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1Hacker’s Survival Kit: 52 Hidden Free Learning Goldmines[/center]
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See goldmine links
→ Bookmark them
→ Download before they vanish
→ Stack certs like Pokémon
→ Flex on LinkedIn
→ Share with other 1Hackers outside 1Hack
→ Profit (knowledge, not crypto)
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[center]Because in 2025, paying for courses is like that monkey meme—congrats dumbass, you’re the only species that pays to learn on a planet where knowledge was literally free.[/center]
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The Complete “burn-your-student-loans-and-dance-on-their-ashes” Brain Arsenal
 Site Name & Link |
 Where This Shit Lives |
 Brain Damage Level |
 What Free Goodies You Get |
|---|---|---|---|
| NPTEL Archive | India |  PhD-level suffering |
2400+ IIT courses, certificates that actually matter |
| MIT OCW Saudi Mirror | Saudi Arabia | MIT without the debt |
MIT courses, faster than US servers |
| SWAYAM Archive | India |  Government bureaucracy |
Hidden gov courses, multiple languages |
| OpenStax CNX Legacy | USA | Remix master |
Modular content you can actually steal |
| Internet Archive EDU | Global |  Nostalgic nerd |
40k+ vintage university lectures |
| FUN MOOC | France | European sophistication |
French uni courses with free certs |
| China CORE | China | MIT in Mandarin |
200+ MIT courses translated, no VPN |
| JICA Knowledge | Japan | Asian development |
Infrastructure & policy courses |
| Virtual Uni Pakistan | Pakistan | Complete degrees |
Full CS & business programs |
| African Virtual Uni | Africa | Pan-African power |
34 learning centers, local languages |
| LibriVox Academic | Global | Lazy listener mode |
20k+ audiobooks, volunteer narrated |
| Connexions Legacy | USA | OER pioneer |
First-gen open content, remixable |
| Internet Archive Scholar | Global | Research rabbit hole |
25M+ academic papers, no paywalls |
| CosmoLearning | Global | Documentary style |
University video curation |
| Academic Earth Archive | Global | Pre-2010 gold |
Top university lecture archives |
| NASA Education | USA | Rocket science |
Space missions, STEM resources |
| NSDL | USA | NSF-funded |
K-12 to grad level sciences |
| MERLOT | Global | Faculty sharing |
Professor-contributed materials |
| OER Commons Hubs | Global | Community curated |
Specialized subject collections |
| Open Course Library | USA | Community college |
Google Docs format courses |
| World Bank Campus | Global | Policy wonk |
Development economics, free certs |
| UN SDG Platform | Global | Save the world |
Environmental & social sciences |
| Commonwealth Learning | Commonwealth | Post-colonial ed |
Distance education materials |
| UNESCO OER | Global | Cultural preservation |
Global education policy |
| Saylor Academy | USA | Credit transfer |
100+ college courses, real credits |
| P2PU | Global | Peer learning |
Study groups, library circles |
| OpenLearn Create | UK | Course creation |
UK Open Uni platform |
| Canvas Network | Global | University partnerships |
Complete course offerings |
| Cold Spring Harbor Lab | USA | DNA manipulation |
Biological sciences, lab techniques |
| Marine Bio Lab | USA | Ocean research |
Marine science, field techniques |
| Max Planck Institutes | Germany | German precision |
Physics, research methodology |
| ESA Education | Europe | Space conquest |
Satellite tech, earth observation |
| Complexity Explorer | USA | Brain melt mode |
Complex systems science |
| Open Culture Hidden | Global | Curated goodness |
1700+ courses database |
| Kadenze | Global | Creative tech |
Art meets technology courses |
| FutureLearn Archive | UK | Social learning |
UK university collaborations |
| DOAJ | Global | Academic journals |
17k+ journals, no fees |
| JSTOR Open | Global | Academic prestige |
Historical journal archives |
| ResearchGate | Global | Researcher network |
Method-specific training |
