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Unofficial Udemy Student Guide: Courses Free or Dirt Cheap

Name: Unofficial Udemy Student Guide: Courses Free or Dirt Cheap
Rating: 4.6 (5 reviews)

Unofficial Udemy Student Guide: Get the best Udemy courses free or dirt cheap, then: watch fast, leave notes, messages

Created byBrian Jackson

Last updated 8/2025

English

What you'll learn

Use the Udemy Categories drop-down menu to browse the Udemy course catalog. Filter search results by level, length and even price ;-).
Use the Udemy search field to perform specific searches when you know more-or-less what you're looking for. Again, filter search output for best results.
Evaluate a course based on number of reviews and star rating, number of students and the last time updated. Browse the course description for details.
Review the previewable video material for the course to determine if you have a match with the instructor.
Evaluate the instructor of a course by reviewing their Udemy course catalog for additional courses in a niche and for applicable courses.
Add courses for potential future purchase to your Udemy Watchlist by clicking on the heart symbol to the right of the buy button while reviewing a course.
Never pay full price for a Udemy course by understanding Udemy course pricing and displaying courses that are available for free on Udemy.
Use Udemy sales, course coupons, promotional announcements, Internet search and referral codes to get courses free or at a discount.
How to watch a course, navigate a course and download a course for watching offline. How to organize your courses and watch then fast while leaving notes.
How Udemy instructors get paid.

Course content

8 sections • 42 lectures • 2h 55m total length

Course Overview7:32
In this lecture, I provide an overview of the course contents and structure.

Using Categories to Find Courses5:42
In this lecture, I demonstrate using the Udemy course categories pull-down to browse the Udemy course catalog. Includes a demonstration of filtering results.
Searching and Filtering Search Results5:35
In this lecture, I demonstrate my preferred method for searching for Udemy courses, along with search string expansion and filtering.
Evaluating a Course for Purchase8:56
In this lecture, I provide some tips for evaluating a course before purchase.
Using Free Previews5:12
In this video, I cover some intro stuff on the Udemy sale announcement top banner, then dive into watching free previews to get the style of the instructor.
Evaluating a Course Instructor5:53
In this lecture, I demonstrate how to review an instructor's Udemy course catalog.
Building a Udemy Course Wishlist4:18
In this lecture, I show how to add potential course to your Udemy Wishlist.

An Overview of Udemy Course Pricing7:28
In this lecture, I provide an introduction to Udemy's truly bizarre price structure.
Displaying Free Courses Available on Udemy3:12
In this lecture, I demonstrate how to display the free course in a Udemy Category or search result.
Udemy's Endless Course Sales3:52
In this lecture, I point out that Udemy has a sale about twice a week that they advertise in a yellow banner at the top of the non-video screens.
Introduction to Course Coupon Codes5:02
In this lecture, I explain how instructors offer discounts via coupon codes.
Instructor Promotional Announcements3:54
In this lecture, I explain instructor promotional announcements containing coupon codes delivered to your email.
Finding Free and Discount Coupon Codes on Facebook5:29
In this lecture, I demonstrate how to find Udemy discount coupons on Facebook coupon groups.
Searching the Internet for Coupon Codes2:42
In this lecture, I demonstrate how to search the Internet for coupon codes for a course.
Asking the Instructor for a Discount Coupon3:04
In this lecture, I demonstrate the correct way to contact an instructor for a coupon code without getting slapped on the write by Udemy.
The Bonus Lecture and Referral Codes2:51
In this lecture, I explain the purpose and use of instructor referral codes.
Udemy Business Class3:19
In this lecture, I describe Udemy's new business class subscription service and why I don't like it.

