How to study with AI and still do the learning yourself
A tidy summary can make a lecture feel familiar without showing whether you can explain it. For university study, use AI to organize course material, ask you questions, and challenge your reasoning. Try the following routine with one lecture before applying it to a whole semester.
1. Before class: turn the syllabus into a short preparation task
Start with the week's learning objectives and an assigned reading you are allowed to use. Ask AI for a concept map, three prerequisite ideas, and three questions to listen for in class. Read the actual material afterward; a generated overview can leave out the details your instructor cares about.
Try: โUsing only this reading, list three concepts I need for tomorrow's lecture. For each, give a plain-language explanation and one question to investigate. If the reading does not answer something, say so.โ
2. After class: make a study sheet you can check
If recording is permitted, keep the lecture transcript with the slides and your own notes. Correct unfamiliar terms, formulas, names, and numbers against the original audio or slides before asking for a summary. Audio alone will not capture a diagram or every step written on the board.
Ask for five key ideas, one example per idea, and a list of unresolved questions. Request the slide number or transcript passage supporting each point, then check those references yourself. With Alt, you can record and transcribe a lecture, summarize a PDF, and chat about your notes; the study prompts in this guide are instructions you give the AI, not automatic quiz or scheduling features.
3. Close the notes and answer before revealing the explanation
Retrieval practice means recalling material from memory. Use AI as a questioner: answer first, then compare your reasoning with the course material.
Try: โBased only on these notes, ask five short-answer questions, one at a time. Wait for my answer. Then identify what is correct, what is missing, and the supporting passage. Do not show the answer in the question.โ If the AI skips ahead, cover its answer and write your own before reading it.
For introductory psychology, explain an experiment and what it can establish. For calculus, solve a fresh problem on paper. For history, argue a claim using course evidence. Being able to recognize a definition is a different task from being able to use it.
4. When stuck, ask for one hint rather than a worked solution
Show your attempt and mark the step where you lost track. Ask the AI to diagnose that step, give one hint, and wait. Once you finish, solve a similar problem without assistance. Check calculations, units, assumptions, and code against trusted course examples or by running your own tests.
Try: โHere is my attempt and the relevant definition. Which is the first unsupported step? Give one small hint without completing the solution. After I revise it, ask me to explain why the step works.โ
5. Revisit weak topics across the week
Spaced practice spreads review across separate days. A starting schedule is a short recall session the next day, another three days later, and a mixed set a week later. Adjust it around your course timetable and the mistakes you actually make; these intervals are a suggested routine, not a universal optimum.
Keep an error log with the question, your mistaken reasoning, the correction, and the next review date. Ask AI to propose a revision plan from that log, then put the dates in your own calendar. Before a midterm or final, practice under the actual time and tool restrictions, including sessions with no AI.
6. Use AI to challenge assignments and reading notes
For an essay, write your thesis and outline first. Ask for a counterargument, unsupported claims, and questions a reader might raise. For a journal article, separate the research question, method, findings, and limitations. Open every source you cite and confirm that it supports your statement; AI can invent both references and quotations.
Follow the AI rules for each assessment and disclose assistance when required. Do not submit generated work as your own. Keep classmates' personal information, restricted course materials, and unpublished research out of services you are not authorized to use.
Start with a 20-minute review of one lecture
Spend five minutes checking the transcript and notes, ten answering three to five questions with the notes closed, and five correcting errors and choosing the next review date. The timing is a practical starting point; a difficult topic may take longer. Track which questions you can answer independently, not how many summaries you generate.
Alt can hold the lecture transcript and summary you return to during this routine. On Apple Silicon Macs and Windows PCs, local recording, transcription, and summaries are available on the Free plan without time limits. Device support and cloud features differ; check the current pricing page before choosing a plan.