Do Online Courses Really Work?

Three weeks ago, I was scrolling through TikTok at 2 AM when an ad popped up: “Learn Digital Marketing in 6 Weeks — 100% Online.”

Normally, I’d skip it. But that night, something hit differently. Maybe it was the way the instructor in the ad said, “Your phone can make you money, not just drain it.”

I laughed and whispered to myself, “Yeah, right. Another scam.” But I still clicked.

The website looked legit, filled with testimonials from students who claimed to land jobs abroad or start side hustles after finishing the online course. I hesitated, staring at the “Enroll Now” button glowing in the middle of my screen.

“₦45,000 for an online course?” I muttered. “That’s like two weeks of feeding.”

But something inside me said, “What if this is the thing that changes your life?”

I sat at my desk, phone light reflecting on my face in the dark. The street outside was quiet except for a barking dog. My thumb hovered over the screen like I was about to launch a missile.

“Guy, are you really about to pay for this?” I asked myself out loud.

I hit Enroll.

Immediately, a confirmation email arrived. My heart raced like I had just committed a crime.

The next morning, I opened my laptop. The online course dashboard looked clean, with videos neatly arranged. The instructor, a young guy in glasses, popped up on screen.

“Welcome,” he said with a smile. “I promise you, by the end of this course, you’ll see the internet differently.”

I rolled my eyes but kept watching.

Soon, I was taking notes. I paused to Google terms I didn’t understand. I joined the class group chat where strangers from Lagos, Nairobi, and London were introducing themselves.

A girl typed:

“Hi guys, I’m Ada from Enugu. I want to learn so I can start freelancing.”

Another said:

“Hey fam, I’m Yusuf, based in Canada. Just here to level up my skills.”

I replied shyly:

“I’m… me. From Lagos. Just trying not to be broke.”

Laughter emojis filled the chat. Suddenly, I didn’t feel so alone.

Days turned into weeks. I watched video lessons past midnight. My room smelled like instant noodles, my notebook filled with scribbles of keywords, SEO strategies, and content hacks.

One night, while trying to finish an assignment, I dozed off on my laptop. I dreamt that I was inside a search engine, running after keywords that kept floating away like balloons.

When I woke up, the screen still glowed: “Assignment due in 2 hours.”

I panicked, typed like a madman, and submitted just before the deadline.

The next day, the instructor sent feedback:

“Good effort, but you can do better. Don’t just learn—apply.”

That hit me deep.

One Saturday evening, I was lying on my bed, wondering if all this effort was worth it. I had drained my data, sacrificed sleep, and turned down hangouts with friends.

Then my email pinged.

Subject: “Congratulations — You’ve Been Hired.”

I froze.

A startup in the UK had seen one of my sample projects from the online course and wanted me as a part-time digital content creator. The pay? More than my dad’s monthly salary.

I screamed so loud my neighbor banged the wall.

I called Ada, the girl from the group chat, to share the news.

“Wow! That’s amazing,” she said. “I just landed a client too. Can you believe it?”

We laughed like old friends even though we’d never met in person.

But here’s the twist—two days later, I found out the startup CEO who hired me was actually one of the instructors from the online course. He had been secretly scouting hardworking students to join his company.

I couldn’t believe it. My “school fees” had turned into my first paycheck.

Now, whenever people ask me, “Do online courses really work?” I smile and say:

“They don’t just work—they can change your entire story. But only if you treat them like real education, not shortcuts.”

Because for me, what started as a random TikTok click turned into a whole new life path.