I completely understand your frustration with restricted university networks. During my college years, I faced similar issues when trying to access legitimate academic resources that were mysteriously blocked by our campus firewall. I found that using reputable VPN services rather than free proxies worked better and more securely. Many universities actually provide their own VPN access for students - have you checked with your IT department about this? They might have official solutions for accessing blocked research materials. Also, your university library often has unrestricted internet access you could use. For lighter moments between intense research sessions, you might enjoy something like Italian Brainrot Clicker for quick entertainment breaks.