When I was starting to use generative AI, I only thought of it as a fancy writing assistant, it worked great for writing emails, brainstorming ideas or helping me decide what I could eat for dinner. I did certainly not think of it as my favourite study buddy, but that’s exactly what happened.
Instead of reading and writing my lecture notes over and over again, I now use AI to turn them into something interactive. For instance, I now use Quizgecko or Quizlet’s AI-powered flashcard tool to instantly create study cards and quizzes. These tools can take my raw notes and transform it into multiple-choice questions, quick tests or fill in the blank exercises. This way, passive reading becomes interactive and actually works out my brain.
Another way of learning is with ChatGPT, he can role-play as a tutor, helping me with follow-up questions or he can explain tricky concepts in simpler terms. When I get a question wrong, I can ask him to create a new practice problem on the same topic until I control it. It feels like having a teacher that is patient and never gets tired of repeating things. It also helps me prepare for presentations or class discussions. I can ask ChatGPT to quiz me orally or act like debate partner so I can practise questions under pressure.
Of course, the way of studying is not perfect, sometimes the questions are way to easy, or the explanations are a bit shallow. That is why I always double check. I felt that studying could sometimes become rather monotonous, especially when it came to a subject that was purely theoretical, but overall studying has become more engaging and this way I get a little more of a twist.
Looking back, I think the coolest part is how these ways make learning more personal. So that they adapt to my personal flaws and pace.
