How I Learn Anything for Free! — “and How You Can Too”
Learning is my favorite hobby. Over the years, I’ve realized that *effective learning* isn’t magic — it’s science. As a student from South Korea, I designed a system that allows me to learn anything I want, for free. Here’s my step-by-step system.
- Meta-Learning: Understanding *How* to Learn a Topic
The first step is meta-learning — learning how to learn. Every time I take on a new subject, I start by asking myself:
- What do I want to learn?
- Why do I want to learn this?
- How will I go about learning it?
Answering these questions helps me clarify my goals and the structure of the knowledge I’m after. Plus, it reveals whether I’m genuinely motivated. For example, I committed to learning programming and Android development because I love building software especially mobile applications. But when I tried to learn Japanese solely to understand anime, my lack of true motivation led me to give up. Once you know your purpose, it’s easier to stick with the process.
2. Finding the Right Resources for Free
This step is crucial if you want to avoid paying for courses. Many people assume that paid courses offer better quality, but that’s not always true. There’s a wealth of excellent free resources out there. Here are my favorite platforms:
- Coursera
- MIT OpenCourseWare (and its free lectures on YouTube)
- EdX
- Books
Example: Say you want to learn machine learning since AI development is in trend. You’ll need to know Python, math, and core machine learning concepts. Here’s how you can start:
1. Search free resources — for each skill area. For instance, search “Math for machine learning” on Coursera or “Python basics MIT” on YouTube.
2. Look for free books — by Googling “topic + free book.” You’d be surprised by the options available!
3. Read articles and blog posts — by experts on platforms like Medium. This approach helped me advance my programming skills significantly.
3. Studying: Learning by Doing
When it comes to studying, “rereading” and “highlighting*”are not effective long-term methods. My favorite approach is “learning by doing”. For instance, rather than watching Kotlin, Java or Phyton tutorials repeatedly, I dive into coding a project that interests me.
Another helpful method is “retrieval practice”. Use tools like flashcards or close your notes and attempt to recall information freely. This improves memory retention significantly because you’re challenging yourself to remember actively.
Case Examples:
- For data analysis, find a dataset on a site like Kaggle and apply the concepts you’re learning.
- For language learning, practice retrieving vocabulary and verbs rather than memorizing passively.
Make Learning Your Superpower
Learning is about embedding new knowledge in your long-term memory and building connections between new ideas and what you already know. With free resources and the right strategies, learning can be a powerful and accessible skill.
