In my opinion, one of the best resources for anything and everything is the internet . If you are under the age of 35, you probably spend at least one hour every day on the internet. After searching through countless web pages in my cyber-surfing career, I’ve stumbled upon lots of great resources to learn about almost anything. Here they are (in alphabetical order):

• Tell Me More – Language learning software available for free through MCPL . If you have a library card (they’re free, too), then you can enter your card number here , and gain access to the software. I’m using it to brush up on my French and learn some Spanish, and so far it’s great. Tell Me More teaches language mainly through listening, so it is good for learning conversational language, which is arguably the most important of language skills. In addition, you can learn business language (instead of conversational), which I haven’t tested, but is probably also great. For help with the software, click here . If you don’t live in Montgomery County click here for a free trial.
• Wikipedia – The free encyclopedia is probably the best resource on the web. If you have never used it, try it now. If you don’t use it because of fact validity concerns, know that for every three errors on a href=”http://www.wikipedia.org/”> Wikipedia , there are two on Encyclopedia Britannica . The biggest difference between the two is the amount of information. Encyclopedia Britannica has only 228,274 articles, while the English edition of Wikipedia boasts a whooping 2,431,178. Additionally, Wikipedia includes References and External Links, bringing even more information closer to you. For a challenge, try reading it in another language!
• Google News – Another one of Google’s great tools. Google News brings you news from more than 4,500 different news sources all around the world. Google News also creates a selection of personalized news stories to match your interests. You can also search news archives that date back 200 years. Simply spending a half minute scanning the news headlines will get you more up to date on current events in the United States and around the world.
• HippoCampus – Need help with homework? Hippocampus has hundreds of articles sorted by subject, class, and topics. It also has links to thousands of textbook articles, sorted by subject, textbook, and page or section order. Many of the articles have been summarized into flash presentations, making them just a little bit more fun. If you can’t find your textbook, or want help from another textbook on the same topic, then the tool can be infinitely useful. Overall, HippoCampus is one of the best free tools out there for homework or exam review in an efficient, easy to use format. Do yourself a favor, bookmark it now so you’ll be ready for September!
• Wikihow – The how-to manual that anyone can edit! Wikihow isn’t the most qualified resource, but all of the articles are full of advice from people just like you. Be warned, there are some articles on Wikihow that outline dangerous tasks, for which you might want to consult a more valid resource. But, if it’s just an everyday question or a skill you’ve always wanted to learn, go right ahead!
• HTML is Easy – Need help with HTML , Javascript , or CSS ? It’s all in the same place with HTML is Easy. For more help, download Amaya , an open source web page editor similar to Dreamweaver. Additionally, Visibone’s Color Lab can help you decide on a color scheme.
• Wikileaks – A database of the latest “leaked documents alleging government and corporate misconduct”. Wikileaks is a way for anyone to disclose a document anonymously to the public. There are tons of documents, along with analysis done by professionals and normal people. Whether you’re cracking down on the latest government scandal, or just surfing around, Wikileaks is sure to impress. For more information about Wikileaks click here .
• AltaVista Babel Fish Translation – A quick translation tool. Babel Fish translates blocks of text and web pages quickly and fairly accurately. It’s not perfect, but it’s still understandable after translation. You can also use Altavista’s main page to search images , audio , videos , or news in English or Spanish.

I hope you learn something new!