What you can do instead of paying for Course Hero

Course Hero charges a monthly subscription to view study documents, but you have several free or low-cost ways to find the same materials. Your school library, open educational resources, and peer study groups often have what you need without a paywall. If you need a specific document, you can request it directly from other students, search for it on free platforms, or ask your instructor for study materials they recommend.

The fastest route depends on what you're looking for. If you need textbook solutions, your library may have access through a database. If you need class notes or study guides, your classmates or study groups usually have them. If you need to understand a concept, free educational sites often explain it better than a paywalled document anyway.

Key Takeaways

  • Your school library provides free access to academic databases, textbooks, and study materials that often include the same content Course Hero charges for.
  • Open educational resources like OpenStax, Khan Academy, and MIT OpenCourseWare offer free textbooks, video lessons, and practice problems for most subjects.
  • Asking your instructor directly for study materials or recommended resources is often the fastest way to get what you need without searching.
  • Study groups and class Discord servers let you share notes and documents with peers at no cost.
  • Google Scholar and your school's institutional repository may have free versions of academic papers and research documents.

Using your school library to find study materials

Your school library has digital access to textbooks, study guides, and academic databases that you can use from home. Log in with your student ID on your library's website and search for the textbook or topic you need. Many libraries subscribe to databases like JSTOR, ProQuest, and subject-specific collections that contain the same study documents Course Hero hosts.

Ask a librarian in person or by email what databases cover your subject. They can point you to the exact resource in seconds and show you how to access it. Many libraries also have interlibrary loan, which means they can borrow materials from other schools if your library doesn't have something in stock. This usually takes a few days but costs nothing.

Check whether your library offers textbook reserves—instructors often place required books on reserve so students can use them for free during library hours or as limited digital loans. Your library website usually has a search box specifically for reserves.

Finding free textbooks and educational videos

OpenStax publishes free, peer-reviewed textbooks for most introductory college courses. Search "OpenStax [your subject]" and read the PDF or order a printed copy at cost. The content is the same as expensive textbooks; the publisher just doesn't charge for it. Your instructor may even use OpenStax as the official textbook, in which case you already have the right material.

Khan Academy offers free video lessons and practice problems for math, science, history, and test prep. MIT OpenCourseWare publishes full university courses—lectures, notes, exams, and solutions—from MIT classes at no cost. If you're studying a topic that MIT teaches, you can often find the entire course online.

YouTube channels run by educators and universities also post full lectures and problem walkthroughs. Search "[your topic] lecture" or "[your topic] explained" and filter by length to find videos that match your learning style. Many are created by professors or tutors and are free to watch.

Asking your instructor and classmates for study materials

Email your instructor and ask what study resources they recommend. Many instructors have compiled study guides, practice problems, or lists of free resources specifically for their course. Some will share old exams, answer keys, or notes they've written. Instructors expect this question and often have materials ready to send.

Ask your classmates if they have notes, study guides, or documents they're willing to share. Most students are happy to trade notes or send you a copy of something they found. Class Discord servers, GroupMe chats, or study group emails are the easiest way to ask without interrupting class.

Form or join a study group in your class. Study groups let you share materials, quiz each other, and explain concepts to one another—often more effective than reading a document alone. Your instructor may have a list of students looking for study partners, or you can post in the class forum asking who wants to meet.

Using free academic search engines and repositories

Google Scholar searches academic papers, theses, and research documents across the internet. Many results link to free PDF versions hosted by universities or the authors themselves. Search your topic and look for the PDF icon next to results—that usually means a free version is available. Your school library can also unlock paywalled papers through your institutional login.

ResearchGate and Academia.edu are social networks where researchers post their own papers for free. Search your topic and you'll often find the full text posted by the author. These sites are legal because authors are sharing their own work.

Your school's institutional repository (often called a digital commons or research archive) hosts theses, dissertations, and research by your school's faculty and students. Search your school's name plus "institutional repository" to find it. Materials are free and searchable by topic.

Requesting documents from Course Hero users

If you find a specific document on Course Hero that you need, you can sometimes request it from the uploader. Course Hero allows users to message each other. You can also post in Reddit communities like r/HomeworkHelp or r/learnprogramming asking if anyone has the document and is willing to share it. Be specific about what you need—the course name, instructor, and topic.

Some students upload their own notes and study guides to free platforms like Scribd, Quizlet, or Google Drive and share the link publicly. Search the document title plus "free" or "PDF" to see if someone has already posted it elsewhere. You may find it on a student's personal blog or shared folder.

If the document is a textbook or published material, check whether your library has it or can get it through interlibrary loan before asking peers. This saves everyone time and is usually faster.

Creating your own study materials

Writing your own study guide, summary, or practice problems often teaches you the material better than reading someone else's notes. Start by reviewing your class notes and textbook, then write a one-page summary of the key concepts. Make flashcards on Quizlet (free) or Anki (free and open-source) to test yourself. Create practice problems by working through examples from your textbook and changing the numbers.

Teaching the material to someone else—a classmate, friend, or even yourself out loud—forces you to organize your thoughts and catch gaps in your understanding. This is often more effective than reading a pre-made study guide, even a good one.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it legal to share Course Hero documents with other students?

Course Hero's terms of service prohibit sharing documents outside the platform, but sharing class notes or study guides you wrote yourself is legal. If you're downloading a document from Course Hero and sharing it, you're violating their terms, though enforcement against individual students is rare. Using free alternatives avoids this issue entirely.

Can I get textbook solutions without paying?

Your library may have access to textbook solution manuals through academic databases. Ask a librarian. Some instructors post answer keys or worked solutions. For math and science, Khan Academy and YouTube often have step-by-step solutions to common textbook problems. OpenStax textbooks include answer keys for many problems.

What if my school library doesn't have what I need?

Use interlibrary loan to borrow from other schools—it's free and usually takes three to five business days. Search Google Scholar and ResearchGate for free versions. Ask your instructor if they have the material or can recommend a free alternative. Check whether your school subscribes to the specific database that hosts the document.

Are Khan Academy and OpenStax as good as paid study materials?

They cover the same topics and are created by educators and subject experts. Many instructors recommend them. The main difference is that paid platforms like Course Hero include documents uploaded by other students, which may or may not be accurate. Free educational resources are usually reviewed by multiple experts, making them reliable.

Can I use ChatGPT or AI to explain concepts instead of finding study guides?

AI tools can explain concepts, work through problems, and answer questions for free. They're useful for understanding material but shouldn't replace reading your textbook or attending class. Use them as a supplement—ask ChatGPT to explain a concept your textbook didn't make clear, then verify the answer against your course materials.