| Zenodo | Europe | CERN repository |
EU research datasets |
| Smithsonian Learning | USA | Museum quality |
Cultural & scientific resources |
| Library of Congress | USA | American history |
Primary source documents |
| British Library | UK | Manuscript access |
Historical research techniques |
| National Archives UK | UK | Government secrets |
Constitutional history |
| arXiv | Global | Cutting-edge |
Physics, math pre-prints |
| bioRxiv | Global | Life sciences |
Biology research pre-prints |
| GitHub Education | Global | Real programming |
Open source learning projects |
| Stack Overflow Docs | Global | Copy-paste paradise |
Community programming wisdom |
| ICTP Physics | Italy | Nobel laureate level |
Advanced physics lectures |
| CERN Education | Switzerland | Particle physics |
Scientific computing methods |
| ESO Education | Europe | Astronomy hardcore |
Telescope training, astrophysics |
| Woods Hole Ocean | USA | Deep sea exploration |
Oceanographic research methods |
| MIT OCW Latin Mirror | Latin America | Regional speed |
MIT courses, local servers |
| Telkom Uni OCW | Indonesia | Asian mirror |
Top university OCW resources |
Legend for Smooth-Brained 1Hackers:
Brain Damage Levels:
- Beginner - Won’t break your last remaining brain cell
- Intermediate - Might require actual thinking
- Hardcore - PhD-level suffering, handle with care
Regional Servers:
- USA - Standard American academic bullshit
- Europe - Sophisticated intellectual masturbation
- Asia - Efficient knowledge delivery systems
- Global - Works everywhere, somehow
What You Actually Get:
- Free Certificates - Resume padding material
- Full Courses - Complete semester programs
- Research Access - Latest academic papers
- Practical Skills - Shit you can actually use
Quick Scan Cheat Sheet – Because Reading Is for Suckers
| Platform | Region | Era | Depth | What You Actually Get | Certs? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NPTEL Archive | India | 2010+ | Deep as your student debt |
2400+ Engineering courses that’ll make you cry |  Fake flex on LinkedIn |
| MIT OCW Mirrors | Global | 2001+ | Nerd abyss |
MIT courses without the $200k price tag |  No badge for mom’s fridge |
| SWAYAM Archive | India | 2010+ | Gov leftovers |
Hidden Indian gov courses nobody updates | Useless certs but shiny |
| Internet Archive EDU | Global | 1960+ | Grandpa tier |
40k+ dusty videos your dad would call “classic” | Just brag rights |
| LibriVox Academic | Global | 2005+ | Lazy mode |
20k+ audiobooks read by bored volunteers | Good for naps, not CVs |
| arXiv | Global | 1991+ | Brain melt |
Physics & math papers raw, uncut, unreviewed | Pure nerd flex, no cert |
| CERN Education | Europe | 2000+ | Atom-smasher |
Training to break particles and your sanity | No, you can’t put “CERN Scientist” on Tinder |
Use-Case Pathways – Pick Your Poison
“I Need a Cert Fast” (Resume Padding for the Unemployed Olympics)
| Platform | Time to Cert | Effort Level | Bragging Rights |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saylor Academy | 2–4 weeks | Mid-slog |
College credit transfer = “Totally counts, mom” |
| Canvas Network | 1–3 weeks | Easy AF |
“University partnerships” = community college energy |
| World Bank Campus | 1–2 weeks | Brain-dead |
“I study global economics” = broke but cultured |
| FUN MOOC | 2–6 weeks | Pretentious grind |
European intellectual vibes = croissant with Wi-Fi |
“I’m Doing Actual Research” (Because Apparently Pain = Fun)
The “I Read Papers for Fun” Arsenal:
- Hardcore Brain Dump: arXiv – PhDs spewing raw math & physics before anyone sane reviews it. Basically academic OnlyFans.
- Particle Smash School: CERN Education – Learn how to bully atoms until they split. Warning: your brain will split first.
- Bio Chaos: Cold Spring Harbor Lab – DNA tinkering 101. Congrats, now you too can play God with fruit flies.
- Space Porn: ESA Education – European nerds teaching you how to burn millions just to look at rocks floating in the void.
