorial introduces beginners to screenwriting, using 'The Avengers' as a prime example. Rated 4.7 out of 5 with 384 reviews, the course covers writing an outline, structuring three acts, building scenes, and creating interesting characters.  You will learn the mechanics of big movies through 8 concise lessons. By the end, you will have an outline for your next movie, utilising techniques from one of the biggest films of all time. Get enrolled here https://www.udemy.com/course/learn-screenwriting-basics-from-the-avengers/ Read more: 7 Top AI Writing Tools, Software to Generate Human-Like Text An Introduction to Screenwriting This free online course by the University of East Anglia spans 2 weeks, with a 3-hour weekly study commitment. It introduces key concepts and fundamental principles of professional screenwriting. You will learn basic theory, script analysis, and practical exercises, covering topics like story structures, character development, scene construction, and screenplay formatting.  Ideal for beginners and experienced writers aiming to elevate their skills, this course includes engaging videos, articles, and discussions. The course has a 4.8 out of 5 rating based on 884 reviews. By the end, you will be fluent in screenplay language and concepts. Find the course here  https://www.futurelearn.com/courses/screenwriting Read more: English Writing Skill: How to Start Writing and Improve Continuously Professional Scriptwriting for Animated Explainer Videos & Motion Graphics In just 38 minutes, this free course teaches you how to write engaging and high-converting scripts for animated explainer videos and motion graphics. You will learn essential skills such as determining script length, designing a professional briefing form, and capturing the brand's voice. 

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a rapidly transforming field and learning AI opens vast career opportunities across industries. If you are interested in learning AI, there are lots of free resources online. What if you can do an AI course from one of the most prestigious universities in the world? Harvard University offers several free AI courses online. These courses can help a lot to boost your AI knowledge and skills. Free Artificial Intelligence Courses by Harvard University Introduction to Computer Science Students can explore the intellectual realms of computer science and grasp programming fundamentals through this course. Designed for beginners, it introduces the basics of computer science and programming, focusing on computational thinking and problem-solving with technology. Open for enrollment until December 31, 2024, this course is taught by David J. Malan.  It offers a comprehensive entry-level experience for majors and non-majors, with or without prior programming knowledge. Over 11 weeks, students learn to think algorithmically and solve problems efficiently, covering topics such as abstraction, algorithms, data structures, encapsulation, resource management, security, software engineering, and web development.  Read more: Humane’s Ai Pin: Incredible Features of the ‘Smartphone Killer’ Introduction to Artificial Intelligence with Python This course explores the fundamentals of AI and machine learning, focusing on Python programming, making it perfect for those interested in this rapidly evolving field. Through this course, you will uncover foundational AI concepts and machine learning algorithms, diving into the ideas behind technologies such as game-playing engines, handwriting recognition, and machine translation.  Open for enrollment until December 31, 2024, the course is 7 weeks long.  Data Science: Machine Learning This self-paced course offers a hands-on learning experience, guiding participants through the creation of a movie recommendation system and demonstrating the practical application of machine learning within data science. Ideal for those seeking insights into machine learning, a cornerstone of data science, the course culminates in building a functional movie recommendation system.  Read more: What Is Google Gemini AI? How to Use the New Chatbot Model As part of the Professional Certificate Program in Data Science, you will learn popular machine learning algorithms, principal component analysis, and regularisation techniques. This course can help you gain practical experience and deepen your understanding of machine learning.  Web Programming with Python and JavaScript Elevate your web development skills with this 12-week course, expanding upon CS50 basics to delve into Python, JavaScript, and SQL for advanced app design and implementation. Ideal for those looking to enhance their programming skills, it offers a thorough exploration of modern web application development techniques.  Covered topics include database design, scalability, security, and user experience. Through hands-on projects, you will learn to develop and use APIs, create interactive user interfaces, and utilise cloud services such as GitHub and Heroku. By the course's end, you will have the knowledge and experience to design and deploy applications on the Internet. You can enrol this course to advance your web development skills.  Read more: How to Answer “Why Did You Choose this Job?” Effectively Understanding Technology The Understanding Technology course demystifies everyday technology by exploring its functionality and implications in daily life, perfect for curious minds. Ideal for those seeking deeper insights into how technology shapes our world without needing a computer science or engineering background, this course is an introduction to technology for students who do not (yet) consider themselves tech-savvy.  Designed for individuals who use technology daily but may not understand its inner workings or know how to troubleshoot issues, this 6-week course fills in the gaps, empowering you to use and solve problems with technology more effectively.  Additional Course Description These free AI courses from Harvard University provide learners with the opportunity to grasp AI fundamentals and understand the intricacies of technology without any financial burden. Designed to expand knowledge and shape individuals’ tech journeys, these self-paced courses allow participants to learn at their convenience.  Read more: How to Customize Your Resume for Each Job Application Enrolment is currently open, with courses available until December 31, 2024, offering ample time to partake in this educational opportunity. Harvard University’s free AI courses, available via Coursera, are a significant contribution to the democratisation of AI education, blending the institution’s academic prestige with the benefits of digital learning platforms.  Closing Lines Online courses can significantly advance your career prospects. Free online courses by Harvard University can open limitless opportunities for people of all ages and cultures around the world. The above-mentioned free and open courses from Harvard University can provide a strong foundation for understanding AI. With dedication and further exploration, you can pursue a rewarding career path in the growing field of AI. Read more: Distance Learning: Top Universities Offering Online Courses for International Students

