I was one of those students who would ask a million questions, interrupt lectures, and sometimes even be asked to leave the professor’s office because I stayed past the designated hours.
Asking questions is how I made concepts stick. Asking questions led me to more questions. It also kept me curious.
Nowadays, I can’t imagine myself bothering teachers with every little question.
But it doesn’t stop me from thinking. If ChatGPT had been available when I was still in school, I would definitely have been an early adopter.
Fortunately, ChatGPT is easily accessible, even without a Go or Plus (formerly Plus and Pro) subscription.
You can download the ChatGPT app or access it on a web browser-supported device, such as a Chromebook.
5
ChatGPT helps me learn how to frame my questions
It can also provide self-clarity
Being a good prompt writer versus someone who is starting out is quite different. This is because you may need to guide the AI model at times to find your answers.
I’m someone who learns by asking questions. ChatGPT would be the perfect canvas for doing that.
It would also reduce the time spent interrupting my lecture, as well as the time I spend in the office, since I could review the fundamentals with ChatGPT.
I’d use ChatGPT to send in notes for extra context. Then ask questions based on the lesson.
If I am stumped with my questions or ChatGPT can’t come up with a response, I’d write those questions and ask my professor after class.
ChatGPT can’t replace your teacher, but it can be valuable for enhancing your learning.
4
ChatGPT could check my mistakes
Identify your homework errors in minutes
I took a lot of math and science courses. I love working with formulas. But most of them can be tricky when multiple steps are involved.
I often needed someone to review my work to identify where I went wrong.
But when working on problems late at night, it’s not the most convenient time to contact someone to help me check my work.
ChatGPT doesn’t have a schedule (as long as your free prompts are not on cooldown). You can ask anything at any time.
I can use ChatGPT to write out the problem and then outline my solution and steps.
I’d ask ChatGPT to review my work and then guide me through the solution.
ChatGPT has a study mode feature that provides more interactive feedback, including homework help, and excels at guiding the exploration of new concepts.
You can enable it using the Study and learn tool in the chat prompt. Study mode is available on all plans.
I severely needed this for my first-year Physics courses. I had a tutor because I struggled to understand the fundamentals. I was also unsure how to approach word problems.
I never developed critical thinking because I couldn’t recognize when I needed to apply formulas or what the practice question was asking me to find. Sometimes, even, my tutor encountered issues.
My Physics professor wasn’t very approachable. We had trouble communicating our struggles to him.
That’s where I would have loved to use ChatGPT. I can ask ChatGPT to simplify the problem.
I’d also use ChatGPT to explain a concept from my notes by breaking it down into simpler terms at an elementary level.
3
ChatGPT could help me learn coding
Being LLM-based has advantages
One of my biggest regrets was shying away from the computational side of Chemistry.
Our professor told us that if we wanted to pursue computational Chemistry, we had to take programming classes or learn on our own.
The idea was daunting to me since I didn’t have a background in it.
Using ChatGPT to teach me the basics of coding and then completing practice exercises would have helped boost my confidence.
I’ve only begun to learn on my own slowly, but so far, I’ve found that my results using ChatGPT are more consistent after I ask it to provide a step-by-step analysis of something I’ve included in the prompt.
2
ChatGPT could parse my notes
Organize pages of notes in a specified format
Depending on the course, my notes can sometimes be too detailed (almost like a transcription). I’ve found that the level of detail makes it hard to study.
But I never had time to reorganize my notes, as I’d have around at least 10 pages or more of typed notes to parse through.
ChatGPT would be a lifesaver for helping me reformat my notes.
I could ask ChatGPT to organize my notes into subtopics, place formulas or definitions into tables, and then generate study questions based on my notes.
My main way of studying concepts is using flashcards, especially when I need to memorize concepts from my Biology and Biochemistry courses.
I could ask ChatGPT to create questions that work well for flashcards. Or even ask it to create a small practice test based on my notes.
Overall, interacting with my notes was the most effective way for me to learn, particularly in classes that required extensive memorization.
1
ChatGPT could help me prepare for my future
It is an invaluable tool for job-seeking
When I was focusing on my studies, I lacked foresight into my future.
I visited my campus’s guidance office to help prepare me for the future. It was useful, but I also wish I had found help outside.
I wish I had explored job prospects and ways to prepare for them more thoroughly.
ChatGPT, while not perfect, has helped me frame cover letters and format my resume.
It has also provided me with resources on relevant job portals and directed me to associations that I should explore.
I’ve also learned more about the technical skills a field wants and ways I can get them.
Most of the resources provided to me by my school were intended to help prepare me for graduate studies.
I found it challenging to find jobs that only wanted my bachelor’s experience. If I had known more, I might’ve taken a different path altogether or transferred to a program with available placements.
While ChatGPT doesn’t always provide the answers, it remains an indispensable resource.
AI continues to shape our future
AI influences how we interact with technology. Now it is incorporated into our studies and our workplace environments.
If I ever return to full-time studies, I’ll be using more tools from ChatGPT and Gemini to help alleviate stress, whether it is for setting up automations with Google Calendar or using them to manage my digital notebook.
Plus, you can use AI to help you parse through videos and notes within minutes.
Even if you don’t see the immediate benefits, it is better to learn how to leverage it effectively, so you stay ahead of the game.
