When you think of the internet, the first thing that comes to your mind probably isn’t studying. The internet is a fun, cool, and wild place full of memes, cat pictures, and videos, and virtually conversing with your friends. When the internet was first introduced, many parents didn’t like it or agreed with it because they thought it offered nothing good to their children’s lives and only made them procrastinate. But now, it’s clear that this isn’t necessarily the case.
Thanks to the internet and other technological advancements, students can now easily access thousands of websites that were specifically made for learning or helping them with their schoolwork. There’s a wide range of study guides out there, and we’ve made a list of the best ones that don’t require you to spend a single dime.
GoConqr
The first on our list is GoConqr, and it’s a fantastic website ideal for visual learners. What makes GoConqr different from the other study guides is that it offers mind maps, a web of useful information that easily and conveniently breaks down major topics into smaller, bite-sized pieces, making them easier to digest and understand. You can create your very own mind map on the site for whatever you’re studying, and it can help you see how different concepts and ideas are connected.
Breaking things down into smaller topics or concepts helps with memorization too, rather than trying to remember huge chunks of information. Other than the mind map, GoConqr also has other study tools available, like self-created quizzes, flashcards, a study planner, a platform for taking down notes, and more. It’s available on more than just one platform, which means you can still use it on your phone or tablet when you’re busy and on the go.
Quizlet
If you’re not able to find a specific study guide for the subject or topic you’re studying, Quizlet can help you out significantly. With this app, you can provide the information while the site offers the study tools you need. You can freely create what you call “sets” in any subject you want. After that, the Quizlet will use the information you entered in the set to generate quizzes, matching games, auditory tools, flashcards, and practice tests. You can even study whenever and wherever you want—even offline!—as Quizlet has a free learning app you can download onto your smartphone.
There are two different games you can play on Quizlet that were developed to help you study—but in a fun way. These games, entitled Scatter and Space Race, ensure that you’re having fun while studying at the same time. In Scatter, you have to drag information or definitions to their respective counterparts as quickly as possible. The goal is to clear the screen as fast as you can.
Space Race, on the other hand, has definitions scrolling through the screen and you’ll need to type in the correct answer before it reached the end of the screen. This section of Quizlet also has leaderboards and high scores, so you can even motivate yourself this way by trying to be the best.
StudyBlue
If you’re the type of learner who likes collaborating with others, then you should give StudyBlue a try. This site connects you with other students based on subjects and whether you have the same learning goals. Once connected, you’ll be able to share and access study guides, flashcards, and a lot more. You can even connect with other students based on specific subjects or classes. This makes it extremely easy to collaborate and communicate with one another, especially if you have to work on a project together.
Other than that, StudyBlue offers a storage space where you can keep your note, class-based study guides, a wide-ranging content library, several study modes, and more. Just like the others, StudyBlue is perfect when you’re on the go, as you can download its mobile app to your phone.
StudyStack
Studying via flashcards is one of the best and most effective ways of studying, which is why we’re adding StudyStack to this list. StudyStack lets you create and customize flashcards to fit your needs, but you can also use ready-made sets other users have created. After flipping a card, you can pick whether you got the answer right or wrong. If you choose wrong, the flashcard will return to the pile and repeat until you get the answer right. As you can see, it’s a fantastic study tool for memorization.
StudyStack offers more than just flashcards, though. This site makes an effort to make studying and learning fun by using games to keep you engaged. For instance, you can play unscramble, matching games, hangman, and more using the information you’ve entered.
Hippocampus
Hippocampus is another fantastic website for visual learners. The site offers a vast collection of multimedia content and information on various subjects—from religion to economics, and more. Hippocampus is completely free of charge, and accessing the site allows you to view thousands of videos on all the different subject areas available.
Tinycards
If you want a way to easily organize and keep track of all your flashcards while still making it accessible for whenever you have a moment to study, Tinycards may be an app for you. Tinycards is by the famous language-learning app Duolingo, so you know for sure that it’s effective and worth your time. Tinycards has a wide collection of flashcards you can learn from, whether you’re studying animals in Antarctica or Greek philosophers.
Naturally, you’ll also find a plethora of flashcards that focus on learning different languages too, since this is by Duolingo. If you’re unable to find a specific set of flashcards for your needs, you can create your very own deck—and you can even share it with others.
Khan Academy
Khan Academy is a fantastic free resource that allows you to keep learning and studying even when you’re outside of class. The resources it offers you is tailored to your interests as well as your education level, so you’ll definitely have a blast with this one. Khan Academy has a wide range of topics and subjects too, including personal finance, basic geometry, organic chemistry, electrical engineering, and more.
After choosing your interests, the site will be the one to set up the courses for you. It even has a progress tracker so you can see how far you’ve come!
