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Answer winter break housing questions from the current policy

Practice: Keeping the AI to your sources. About 5 minutes.

About this exercise

You're thinking about staying on campus over winter break and have 4 questions. You want exactly 4 numbered answers in plain text, each one sentence ending with the policy section in parentheses, like "(Sec. 3)", or the words Not in policy if the policy doesn't say. Use only the 2026-27 policy, not last year's FAQ.

Common mistakes when you ask AI for this

  • Mixing in last year's FAQ. The old deadline and fee are right there, and the AI may quote them or blend both years. Try: Say: "Use only the 2026-27 policy. Ignore last year's FAQ."
  • Not asking for the section. Without a citation you can't show the housing office where the answer came from. Try: Add: "End each answer with the section, like (Sec. 3)."
  • Letting the AI guess. When the policy is silent, the AI answers from what dorms usually allow. Try: Say: "If the policy doesn't say, write Not in policy."
  • Not saying how many. The AI decides the length itself and usually returns more answers than you can use. Try: Be exact: "exactly 4 numbered answers."
  • Getting markdown back. AI defaults to bold labels and headings, which show up as stray symbols in a note on your phone. Try: Ask for "plain text, no bold, no headings."

What a strong prompt includes

  • Names the current policy
  • Asks for section citations
  • Says what to do when it's silent
  • Says exactly how many
  • Asks for plain text

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