“I Want to Learn in My Language” (Because English Can Shove It)
The “Fuck English” Collection:
| Language | Platform | What’s Special | Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chinese | China CORE | MIT brain dumps but in Chinese—finally, no Google Translate tears | No VPN, no excuses |
| French | FUN MOOC | French unis flexing with baguette-flavored courses | Très smug, très free |
| Urdu | Virtual Uni Pakistan | Full-ass degree programs for broke-but-ambitious kids | Whole curriculum, zero visas |
| Pan-African | African Virtual Uni | 34 learning hubs—because knowledge > colonial bullshit | Continental-level teamwork |
Time Capsule Mode: When Shit Was Made
Legacy Pre-2010 OER (Ancient Knowledge, Served Dusty)
Back when the internet was basically a free candy shop and nobody realized universities would turn into subscription scams.
Internet Archive EDU – 1960s–2000s lectures. Your professor’s professor’s professor mumbling into a mic.- Academic Earth Archive – Old-school content from before unis realized “free” was bad for business.
- OpenStax CNX Legacy – Rice University’s modular remix library. Like Lego, but for nerds.
2010–2020 Hidden MOOCs (That sweet era when online courses were crack, not corporate MLM starter packs)
Back when professors still pretended to care, platforms didn’t have “Premium” buttons every 3 clicks, and you could binge-learn like Netflix without your wallet crying for child support.
NPTEL Archive – IIT professors handing out free lectures before selling out to paywalls.- MIT OCW Mirrors – Pirate mirrors that still load faster than official MIT servers.
- SWAYAM Archive – The rare moment India’s government gave away something actually useful.
Fresh 2020+ Archives (Zombie Mode: Alive, but one cough away from the grave)
Complexity Explorer – Santa Fe Institute teaching you how chaos theory explains why your life is a dumpster fire.- GitHub Education – Where real programmers learn to code while wannabes still copy-paste from Stack Overflow.
- Zenodo – CERN’s digital landfill: researchers dump their half-finished brain children here, and somehow it still looks smarter than you.
Survival Kit Categories
Essentials – Start Here, You Fragile Noob
Beginner Friendly:
- LibriVox Academic – 20k+ audiobooks read by random volunteers. Great if your eyes hurt or you’re just too lazy to read like a functioning adult.
- Khan Academy Extended – Still the GOAT for basics. If you can’t survive here, maybe learning isn’t your thing.
- Open Culture – 1700+ curated courses. Someone already did the Googling for you—don’t waste it.
Hidden Stashes – Mid-Level Loot
Intermediate Stuff:
- P2PU – Peer-to-peer learning. Basically group therapy but with homework instead of crying.
- OpenLearn Create – Make your own courses like you’re some kind of budget professor.
- MERLOT – Faculty-donated resources. Professors uploading their “good stuff” before it rots in their hard drives.
Ultra-Rare Locks – Expert Mode Only
Hardcore Research Level:
- ICTP Physics – Nobel laureates lecturing like your brain isn’t already fried. Sit down, cry, repeat.
- Max Planck Institutes – German research factories where efficiency meets genius. Warning: may cause permanent inferiority complex.
- Woods Hole Ocean – Deep-sea nerd school. Because when space is too mainstream, you go drown in science instead.
Compare & Contrast: When Platforms Fight
MIT OCW vs Chinese CORE (East vs West: Whose Homework Hurts More?)
| Feature | MIT OCW Original | China CORE |
|---|---|---|
| Access | ocw.mit.edu – Free, but your Wi-Fi will die waiting | core.org.cn – Actually loads in under a decade |
| Language | English only – good luck if you slept through ESL | Chinese + English – choose your poison |
| Content | Full MIT brain dump, unfiltered | MIT content translated with kung-fu efficiency |
| Speed | Slow AF from Asia – basically buffering as a lifestyle | Fast local servers – blink and it’s there |
| Vibe | Ivy League arrogance | Communist hustle with Wi-Fi that works |
Research Archives Throwdown (Where Nerds Go to Die)
| Platform | What’s Inside | Access Level | Nerd Cred |
|---|---|---|---|
| JSTOR Open | Academic journals so dry they could cure floods | Free tier |
Flex “peer-reviewed” like it means something |
| ResearchGate | LinkedIn for scientists with ego problems | Account needed |
Industry networking or just ghost town vibes |
| Scholar Archive | 25M+ papers dumped by knowledge hoarders | Totally free |
Ultimate addiction—snorting PDFs at 3 AM |
Regional Powerhouses: Local Heroes
Asian Academic Underground:
- Virtual Uni Pakistan – Full-blown degree programs. Get a diploma without begging embassies for visas.