As the world grappled with the reality of the pandemic, most of the academic activities across the world moved to online platforms. Educational institutions utilized technological tools to provide classes and even hold exams. And with that, the concept of distance learning resurged in the limelight. Many renowned universities offered distance learning even before the pandemic. With time, it is becoming a popular and convenient way of attaining a higher degree. This article looks at some of the best international universities providing distance learning opportunities.  What is Distance Learning?  The concept of distance learning is nothing new. The earliest example of distance learning dates back to the 1840s. Back then, Sir Issac Pitman taught shorthand to his students via postal mail. However, today’s concept of distance learning largely differs from that of the 1800s.  Distance learning today essentially mimics an actual classroom with teachers and students. Universities across the globe partner with platforms like Coursera, and edX to provide certification courses to aspiring students. Some universities offer these courses on their own platform. Recently, undergraduate and postgraduate degrees are also made available through distance learning opportunities.  Read more: Best Countries for Bachelor's Degree in 2023 8 Best Universities in the World with Distance Learning Opportunities  This list includes universities offering certificate, bachelor’s and master’s degrees. It's important to note that distance learning bachelor’s programs are less common than master’s or certificate courses.  University College London  University College London or UCL was founded in 1826. It was established after the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge. In addition to their London campus, the university has campuses in Qatar and Australia.  UCL has 11 academic wings ranging from arts and humanities to medical sciences. It ranks 12th in US News’ list of Best Global Universities. The university offers 403 undergraduate degrees. Additionally, it offers 621 master’s degrees, and 271 online courses/degrees. The online courses are a mix of certificate as well as postgraduate degrees in all of their available academic wings.  Read more: Cheapest countries for Bangladeshi students for higher studies

 

