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Warn your group chat about a fake financial aid email
- For College students
- You practice Asking for a format you can use
- Time about 5 minutes
About this exercise
A fake financial aid email is going around your dorm. Post a warning in the group chat: first line exactly 'PSA: fake aid email going around', then exactly 2 bullets each quoting a red flag from the email, then a last line starting 'Report it:' with the campus reporting steps. Plain text, under 60 words.
Common mistakes when you ask AI for this
- A long warning. The AI writes paragraphs nobody reads in a group chat. Try: Limit it: "First line, 2 bullets, one Report it: line. Under 45 words."
- No recognizable opener. Without a clear first line, people scroll past. Try: Say: "First line exactly: PSA: fake aid email going around"
- Generic red flags. The AI says 'urgent language' without quoting the email. Try: Ask: "Each bullet quotes the email."
- No reporting step. The AI ends with 'stay safe!' Try: Add: "Last line: Report it: the steps from the IT page."
- Letting markdown in. AI adds bold and headings by default, and in a group chat they show up as stray symbols. Try: Add: "Plain text only, no bold, no headings."
What a strong prompt includes
- Gives the exact first line
- Asks for quotes
- Ends with reporting steps
- Limits the bullets
- Asks for plain text
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