AI for study and notes.
Used well, AI can be the best study partner you've ever had: patient, available at midnight, and able to explain the same thing ten different ways. Used badly, it makes you lazy and you learn nothing. Today you'll learn the right way.
The goal of studying is to put knowledge in your head, not on paper. If AI does the thinking for you, you'll pass the assignment and fail the interview.
Good uses vs bad uses
| Good: AI helps you learn | Bad: AI replaces your learning |
|---|---|
| "Explain this concept 3 different ways" | "Write my whole assignment" |
| "Quiz me on chapter 4" | "Give me answers to the exam questions" |
| "Check my answer and tell me what's missing" | Copy-pasting answers without understanding |
| "Make a 2-week study plan for my exam" | Never opening the textbook |
6 powerful study techniques with AI
Check AI explanations against your syllabus
AI may teach a topic differently from your textbook or professor, or go beyond your syllabus. Always match the explanation to your course material and your teacher's notes.
You don't understand a statistics concept after the lecture. What's the BEST use of AI?
Understanding first, then practice. Homework answers without understanding won't help in exams.
Academic honesty
Many colleges now have rules about AI. Usually:
- Using AI to understand and practise is fine.
- Submitting AI-written work as your own is often treated as cheating.
- When allowed, disclose how you used AI.
Check your college's policy, and when unsure, ask your teacher.
Good. Active practice that builds real knowledge.
Not good. It's cheating, and it leaves you without the knowledge you'll need later.
Which technique tests whether you truly understand a topic?
Explaining in your own words (the Feynman technique) reveals what you don't know.
Your task (30 min)
Choose one chapter you're studying now. Use AI to: (1) explain the hardest concept simply, (2) make 10 flashcards, (3) quiz you with 5 questions one at a time. Note which questions you got wrong and revise those parts from your textbook.
Lesson 6 complete!
You can use AI to understand topics, make notes, quiz yourself and plan study, without cheating yourself. Next: AI for writing, slides and email.
Next: AI for writing, slides and email →