{"id":"dat-col-semester-cost-gap","audience":"college","category":"data","technique":"context","title":"Figure out your semester funding gap without the loan","free":false,"task":"You want to know how much you still need for spring semester. You've decided not to take the federal loan, so leave it out of aid. Write exactly 3 numbered lines: 1) costs added up, 2) aid added up, 3) gap = costs − aid. Use actual costs where your notes have them. Plain text, under 60 words, nothing else.","materialLabel":"Your cost and aid notes (attached to your prompt automatically)","material":"SPRING SEMESTER - costs and aid (Marisol)\n\nCosts (from the college's estimate):\n- Tuition: $6,800\n- Fees: $650\n- Books: $420 (estimate)\n- Housing: $3,900\n\nAid offer letter:\n- Pell Grant: $3,700\n- State Opportunity Grant: $2,000\n- Dean's Scholarship: $1,500\n- Federal Direct Loan (offered): $3,500\n\nMy notes:\n- Bought all books used for $260 total. Done.\n- Roommate says the college \"always\" adds a surprise lab fee. No idea if true.\n- Work-study starts in February; paychecks go to rent at home, not school.\n- Payment due Jan 10.\n- Financial aid office says the aid letter amounts are final for spring.\n- The loan would start charging interest right away since it's unsubsidized.\n- Housing is the on-campus apartment, same as fall.\n- Parking permit is paid by my parents, not part of this budget.\n- Bursar's office is open until 5 pm on weekdays.","rules":[{"type":"numberedItems","count":3},{"type":"plainText"},{"type":"maxWords","max":60}],"mistakes":[{"title":"Not saying you'll skip the loan","why":"The AI counts the offered loan as aid, so the gap looks like $910.","fix":"Add: \"I'm not taking the loan. Leave it out of aid.\"","checks":["r1","r2"]},{"title":"Using estimates","why":"The AI uses the $420 book estimate instead of what you spent.","fix":"Add: \"Use my actual $260 for books.\"","checks":["r0"]},{"title":"Not asking to see the work","why":"A bare gap is hard to check against the bill.","fix":"Add a line to copy: \"1. Costs: 6,800 + 650 + 260 + 3,900 = $11,610\"","checks":["numberedItems","r0"]},{"title":"Trusting the AI to count words","why":"AI is bad at counting. Ask for a total word limit and it often lands over it.","fix":"Cap each line: \"each line under 14 words.\"","checks":["maxWords"]},{"title":"Forgetting where it goes","why":"AI loves markdown tables and bold, which show up as clutter in your budget notes.","fix":"Add: \"Plain text, no bold, headings or tables.\"","checks":["plainText"]}],"promptHints":[{"label":"Leaves out the loan","patterns":["loan","not taking|skip|leave out|exclude"]},{"label":"Uses actual costs","patterns":["actual","260","books"]},{"label":"Asks to show the math","patterns":["show (the |your )?(math|work)","x \\$|\\bx\\b.{0,10}=","calculation","step"]},{"label":"Sets a word limit","patterns":["\\d+\\s*words","word (limit|count)","under \\d+"]},{"label":"Asks for plain text","patterns":["plain","no bold","no markdown","no formatting","no (headings|tables)"]}],"hint":"The AI can't know you're skipping the loan. Tell it that, point it at your actual book cost, and ask for each sum.","rubricLabels":["Costs use the actual $260 for books: 6,800 + 650 + 260 + 3,900 = $11,610","Aid leaves out the loan: 3,700 + 2,000 + 1,500 = $7,200","The gap is $11,610 − $7,200 = $4,410, the rumored lab fee is not added, and there is no intro or money advice"]}