How to study physics for free? (And What You Can Skip)

Good news. It is possible to self-study physics without enrolling in a university course. There are numerous sources available on the web in the form of lecture notes, videos, and OpenCourseWare programs. Each can teach a specific topic better than others. So if you don’t understand a topic from one source, try the other.

In this post, I will recommend the best sources to self-study physics (and perhaps become better than those who spent a large amount of money on university education).

To build a self-study curriculum that doesn’t overwhelm you, I’ve divided the subjects into two distinct categories:

1. Core Foundations: This is a non-negotiable sequence that forms the backbone of a physics education. If you skip any of these, you will create a mathematical or conceptual bottleneck later on.

2. Specialized Electives: These are advanced branches that you can choose to pursue or entirely skip based on your specific goals.

I’ve structured the curriculum into four distinct, chronological phases. Inside each phase, subjects can be studied concurrently, but Phase 1 must be mastered before moving forward.

Note: All the books I list are available to read on the web.