How to Watch a Course2:18
In this lecture, I show how to watch a video in Udemy and expand your viewing area.
How to Navigate a Course2:15
In this lecture, I review how to move through the Udemy video screens.
Downloading Courses3:26
Course Resources, Lecture Resources and Affiliate Links3:20
In this lecture, I explain how to download resources from a course and the special Course Resources lecture that may contain affiliate links.
My Learning3:35
In this lecture, I explain how to view all the Udemy courses you purchased and organize them into lists.
Watching a Course Fast or Slow3:04
In this lecture, I explain how to watch a video fast or slow based on the clarity of the speaker.
Watching a Course with Closed Captions2:12
In this lecture, I demonstrate watching a course with closed captions and how to configure your captions.
Leaving Notes on the Course Timeline4:01
In this lecture, I show how to share notes as annotations on a lecture timeline and how to access all of your notes for a course.
Leaving Course Questions and Comments4:58
In this lecture, I explain how to ask and answer questions on the mini course forum known as the Q&A section.
Messaging Your Instructor4:11
In this lecture, I explain how to use the Udemy messaging system to conduct a private conversation with a course instructor.
Viewing Lecture Transcripts1:59
In this lecture, I demonstrate how to view a textual transcript for a lecture.
Completing Course Assignments4:12
In this lecture, I explain the importance of completing course assignments.
Instructor Educational Announcements3:06
In this lecture, I explain how to learn more from instructor educational announcements.
Course Completion Certificates3:28
In this lecture, I explain how and why to receive course completion certificates for completing all the lectures in a course.
Getting a Course Refund4:04
In this lecture, I explain how to get a refund for a course.
Leaving a Review4:40
In this lecture, I demonstrate how to leave a review for a course.

Updating Your Udemy Profile and Notification Preferences4:27
In this lecture, I explain why and how to update your profile and how to set your message notification preferences.
How Udemy Instructors Get Paid5:15
In this lecture, I explain how Udemy instructors get paid.
Installing and Using the Udemy App0:14
In this lecture, I provide an introduction to installing and using the Udemy app.
Udemy Discount Coupon Codes Explained13:09
In this video, we explore Udemy coupons and discount codes from the perspective of a Udemy instructor. Different types of Udemy course links and options are discussed, along with what to do with Udemy course free and discount course links.
How to Get Free Udemy Courses8:09
In this video on how to get free Udemy courses in 2025, I explain how to get free Udemy courses and coupons through Udemy's search options, promotional announcements, Facebook coupon groups and Internet search.
Is a Udemy Certificate Worth It?3:48
In this video, I answer the question "Is a Udemy certificate worth it?" as I examine Udemy certificate value in a practical sense.

Requirements

You'll need a web browser to access Udemy and follow along with this course (the Chrome web browser running on the Windows 11 operating system is demonstrated).

Description

"The only thing more ever-changing than the weather is the Udemy student interface.
Woe be it to any instructor foolish enough to chisel its present likeness into granite."
---Brian Jackson

Hello and welcome to my course, Unofficial Udemy Student Guide 1: Courses and Instructors.

My name is Brian Jackson. I am the writer of over one dozen books, publisher of well over 100 books, and Udemy instructor with almost 40 courses to my name.

I'm also a Udemy student.

I've been a Udemy student for almost ten years now. During that time, I managed to acquire exactly 545 Udemy courses.

Now, you may think that I spent a lot of money acquiring so many courses, but you'd be wrong. You see, I obtained most of my courses for free and the rest at ridiculously low prices through the use of coupon codes and Udemy sales.

Coupon codes? Udemy sales? What are those?

Don't worry, everything will be explained in due course.

In this course I'll show you how to find the best courses at the best prices and then how to get the most out of each course you take.

The course is divided into the following main sections:

Evaluating the Udemy Course Catalog
Never Pay Full Price for a Udemy Course
Getting the Most Out of Your Udemy Courses

Note: If you're in a rush, simply scan the lecture descriptions, which are fairly descriptive, and drop in on any lectures that interest you. Udemy course taking tip #1.

So, if you're ready to Udemy with the best of us then I'm ready to show you the tricks of the trade.

As always, good luck and happy Udemy'ing.

---Brian

Who this course is for:

This course is directed specifically at students new to Udemy.
Udemy old timers may also benefit from some of the tricks outlined in this course.

Unofficial Udemy Student Guide: Courses Free or Dirt Cheap

What you'll learn

Explore related topics

Course content

Introduction1 lecture • 8min

Evaluating the Udemy Course Catalog6 lectures • 36min

Intermission I1 lecture • 1min

Never Pay Full Price for a Udemy Course10 lectures • 41min

Intermission II1 lecture • 1min

Getting the Most Out of Your Udemy Courses16 lectures • 55min

Additional Material6 lectures • 35min

Conclusion1 lecture • 1min

Requirements

Description

Who this course is for: