Building a Free Education: Psychology, One Course at a Time
Yesterday, I officially started something I’ve been thinking about for a while: building a higher education in psychology… without taking on debt.
Not “cheap school.” Not “discount classes.”
Free. Or as close to free as possible.
The goal is ambitious but simple in spirit. I want to work through a full psychology education, all the way up to a master’s-level understanding, using courses scattered across the internet. Different platforms, different instructors, different styles. A patchwork degree built out of curiosity, discipline, and a lot of careful planning.
Day One: The Setup
Yesterday wasn’t about diving deep into lectures or taking notes. It was about building the machine that makes all of this possible.
Accounts had to be created. Platforms explored. Course paths mapped out. I’m using ChatGPT to help structure a course load that actually makes sense, something that builds layer by layer instead of jumping randomly between topics.
And here’s where things got interesting.
The Coursera Curveball
Originally, Coursera was going to be the backbone of this entire plan. For a long time, it had a reputation for letting you audit courses for free. That made it perfect.
Except… that’s not really the case anymore.
What we found is that Coursera has shifted heavily toward a subscription model. And while there are still some ways to access content, it’s no longer the reliable free foundation it used to be. For what I’m trying to do right now, it’s just not realistic.
So the plan had to pivot.
Instead of one central hub, this is now a multi-source approach. Think of it less like enrolling in a university and more like building one from scratch, piece by piece.
The Reality Check
I’ll be honest, I underestimated how long setup would take.
By the time everything was organized, accounts created, and the first version of the curriculum mapped out, there wasn’t much time left for actual studying. I got a small amount of classwork done, but most of the day was infrastructure.
Not exciting, but necessary.
If this project is going to work long-term, it needs structure. Otherwise it turns into a pile of half-finished courses and abandoned notes.
What Comes Next
Now that the foundation is in place, the real work begins.
I’ll be documenting this entire process as I go:
Weekly YouTube videos breaking down what I studied
Weekly blog posts summarizing progress and adjustments
An evolving curriculum that updates in real time
And for Patreon Premium members, in-depth course reviews so you know what’s actually worth your time
This isn’t just about learning psychology. It’s about testing whether a structured, self-built education can actually hold up.
First Check-In
My first “Week in Review” post and video will go live on Wednesday, so keep an eye out for that.
We’ll see what worked, what didn’t, and whether this whole idea starts to feel like a real education… or just a very organized experiment.
If you’re curious, want to follow along, or are thinking about doing something similar yourself, you can check out my portfolio and socials for updates—and feel free to reach out. I’m figuring this out in real time, and there’s plenty of room for others on the journey.
