If you are a student, and you've been buying study materials online, this guide will give you a hack on how you can get that money back.
You already did the hard part. Studying. Now here’s how to make some passive income.
In this article, I’ll explain to you how you can turn those old notes into real money. You’ll just have to spend a few minutes and watch your side hustle generate income forever without working again.
Let’s be honest: exams are exhausting. You spend hours making notes, solving past papers, memorizing facts, formulas. And once the test is done, all that effort? It usually ends up sitting in a folder or even worse, in the trash.
But what if that same study material you created could earn you $1,000 or more every month?
Yep. If you’ve ever bought an exam prep PDF on PasingGrades, then it’s apparent you’ve seen how valuable those notes can be.
Did you know that the person who uploaded that study material is a student just like you? Now it’s your turn to upload and earn.
Even if you’re no longer in school, keep reading. This is a hack worth knowing.
Why Selling Your Notes Is Totally Worth It
Studying takes time. And money. So does school in general, Its no lie, Education is expensive. You’ve paid for books, study materials, tuition. Maybe even coffee-fueled all-nighters.
Now, the upside is that you can actually make back some of that money.
- You already have the content; your own notes, study guides, summaries, test banks.
- Other students need exactly what you’ve already created. And we will not give them for for free since you already spent time and money on them.
- You’re not just helping them pass, you’re helping yourself earn some passive income.
Top sellers on PasingGrades earn up to $5,000/month. But you don’t need to go that big. Even uploading once or twice a week can bring in extra cash each month.
What You Can Sell and Why It Helps
You might be wondering, what kind of study materials are people even buying?
Here’s a quick list to get your ideas flowing:
- Lecture notes or handwritten summaries
- The study guides you made for finals or midterms
- Practice questions, flashcards, cheat sheets
- Old test banks or example assignments
- Subject-specific material like AP Human Geography Final Exam Review or NREMT prep guides
This isn't just about money, either. Selling your notes can help you:
- Pay for subscriptions like Elsevier or Quizlet
- Afford more study materials for upcoming exams
- Cover groceries, rent, or a weekend treat
- Fund your side hustle or savings goals
Imagine last semester’s grind turning into this month’s bonus cash. That’s what i’m talking about.
What Other Students Are Earning
Let’s keep it real: Selling notes and summaries will not make you super rich. However, you can make enough money to support yourself in things like rent, vacation and even build a sizeable emergency fund.
When you're consistent and your notes/study guide/practice questions are good enough, it is possible to earn few hundred or even $1,000/month with just a few uploads.
Here’s how it typically plays out:
- A student uploads 5 test banks or study packs over a weekend.
- They price each one at $10 to $15 or even more, it just depends with you.
- With regular downloads, they hit $500 to $1,000/month without lifting a finger after uploading. That’s why I’m saying its passive money side hustle.
How to Sell Your Notes Online: Step-by-Step
Ready to try it? It’s easy and will only take a few minutes or an hour at most, unless you want to turn it into a full time job. Here are the steps to selling notes online.
- Pick Your Best Content
Go through your folders or cloud drives. Look for notes, guides, or past questions that helped you during exam season. If you are done with an exam, you can upload that too so that other students can use for revision. - If They're Handwritten, Take Clear Photos
Use your phone camera. Make sure pages are well-lit and readable and then combine them together into one document. - Format the File
Use tools like Microsoft Word, Adobe PDF, or Google Docs to organize your pages. Through the help of these tools, you can easily merge image files into one clean document. - Add a Simple Cover Page
A cover page is like a sales pitch. Its thus important to create an appealing covers. Head over to Canva (it’s free or at least it has a free version, that’s enough) and create a basic, neat cover. Include the subject, course code, and what the file contains. You can even use chatgpt to guide you.
- Create a Seller Account on PasingGrades
Go to PasingGrades.com, sign up as a seller, and upload your file. If you find difficulties uploading your files on Pasinggrades check out this: A guide to uploading Study Materials on PasingGrades. - Set a Fair Price
For most materials, $5 to $20 works great. Don’t overprice, remember, you’re helping other students like you. However, you have autonomy and pricing is totally depended on you. - Let It Work While You Study, Sleep, or Chill
Once it's up, you're done. This is passive income. Come back in a week or month, you might be surprised.
You can find more information on how students who sell notes online increase their earnings on our Start Selling Page.
A Quick Note on What’s Legal
You might be wondering if selling your notes and other study materials is legal. Very good.
Short answer: Yes, it is legal to sell study materials as long as you created the content and you have explicitly indicated so.
- If it’s your own lecture notes, summaries, or original questions, you’re good.
- Don’t upload copyrighted content from books or subscription services.
- Avoid sharing assignments you already submitted, unless clearly labeled as examples only.
- Cite sources correctly if needed.
Basically: if it’s yours, helpful, and not plagiarized, you’re safe. Just make sure it follows PasingGrades' terms and conditions.
(Also, this isn’t legal advice—but we’ve helped thousands of students earn money the right way.)
Start uploading your own notes today.
It only takes one good study material, well formatted to start earning on the side. Whether it’s $50 or $500, it’s money you didn’t expect, from work you’ve already done.
Sign up as a seller on PasingGrades today, and upload your first file before the week’s over.
Why let your notes collect dust when they could be paying for your next coffee, book, or even rent?
Let’s get that passive income rolling.
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