This year, it’s time to take action! Whether you want to boost your skills, nurture your creativity, or explore new horizons, here are five inspiring courses for 2025 to help you grow and transform.
With the New Year upon us, we recently shared our favorite apps for making ourresolutions—and sticking to them! Now, Shoelifer is taking it a step further by diving into the concept of self-investment. Why? Because believing in yourself, developing your skills and well-being, betting on your own growth, and expanding your opportunities is undoubtedly one of the best resolutions you can make. It also aligns beautifully with 2025, the Chinese Zodiac’s Year of the Snake, symbolizing wisdom, transformation, and renewal.
But how do you turn good intentions into action? By diving into new fields of knowledge, for starters. We’ve put together a 2025 wish list of courses that have caught our eye. From pastry-making and AI to entrepreneurship, writing, and music, here are five online options that offer minimal hassle and maximum enjoyment. Let’s dive in!
Bake your way to bliss
Our first favorite among the 2025 courses is the 2.0 masterclass series by Pierre Hermé, widely regarded as one of the best pastry chefs in the world. The course includes 10 lessons (five hours of learning) that you can revisit endlessly, helping you master the basics and become a pro in classic pastries like macarons, éclairs, mille-feuille, creams, and tart doughs. With Hermé as your guide, you’ll gain invaluable tips and a keen eye for finding quality ingredients.
MentorShow, Masterclass by Pierre Hermé: Learn pastry-making (€12/month or €144/year for access to this course and other programs on the platform).
If this sparks a true passion and you find yourself in Paris, we highly recommend checking out the 2025 courses offered by the Ritz Escoffier School. Options include a three-day program dedicated to chocolate and confectionery, or a one-day masterclass on viennoiseries.
École Ritz Escoffier, 15 Place Vendôme, Paris.
Email: [email protected]
Courses range from €270 to €1,500.
Geek out
Already a coding whiz? Then Stanford University’s Generative AI: Technology, Business, and Society Program might just be your go-to for 2025. This comprehensive program, led by industry experts, is divided into three parts. The first covers the technical foundations of generative AI, teaching you how to build and model AI systems. The second explores the commercial and strategic opportunities of AI, focusing on profit generation and productivity. The third addresses ethical and legal considerations. This certified program is a fantastic way to add serious value to your CV.
Generative AI: Technology, Business, and Society Program, Stanford University, fully online. $2,985 (34 hours of coursework).
Beatmaker 101
What if one of the most legendary producers in contemporary music became your personal mentor in 2025? It’s no dream—Timbaland himself (a R&B and pop icon) offers a masterclass on creating and producing instrumental tracks. In 15 lessons over three hours, you’ll learn rhythm, sampling, and melodies. All you need is a computer and a small mixing board to embark on this fun, engaging, and immersive program.
Masterclass.com, Timbaland Teaches Producing and Beatmaking: €10/month for access to this course and all platform content.
Overcome writer’s block
If writing intrigues you and you’re eager to give it a go, this 2025 course on Creative Writing, available for free on My Mooc, is perfect for you. Having a writing project—be it fiction, a novel, or otherwise—is one thing, but the lack of structure can often lead to frustration or the dreaded writer’s block. Creativity needs a framework to thrive.
This course teaches you to carve out time for writing, set goals, structure your narrative, develop character arcs, and edit effectively. It also offers advice from seasoned masters of the craft, including the illustrious Stephen King, to make your story truly compelling.
My Mooc, Creative Writing: Free (5 modules).
The basics of entrepreneurship
Last but not least among our favorite 2025 courses is the Entrepreneurial Mindset program, taught by faculty from the University of Maryland and hosted on Coursera (available in English and French). This online course is a comprehensive guide to launching a startup, covering everything from benchmarking and business plans to pitching and fundraising. Access to the course is free, but to take exams and earn a certificate, you’ll need a Coursera subscription ($25–$39 per month).
Coursera, Entrepreneurial Mindset: One month, 10 hours per week.
