When I walk into my classes and sit down, I can’t help but glance at the computers of the people around me. Most of the time, I see their bookmarked tabs or open tabs with that small circle icon representing ChatGPT. Sure, that’s a normal sight to see, but now that I see the same people constantly have it open, it makes me question what they’re using AI for.
I’m a little put off knowing that students can use AI so freely within school and have AI be their only reason for passing classes. It makes me wonder if AI should be “normalized” among students.
Now that I am in college, professors are making it clear that I can use AI on assignments, but still have to note that I used it. I really thought that if you even attempted to search “ChatG-,” you would get caught and expelled, but that is not the case. Having the permission to use AI to help with assignments is a good idea on paper, but it really creates less trust among the students and professors. It raises the question of whether students will tell the truth if they use AI on assignments.
I still wonder if students should have AI right at their fingertips because some of them have relied on it since the day it dropped. I’m not here to shame, but you should be using AI for the better, to actually learn things rather than just forcing the answer out of the chat box by saying “give me more.” If you do that, you’re putting more effort into relying on a bot rather than putting effort into paying attention in class, which is a little sad.
Not everyone knows this, but above the chatbox in ChatGPT, there is this amazing tool called “Study Mode” where you’re the one in control, not AI. For example, recently I had to write an analysis essay for my English class, and I wanted more understanding of the story. I told ChatGPT everything that I knew about the story and my thesis, and the bot told me to read certain sections within the story again.
When I did, I found a lot of information I had missed in my analysis. I love this mode because I actually learn stuff, with the help of AI, guiding me to get my answers, forcing me to answer if I want to progress on what I’m stuck on. That is the kind of AI that we need more of, especially in the classroom.
It’s also just common sense to learn and study in the first place. I know, it’s hard, but that’s really the only way that you will get your material drilled into your brain. I know all of our parents have said at least once to us that they would spend hours within a library finding one answer to prove their point that they had it harder, but they had the dedication to actually prove their worthiness to graduate. It’s nice to know there are still people who don’t rely on AI.
Though yes, I do use AI for help, I just use this amazing resource to understand something in greater detail, and not be my main source of learning. Your professors went through so much training, and they’re here to help you pass, and I know they feel their hearts growing with passion every time someone needs help with a question. You’re here paying for an education, hopefully not relying on AI to help you pass; you know that feeling will come to haunt you when you forget how to do the most basic topic within your major.
Though AI will continue to grow, so will your brain, it’s all in your head. Use it to really show how smart you really are, because I know we are all smart, not to rely on AI.
