You can and should use a solutions manual—but only in a way that enhances learning, not bypasses it. Here is the recommended 5-step process:

As he sipped his coffee, Alex opened his laptop and searched for solutions to the problems assigned in the textbook. That's when he stumbled upon a zip file titled "Mechanics of Materials 6th Edition Solutions Riley.zip". His eyes lit up as he realized that this could be the key to understanding the complex concepts.

The solutions helped Alex in several ways: