It’s remarkable how when one takes into account all the resources that are available for free on the internet, no one has an excuse to make regarding opportunity. I was just recently overwhelmed with a list of free physics books that are available on the web. I wondered if that could be combined with something like the physics courses available at MIT Open Courseware for a self driven undergraduate program. Along the way for a little help in snippets, one could watch Khan Academy physics videos. There are a lot of online communities one could find help in; the previously referenced Physics StackExchange site, but there are plenty of alternatives and different formats for interacting with other people trying to learn.
Physics just sprang to mind when I was looking through the free books but it really applies to any field of knowledge. Which makes me wonder: an undergraduate program currently costs somewhere north of $35,000 (per year at some schools). The alternative of trying to figure it out on one’s own costs nothing but has the obstacles of accountability, guidance, and discipline. But not opportunity; it’s all out there.
Full disclosure, I’m taking a look at OCW Scholar.