Learning anything for free is absolutely possible today if you know where to look and how to approach it. Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you:
1. Identify What You Want to Learn
Be specific: Instead of “I want to learn computers,” try “I want to learn how to build websites” or “I want to learn Python programming.”
2. Use Free Online Learning Platforms
Here are some goldmines:
Coursera – Free courses from top universities (audit mode)
edX – Similar to Coursera, with Harvard, MIT, etc.
Khan Academy – Great for school-level subjects and foundational knowledge
YouTube – Channels like CrashCourse, freeCodeCamp, and TED-Ed
MIT OpenCourseWare – Full courses with materials and lectures
OpenLearn (by The Open University) – Offers tons of free courses
Alison – Free certifications and skill-building content
3. Use Free Books and Articles
Google Books and Project Gutenberg (for classics)
Library Genesis (for academic books—controversial but widely used)
PDF Drive – Free PDFs of books
ResearchGate – Academic papers and research articles
4. Join Online Communities and Forums
Reddit – Subreddits like r/learnprogramming, r/languagelearning
Stack Overflow – For coding and tech questions
Discord Servers – Many learning communities exist here
Quora – Ask and answer questions
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5. Practice What You Learn
Do projects.
Write blogs or summaries.
Teach someone else.
Create videos or tutorials.
6. Leverage Local Resources
Public libraries
NGOs or community centers
Free workshops or webinars
Mentors and friends
7. Stay Consistent and Curious
Set small goals weekly
Track your progress
Don’t be afraid to start over or explore sideways