Subject-Specific Study Guides
Now, if you’re looking for study guides that specifically focus on certain subjects or fields, we’ve got your back! Keep reading for our list of subject-specific study guides.
History
Library of Congress
If you’re trying to learn more about US history, the best place to go would be the U.S. Library of Congress’s official website. It has one of the most extensive collections of documents and publications in the entire world, and you’ll find excerpts, books, maps, and many other useful resources on the site.
Best of History
Administered by EdTeacher Inc., the Best of History website is one of the best places to check out if you’re learning history. The site features a wide collection of links to over 1,200 history-oriented sites. Not only that but there are also specific sections that purely focus on significant events, such as the 2012 Presidential Election and World War II.
The History Guide
If you’re an undergrad who has courses in European history, then The History Guide website is for you. You can learn a lot from here, especially since it features helpful lectures about the four core classes: Ancient/Medieval European History, Early Modern European History, Modern European Intellectual History, and 20th Century European History.
Literature
PaperStarter
PaperStarter is an awesome website if you’re looking for resources related to literature. The site features biographies and autobiographies, plays, novels, poetry collections, and more. The various study guides also have notable quotes, essay topics, and other relevant information you may need.
Web English Teacher
Web English Teacher is also a great go-to site for literature-related resources. The site has a wide collection of study guides, articles, and other helpful resources that could come in handy for students with English or Literature courses. Web English Teacher also has a search option, allowing you to easily find what you’re looking for.
Science
Eformulae
Eformulae may be a simple website, but it contains incredibly useful information, especially if you’re studying within the fields of engineering, statistics, chemistry, physics, and the like. Due to its simplicity, the site is incredibly user-friendly and easy to navigate. You can find most if not all of the links in the homepage itself, so you shouldn’t have much trouble browsing this site.
Science World
Science World is a free web resource for both math and science. The site’s various study guides are categorized into five different sections: biography, physics, astronomy, mathematics, and chemistry. Science World is completely free to use, and what makes it even better and more reliable is the fact that the site was created by Wolfram researcher using Mathematica software.
Science.gov
Science.gov is another rudimentary website, but it’s chock-full of useful resources—specifically, you’ll find over 200 topics related to contemporary science.
Physics
MinutePhysics
MinutePhysics is a YouTube channel created and run by Henry Reich. The channel uploads easy-to-understand videos about anything related to physics. To make things more convenient for its viewers, MinutePhysics has compiled all the videos into one playlist. At the time of writing, there are 188 videos on that playlist.
PhysLink
PhysLink is an online resource website for physics and astronomy. The website features a wide range of articles that are perfect for both students and educators alike. Not only that, but the site also features a “Fun” section, which is basically a compilation of funny jokes and cartoons.
Physics Help
Lastly, Dr. Konstantin E. Nikitin created the Physics Help website, which aims to help students with their Physics homework as well as be an accessible resource site. The Physics Online Guide section is basically a comprehensive reference book, with explanations on various topics such as Mechanics, Electricity, Magnetism, and more.
Chemistry
Ptable
Ptable, as its name suggests, is a website that features an illustrated guide to the Periodic Table of Elements. Here, you’ll find a comprehensive definition of all the different elements, along with other relevant information such as compounds, isotopes, orbitals, and similar data. Plus, if you want to learn more about each element, all the definitions are linked to their respective Wikipedia pages. That way, you can easily do some further reading if you want.
ChemnetBase
ChemnetBase is an online database full of references, resources, and the like. It also features study guides related to specific topics, like the Dictionary of Drugs and the Dictionary of Organic Compounds.
Biology
Biology Reference
Biology Reference is an easy-to-use reference website, featuring biology topics organized alphabetically for convenience. When you choose a specific topic, you’ll be redirected to detailed encyclopedic entries on that particular subject matter, which were written by on-site writers. Each entry also features a bibliography, so you know for sure that the information written on the site is factual and reliable.
Biology Online
If you’re looking for a comprehensive online database dedicated to everything related to Biology, then the Biology Online website is definitely worth checking out. This free resource site has been around since 2001, and professionals, students, and professors alike turn to this helpful site whenever they need some answers.
The site features a search bar where you can easily type in terms and topics, but it also has an “All Terms” section where you can browse each and every term in Biology.
Conclusion
These days, studying doesn’t have to be a chore; whenever you feel like you’re stuck and you can’t move forward with your homework or project, or you think there’s a concept you can’t understand, these free study guides can do wonders for you. Some of the websites listed above offer upgraded Pro packages where you can access premium content. But for the most part, these sites and apps have tools and resources you can access for free.
Very good article for those who are learning!
Now online education is just reaching a new level, yes Covid has contributed to this, but the trend has long been clear to everyone and I think over time online education will replace schools.
So let's start to adapt!