Gardening is a great way to keep our body and mind fresh. Besides, it is also a popular way to pass our lazy time. But, for urban people, gardening might be a dream as there is not enough space. Still, some enthusiasts started to make a garden on their roof whether it has large or small space. Rooftop gardening is an old concept, but beginners may find it difficult to make a garden on the rooftop. So, understanding the idea and process is necessary before making up your mind to start a rooftop garden. Hence, we have focused on rooftop gardening tips, tricks, and guidelines for Beginners. Benefits of Gardening Gardening is not just about giving your home a good look. It is beneficial for your own physical and mental well-being. A good amount of physical exercise can keep your body fit. However, gardening can contribute to your physical exercise, which can eventually improve your mental health. And it is more useful during this COVID -19 pandemic.  You may need to spend hours to take care of your garden; hence it can burn your calories, and gardening is comparable to some sort of intense exercise. One hour of active gardening can burn about 330 calories from your body, and it increases your body’s metabolism. Therefore, your body’s immunity system gets boosted. Gardening is correlated with stress reduction and ultimately fights against depression and anxiety. In other words, it can be said that your body and mind will stay fresh. It is evident that we may face stress due to the current coronavirus pandemic; even the healthy person can get stressed too. So, gardening can help you out to divert your mind and get you to relieve yourself from stress. Read Terrace farming gains traction in cities Basic Guidelines of Terrace gardening for the Beginners Want to start rooftop gardening, but not sure how to start? Here we will provide you some basic guidelines for your ultimate rooftop gardening. Let’s go through the basic preparation first. Check the drainage system Although most of the roof has a good drainage system, some roof may block the water or does not have enough slope to pass the water. Since the rooftop garden requires more water than the regular garden, you may expect an overflow of the water. So, it is mandatory to check out the roof’s drainage system. If there is any problem with that, you will need to fix it before starting the garden.  Also read: 3 Ways To Live Eco-Friendly in Dhaka Soil The important thing is to grow your garden. For the novice gardener buying a balanced soil consisting of fertilizer is recommended. You can get by that from the nearby nursery. But the amount of needed soil depends on your garden size. So, it is necessary to know the pot or container you will use to plant your trees. Equipment Before starting the gardening process, you should collect some basic equipment such as gloves, hoses, water cans, rakes, trowels, and other tools. Apart from these, you may choose your own relevant tools too. Temperature Checking out your rooftop’s temperature is highly essential because, depending on that, you will need to buy plants. You will also need to check the roof’s position measuring the sun. And you cannot grow any kind of plant on your roof due to Bangladesh’s humid weather. In high humidity or tropical areas, plants need extra care. So, it would be better if you educate yourself about the sunlight on your roof.  Also read: Best Home and Office Shifting Services in Dhaka Water Though the water necessity depends on the plant, you are planning to grow. However, it is always better to have easy access to water on your roof so that you can water your garden whenever you need it. On the other hand, overwatering can hinder your plants. Educating yourself about the plants is highly recommended to know the needs of water. Grow you plant Now that you have everything ready, you are ready to grow your plants. Whether you want to grow the plants from seed or put want to grow flower trees, the raised beds or pots are necessary. So, get your required pot or raised beds and then fill the half portion with soil and then rope your desired tree and then fill the rest of the part. And then continue this step for other pots too. Gradually you will see your garden growing. Read IFAD supports smallholder farmers with nutritious homestead vegetable gardening kits Tips and Tricks for Rooftop Gardening Gardening is fun, but sometimes it can be difficult to manage if you don’t plan properly. Some tips and tricks can make your gardening life easier. Firstly, put your pots or raised bed in the appropriate places, depending on the plant’s characteristics. For example, you should put sun-loving plants in the open space, where they can get enough rays. And keep other plants under the shades. Secondly, watering the plants carefully. As we have mentioned earlier, overwatering can damage the root. As a result, your plant may die. However, there are some plants that need more water than others. So, make sure you know your plants well. Do not grow some plants that have a deep and aggressive root system. Thirdly, for the better growth of your plant, try to feed liquid fertilizer that contains high potassium and low nitrogen. The appropriate amount of potassium can increase the growth of flowers and fruits. For the rooftop garden, balancing while planting can ensure the overall growth of the plants. Make sure you maintain diversity when selecting the plants. A combination of large plants, small trees, shrubs, ground cover can balance your garden. Besides, it can be eye-soothing too.  Read Possible Food Crisis: Vegetable gardening at courtyards of 6.5 lakh houses planned Where to Buy Terrace Gardening Supplies Online? If you want to buy all the gardening stuffs such as seeds, fertilizers, plants, tools, etc., online, there are many websites that can get your job done. For example, Daraz, garder.com.bd, mygardenbd.com, bonayon.com, and aci-bd.com. Online Courses to Learn Gardening If you have no idea about gardening and want to get practical experience in gardening, you can take some online courses. If you have an international credit card, you can visit udemy.com, skillshare.com, or masterclass.com and enroll in some world-class gardening courses. For example, you can try Ron Finley’s gardening class on masterclass.com and Gardening 101 on skillshare.com.  Although there are not enough online courses available in Bangladesh for gardeners, you can try different channels to learn gardening. You can search on YouTube about gardening in Bangladesh. Besides, you may also visit oregonbd.org/online-course to get a complete idea of gardening. Read Rooftop Gardening: Way to Release Stress and Promote Health during Pandemic

The U.S. federal immigration officials on Friday announced that new foreign students will be barred from entering the United States if they plan to take their classes entirely online this fall.