Best General Learning courses
The 16 General Learning courses Redditors recommend to each other on Reddit, ranked by how many people recommended each one, how strongly, in how many separate threads and over how many years (306 recommendations). 14 of them are free. How ranking works.
Learning How to Learn: Powerful mental tools to help you master tough subjects
Coursera · beginner · free
Commenters call it a fundamental, quick course that improves study habits and helps with procrastination and retention, and often recommend it before other learning.
The Science of Well-Being
Coursera · beginner · free
Commenters call it an amazing, highly recommended course that covers a lot of happiness research and is free on Coursera.
Open Source Society University Computer Science curriculum
OSSU · mixed · free
Commenters recommend it as a free, structured path that simulates a CS degree, with one calling it a well-rounded collection that gives a solid base, and another saying it offers more breadth than TeachYourselfCS.
Programming Fundamentals
Coursera · beginner · free
Commenters describe it as a very good class on how to think as a programmer and a perfect intro that does not depend on any one language.
Model Thinking
Coursera · beginner · free
Commenters call it insanely useful, the best course on Coursera, and a great introduction to thinking in models, often recommending it as a free course.
Computer Programming (Processing.js)
Khan Academy · beginner · free
Commenters call it an easy entry point for first-time programmers because it needs no setup and lets learners build visual applications right away.
Computational Thinking
Coursera · beginner
Commenters call it a quick, practical way to learn how to approach problems and organize logical thinking before tackling programming challenges.
Introduction to Computer Science
Coursera · beginner · free
Commenters point to it as a free, general starting point for learning computer science principles rather than a single language.
thenewboston programming tutorials
YouTube · beginner · free
Commenters call Bucky smart and say he explains programming in a human way, and that it is free and works well alongside other resources.
Derek Banas programming tutorials
YouTube · beginner · free
Commenters call it good free content on programming topics and suggest it alongside other free video tutorial sources.
Hour of Code
Code.org · beginner · free
One commenter used it as the first step for their child at age five, followed by Blockly Games and then Khan Academy JavaScript.
Pre-Programming: Everything You need to know before you code
Udemy · beginner · paid
Commenters call it a great high-level roadmap of the industry that was invaluable for someone who knew nothing about computers beforehand.
CS 101
Coursera · beginner · free
Commenters suggest it for people who feel rusty in basic CS, noting it explains the concepts behind variables, loops, and conditionals and needs no software download.
Learning to Learn (Richard Hamming)
YouTube · mixed · free
Commenters call it an awesome 31-part course and describe it as a wonderful companion to Hamming's talk "You and Your Research".
OSSU Computer Science Curriculum
OSSU · mixed · free
Commenters point to it as a large collection of free courses focused on computer science knowledge rather than job training.
Internet History, Technology, and Security
Coursera · beginner · free
Commenters call it a great, lightweight introduction to internet history with interviews and archival footage, feeling more like an interactive documentary than a class.