Learn How to Invest from Scratch: A Personal Curriculum for New Investors

I’ve been watching a TikTok trend I absolutely love: people are putting together personal curriculums to learn things they’ve always wanted to know. Everything from gardening to physics gets turned into a DIY self-study course. And that got me thinking: what kind of curriculum would I put together if I were a brand-new investor, learning from scratch?

I’d want to build my foundation in three areas: investor psychology, investing basics, and investing strategy.

1. Investor Psychology

Before diving into charts, tickers, or even brokerage accounts, I’d start with the mental side of investing. How we think about money shapes every financial choice we make.

• Watch: The Most Powerful Way to Think About Money – Big Think featuring Paula Pant. (YouTube)

• Do: Take a risk tolerance quiz. The one from Merrill Lynch is a solid place to start. (Merrill Lynch)

This step helps you identify not only your mindset but also your comfort level with risk, something that will guide every decision going forward.

2. Investing Basics

Once I had my mindset in check, I’d move to the fundamentals. This is where you start learning the language of investing.

• Watch: Netflix – The Stock Market Explained (the full episode is on YouTube for free)

• Read: Investing: An Introduction by Investopedia. (Investopedia)

• Watch: Everything You Need to Know About Investing Accounts from The Money Guy Show. (YouTube)

• Read: Common Scams (Investor.gov)

This mix of videos and articles builds a practical base: what the stock market is, how accounts work, and what traps to avoid.

3. Investor Strategy

Finally, once you understand yourself and the basics, you’re ready to put the pieces together with strategy.

• Read: How to Invest from Get Rich Slowly (Get Rich Slowly)

• Read: Five Questions to Ask Before You Invest (Investor.gov)

These resources emphasize that investing is not about chasing the hottest stock. It is about building a plan that matches your goals and your risk tolerance and sticking with it.

Why This Curriculum Works

What I like about this lineup is that it balances mindset, mechanics, and method. Too often new investors skip straight to “what should I buy?” without doing the work of understanding themselves and the broader system. This curriculum helps you get a sense of the type of investor you'd like to be.

It is also free and accessible. You do not need to drop hundreds of dollars on a course or certification to start learning how to invest. The best way to grow is to begin with reliable resources, reflect on what resonates, and then build your own investing practice.

So, if I were starting from zero, this would be my self-study plan. Maybe this inspires you to create your own personal curriculum, whether it is for investing, gardening, or whatever has been sitting on your “someday I’ll learn this” list.