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Answer your freshman sibling's phone rule questions from the handbook

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

About this exercise

Your little brother starts at your high school and texted you 4 questions about the phone rules. You want 4 numbered answers under 60 words total, in plain text for a text message, each starting with Yes, No, or Not in handbook. Use only the 2026-27 handbook, not the older rules a friend forwarded, and answer Not in handbook when it doesn't say.

Common mistakes when you ask AI for this

  • Not saying which rules win. The old forwarded text is right there, and the AI may blend it with the current handbook. Try: Say: "Use only the 2026-27 handbook. Ignore the forwarded 2024 text."
  • Letting the AI guess. When the handbook is silent, the AI reasons out a likely answer and states it as fact. Try: Add: "If the handbook doesn't say, answer Not in handbook."
  • No answer shape. The AI writes a friendly paragraph per question, which is too much for a text. Try: Say: "Start each answer with Yes, No, or Not in handbook."
  • 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 answer: "each answer under 12 words."
  • Getting markdown back. AI defaults to bold labels and headings, which show up as stray symbols in a text message. Try: Ask for "plain text, no bold, no headings."

What a strong prompt includes

  • Names the current handbook
  • Says what to do when it's silent
  • Gives the answer shape
  • Sets a length limit
  • Asks for plain text

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