A question for self learners

Posted by Redislove44@reddit | learnprogramming | View on Reddit | 5 comments

How do you find genuinely high-quality learning resources online when most platforms (YouTube, blogs, SEO sites) are optimized for engagement, not depth? When I try to self-study subjects like math, physics, or programming, recommended resources often feel surface-level and fragmented, which wastes time and prevents deep understanding.

What heuristics or systems do you use to identify resources that are truly foundational (clear first principles, rigorous explanations, strong problem sets) rather than just well-presented? Are there reliable signals like author credibility, textbook reputation, or alignment with academic curricula that help filter quality? Also, what’s the most efficient progression strategy to go from basics to advanced without getting stuck in shallow content?

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heisthedarchness@reddit

Pay for a search engine that doesn't accept advertiser money and filters out AI slop.
For specific tools and technologies, find the source. Someone invented it. Someone implemented it. They will have written down how to use it.
Use sites like Stack Overflow as a starting point. If they give an answer, don't stop and instead follow any links provided to help you understand why that is the right answer.
Buy books. That's where someone spent time assembling information into a cohesive whole.

SleepMage@reddit

Books! The answer is always books!

If you don't have the funds for purchasing paper books annasarchive will be your best friend ;)

Redislove44@reddit (OP)

It's great thx

I_Am_Astraeus@reddit

You said it yourself. They're all engagement driven forms of learning.

So, textbooks. Sure they're engagement driven in the sense that they're trying to sell textbooks. But they're all pretty comprehensive. You can supplement them with other documents, learning mediums, etc. but honestly I've read like 20 textbooks and they've all had a wealth of good knowledge.

The rest I've figured out by doing, by focused research, by mentorship, or just learned on the job.

CryingDutch9@reddit

Self taught here, now working for 5 years. I used to get good surface level videos, that were extensive, and when I came to specific subjects and needed more depth, I simply searched for videos talking only about that subject. Then went back to the surface level video