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From Sewing to Coding, Improve Yourself with These 7 Classes

By Serena Solomon | January 5, 2015 7:38am
 Check out these classes if you're after a new skill for business or pleasure in 2015.
Betterment Classes
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NEW YORK CITY — Learning a new skill or polishing up an old one can be both useful and satisfying.

Whether you want to broaden the boundaries of your career through a resume workshop, bless your partner with perfectly cooked Thai food or become sharper on your feet through improv, taking a class also opens the door to more fun and new friends.

Here are seven classes to take in 2015:

Learn Basic Alterations at the New York Sewing Center in Midtown West
A course in alteration basics is designed to help students achieve the perfect fit in whatever clothing they buy — from cute vintage pieces to brand-new outfits. It covers adding darts, adjusting hemlines and tailoring. The course is five sessions of a two-hour class for $425. This round of upcoming courses starts on Jan. 8 and Jan. 9. The New York Sewing Center has a host of other courses from making your own clutch to whipping up a tie and pocket square.

Entry-Level Coding at General Assembly in Flatiron
The “Programming for Non-Programming” class is for those who want the basics to get started or for someone who needs to communicate to programmers more effectively. In the class, you will explore common programming concepts and what the stages of Web development are. You will also be taught the basics of the Web programming language known as HTML and Java Script as well as how to read and update simple code. The course, which costs $175, is on Jan. 22 from 6-10 p.m.

Executing a Professional Blowout with MG Hair and Makeup in TriBeCa
In this class, hairdresser and makeup artist Megan Garmers teaches fast and easy tricks to achieve professional blowouts in a handful of different styles. Garmers will also take students through the products that will polish off the different blow dry styles. The class costs $149 and runs for four hours. The next class is scheduled for Jan. 24.

Polish Up Your Resume With General Assembly in Flatiron
“Building Your Professional Persona” will help you tailor your resume and cover letter for jobs that move you up, sideways or into a new industry. It also goes deeper into what your professional persona is on the Internet by taking a look at LinkedIn, Twitter and other social media networks. The $125 course is on Jan. 22 and runs for three hours.

Thai Food Cooking Class at Home Cooking New York in Soho
Your partner and friends will thank you for taking this class. Learn how to make fresh summer rolls with shrimp, mango and cilantro, crispy fish in a tamarind, chili and Thai basil sauce, and green curry chicken along with perfectly steamed rice. The class runs on Jan. 19 for two-and-a-half hours and costs $100.

Grammar Intensive at NYU’s School of Professional Studies
This eight-week course will provide the basics for good sentence structure and help iron out confusing grammar. Instructors will cover the old-school rules about dangling modifiers and run-on sentences while teaching punctuation and other grammar essentials. The semester starts on Feb. 23 and costs $495. 

Improv Classes at the People’s Improv Theater (the PIT) in Gramercy
Whether it’s improving your confidence, public speaking and humor or if you’re genuinely interested in the art of improv theater, the PIT can you give you an introduction to it all. In the level one class, which goes for eight weeks, students will learn the guiding principles of improv such as “yes and…” Each week, through exercises and practice scenes, students build up to a graduation performance at one of the PIT’s theaters in front of a live audience. The class has several start days throughout January and costs $395.