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List what to research before choosing between two majors
- For High school students
- You practice Setting limits and rules
- Time about 5 minutes
About this exercise
You're torn between graphic design and marketing for college. Instead of asking the AI to pick for you, get exactly 5 numbered research questions, each under 20 words, each ending with where you'll find the answer, using exactly one of these labels in brackets: [Counselor], [Catalog], [Professional], [Postings]. Plain text, no recommendation of a major, and skip anything your notes already answer.
Common mistakes when you ask AI for this
- Asking the AI to decide. Ask 'should I major in X or Y' and the AI picks for you based on almost nothing it knows about you. Try: Ask for questions to research, and add: "Don't recommend a major."
- Not saying where to look. The AI lists questions with no next step, so the list sits in your notes app. Try: Add: "End each question with [Counselor], [Catalog], [Professional] or [Postings]."
- Getting a long list. AI lists come as 10 to 15 questions under headings. Try: Be exact: "Exactly 5 numbered questions, each under 20 words."
- Forgetting where it's going. AI adds bold and headings that show up as stray symbols in your notes app. Try: Add: "Plain text, no bold, no headings."
What a strong prompt includes
- Says how many questions
- Gives the source labels
- Says not to pick for you
- Skips what you know
- Sets a length limit
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