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Compare two apartments without letting AI choose

Practice: Asking for a format you can use. About 5 minutes.

About this exercise

You and your roommate are choosing between two apartments near campus for next year and want a fair side-by-side to talk through together. You want exactly 3 numbered lines (monthly cost per person including utilities, distance to campus, and lease length), each in the form "Factor: Maple St vs Carver Ave", under 70 words in total, in plain text, with no recommendation because you'll decide yourselves. Use only the listing details, including any updates.

Common mistakes when you ask AI for this

  • Asking "which should we pick". The AI happily picks for you, and its reasons may not be the ones that matter to you two. Try: Say: "Don't recommend one. Just compare."
  • Not naming the format. The AI builds a big pros-and-cons table with a dozen rows. Try: Give the shape: "3 numbered lines: Factor: Maple St vs Carver Ave."
  • Comparing rent, not real cost. The AI compares the rents as listed, missing utilities, the per-person split, and the landlord's correction. Try: Spell it out: "Cost per person per month, including utilities, using the corrected rent."
  • Passing along rumors. The AI treats everything in the material as a fact, including a cousin's vague opinion. Try: Add: "Use only the listing facts."
  • Trusting the AI to count words. AI is bad at counting. Ask for a total word limit and it often lands 10-20% over. Try: Cap each part instead: "each line under 15 words."
  • Markdown in a text to your roommate. AI tables and bold text turn into a mess of symbols in a group chat. Try: Ask for "plain text, no table or bold."

What a strong prompt includes

  • Gives the line format
  • Rules out a recommendation
  • Defines the cost
  • Uses the update
  • Asks for plain text

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