- JICA Knowledge – Japanese dev models. Pure efficiency porn, minus the tentacles.
- Tokyo Uni OCW – Japan’s top uni flexing free content. Kawaii lectures with hardcore math.
European Intelligence Network:
- FUN MOOC – French uni collective. Sip wine, complain, and still learn.
- ESA Education – Space nerd training camp. Better branding than NASA’s TikToks.
- Max Planck – German science vaults. Basically where Einstein would ghost you today.
African Knowledge Commons:
- African Virtual Uni – 34 centers sharing brains across Africa. Actual collaboration done right.
- Commonwealth Learning – Former colonies swapping free education. Post-colonial revenge via PDFs.
Audio Learning for Multitaskers
Because let’s be real, reading in 2025 feels like doing cardio—you know you should, but nah.
- LibriVox Academic – 20k+ audiobooks of volunteers reading textbooks like bedtime stories for broke students.
- NASA Educational Audio – Actual space nerds narrating mission logs so you can fail upward during your commute.
- Smithsonian Audio – Museums whispering culture into your AirPods. Zero sweaty tourists included.
Technical Archives for Code Monkeys
- GitHub Education – Where actual coders learn instead of crying through overpriced bootcamps.
- Stack Overflow Docs – Community copy-paste wisdom with just enough context to not break production.
- arXiv CS Section – Raw computer science brain dumps before they’re sanitized for textbooks.
Government Treasure Vaults
Finally, your taxes doing something other than bombing deserts.
- NASA Education – Space science explained for earthlings who never passed algebra.
- Library of Congress – American history without the patriotic propaganda frosting.
- National Archives UK – British government secrets dressed up as study material.
- Smithsonian Learning – Museum-level content without overpriced gift shop guilt.
Research Institution Crown Jewels
Where geniuses flex so hard, you feel dumber just clicking the link
| Institution | Specialty | Access | Bragging Rights |
|---|---|---|---|
| CERN | Particle Physics | Free |
“I study at CERN” = instant nerd god mode |
| Woods Hole | Ocean Science | Free |
Flex on landlocked mortals with marine biology cred |
| Cold Spring Harbor | Biological Research | Some paid |
DNA hacking starter pack |
| Santa Fe Institute | Complex Systems | Free |
Brag that you understand chaos, unlike your ex |
The “Fuck Paywalls” Academic Section
Because charging rent money to read PDFs should be a war crime
- DOAJ – 17k+ journals. Basically the Costco of free research.
- bioRxiv – Biology papers raw and unfiltered, pre–peer review meltdown.
- Zenodo – EU-funded brain dump site. Half research, half storage closet.
- OER Commons – Curated nerd collections. Academic Pokémon cards.
Creative & Cultural Archives
For when you’re sick of STEM bros and want some soul back
- Kadenze – Art collides with tech. Coding, but make it aesthetic.
- British Library Learning – Manuscripts and rare books. Basically Hogwarts for broke people.
- Smithsonian Learning Lab – Museum-quality content without sweaty tourists or overpriced lattes.
Pro 1Hacker Tips:
- Bookmark this shit – These links vanish quicker than free pizza at a dev meetup.
- Download everything – Universities love pulling the rug faster than crypto rug pulls.
- Use mirrors when possible – Local servers = less buffering, less broken keyboards.
- Stack certificates – Collect them like Pokémon cards nobody asked for on your LinkedIn.
- Share with fellow 1Hackers – Hoarding knowledge is boomer behavior.
[center]Now stop scrolling TikTok busty aunties and go educate yourself, you magnificent learning pirates! [/center]
, NPTEL I’ve personally tried there are some good courses, The chinese one is interesting if some meaningful courses are in english, I’m assuming they might provide much more cutting egde info than MIT ones, the japanese one also I’ll check out, probably you can add australian ones those offer free certificate as well
!