I have always been interested in various fields, such as science, business, technology, management, politics, social problems, and more. One day, a friend of mine who lives and studies in the UK suggested that I check out the edX platform. She gave me a brief introduction, and I became intrigued and decided to look it up. It took me some time to become familiar with the site, its offerings, the various courses, the topics they cover, and how the courses and programs work.

The first program that caught my attention was offered by the University System of Maryland and called Innovation and Entrepreneurship. It consists of four parts, each with its own verified certificate. The first course I took was Identifying Entrepreneurial Opportunities, led by Dr. James V. Green.

About the course

The course focuses on startups – how they work, what they need to be successful, how to deal with competition, and how to reduce the chances of failure. It’s a course that can definitely help anyone who wants to develop their ideas into something bigger and potentially successful.

I have always had a special interest in economics and the creation and provision of products and services. I am interested in how logistics are managed and how everything is interconnected. I understand that small businesses are the backbone of the economy, and startups are the modern types of businesses that, due to innovation and agility, can have a significant impact not only on the economy but also on other sectors. This program and this course were the perfect choice for me to increase my knowledge in this field. I am looking forward to finishing all the courses in the program and am excited about what the next course has to offer.

The educational journey I am on right now enriches me with each page that I read and each lecture that I attend. I am unsure of what I will have learned by the end of the whole program, and my objectives or ideas will likely have undergone some changes because of the learning process. However, the one goal that will never change is to learn something new every day and to reward my curiosity with new knowledge.

Inspiration and Opportunity

I found this course to be exactly what I needed to better understand how innovation affects the economy. The course experience emphasized points and details I had never considered when studying microeconomics. Although I had never started my own business or considered doing so, this course will undoubtedly be useful if I ever feel inspired to do so. This learning experience taught me that inspiration needs to be nurtured, which is the key to progress. Life is short, so don’t neglect the opportunities around you. These are some of the lessons I learned from my studies. The course included examples of companies, competition, users, attracting investors, innovation, and more – a lot of information to process. However, the most important lesson I took away was that there is always a chance, and being big doesn’t mean being eternal.

Dr. James V. Green Book

I found Dr. James V. Green’s book, “The Opportunity Analysis Canvas,” to be very helpful in understanding the course and providing me with better insight into what it’s all about. It’s one of those books that you can read multiple times and still learn something new, or it can help you see a problem or situation from a different perspective that you might have previously missed, misunderstood, or underestimated. The book focuses on the steps a person needs to be aware of if they want to start their own start-up. Even if a person has little intention of starting a business, it could certainly be helpful as a self-help book; at least that’s the impression it made on me.

There’s a popular saying in Bulgaria that you should judge somebody not by their words, but by their actions. Creating your own start-up, be it by yourself or with another person, would represent who you are by the work you do. Knowing more about the processes and steps to creating something truly successful will definitely help you on your path. There are topics in this course that can make a person think about life, what it is, what opportunities it holds, and that time is the most valuable resource of them all. It’s not something that I think about every day, but it had a motivating effect on me.

Course requirements

It’s different for every person who seeks ways to further develop themselves. Everyone has varying skills, analytical approaches, interests, and goals. For me, my understanding of micro and macroeconomics, public finances, statistics, accounting, and quantitative methods from my bachelor’s degree has helped me so far. Nevertheless, I highly recommend this course to anyone who needs inspiration and wants to try something new that will undoubtedly benefit them in the future.

Quizzes and grading

As I mentioned previously, this was the first course I ever took on the Edx platform, so I had no previous experience with the type of quizzes, tests, exams, and grading on the platform. I was very happy with the way the quizzes and lectures for this course were structured and presented. The best part about the tests is that you study while you’re being tested. They’ve been designed to make you really think before answering, and in that way, you review what you’ve learned through the course.

Time required to complete this course

The time I spent studying varied from week to week due to other daily responsibilities, but I can say that I was able to spend 3-5 hours per week studying. I feel that it was enough for me to grasp the course’s message, but I am certain that if I go through the lectures again, I will still learn something new.

Conclusion

I completed the first course successfully, and so far, I am very happy about what I’ve learned. The only thing I somewhat feel bad about is that I didn’t enroll earlier, but they say it’s better to do something late than never do it at all. In a way, I would like to recommend this course to anybody, whether a person who wants to start their own business or just wants to think and see life a little bit differently. This course definitely has a lot to offer, and I’m looking forward to the next page, lecture, and quiz.