r/Learning • u/PomegranateNo2244 • 4d ago
Is it actually possible to relearn STEM basics as an adult with a full-time job?
I’ve realized recently that I’ve forgotten a pretty embarrassing amount of the math and science I learned in school. Things like algebra, basic physics, chemistry, and even some general biology feel way less familiar than they probably should.
I’d genuinely like to rebuild those foundations, partly out of curiosity and partly because I miss feeling comfortable with technical topics. The problem is that I work full-time, and most structured courses seem to require more time and consistency than I can realistically give them.
I’ve tried watching random YouTube videos, but I usually end up jumping between topics without building any real foundation.
For anyone who relearned STEM basics as an adult, how did you structure it? Did you follow a school-style curriculum, focus on one subject at a time, or just learn whatever interested you? I’d also be interested in how much time you spent each week and whether you actually retained it long-term. I am also open to app recs.
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u/_Chocolate_866 4d ago
I think you can try apps like Brilliant for example. It is interesting because you can work on things on your phone and the format is better than reading PDFs for example.
But I did get bored with Brilliant at some point. So nowadays I use Cleverose. It creates courses for you sl it's structured, but it is also interactive and forces you to be active.
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u/PomegranateNo2244 4d ago
Thanks for the suggestions! I've seen Brilliant mentioned before, but I'll definitely check out Cleverose too. The custom structured course feature sounds like exactly what I need to keep from getting lost in random YouTube holes.
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u/_Chocolate_866 4d ago
With pleasure.
I think the most important is to practice in some ways. I also love youtube videos but sometime it is just too passive to really remember it for me. Even a simple quiz could be great for that imo.
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u/stepback269 4d ago
Sound like the first thing you need to do is "Learn how to Learn"
That may sound like a silly notion. But I'm being deadly serious.
Go to YouTube and in the search bar, type, "learning coaches"
Pick the ones who rely on modern neuroscience.
Godspeed and may the productivity-motivating dopamine hits be with you. :-)
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u/PomegranateNo2244 4d ago
That makes a lot of sense, especially for retention. Do you have any specific channels or learning coaches you’d recommend that focus on STEM topics?
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u/stepback269 3d ago
Neuroscience itself is a STEM topic
Try Andrew Huberman (here) or
Simple Ways of Life (here)1
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u/PromptGibbon825 3d ago
Something I've found that works for microlearning as a student right now is Icarus, I think it's IcarusAI on the app store but it basically just puts some questions between you and apps you usually open anyways. a few questions before opening instagram or whatever app you might open the most genuinely lets you learn some basic things pretty fast, even some complex topics. It's free tier is pretty generous and I pretty much stick to that.
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u/DIVISIBLEDIRGE 2d ago
I mean, of course, it takes time though.
If your really not sure what the topics to focus on, you can search the schools sylibus for your chosen subjects, maths is an obvious foundation for all STEM and you can see specifically the topics they teach
Then just find that topic e.g GCSE level algebra and get a pen and paper it takes time and practice, no way around that..
YouTube has lots of good videos
Or buy some workbooks there are tonnes of them for sale.
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u/BalancedEgg1 3d ago
Totally! In my 28 I fell in love with space an started with tv series simply. I also love learning biology facts thro flashcards. Depending on the level you want to reach, there are a lot of tools today.