Text a classmate what they missed in lecture

About this exercise

Your lab partner missed today's Biology lecture and asked what they missed. Write a prompt that turns your notes into a text message: the changed exam date first, then at most 3 bullets on what was covered, under 60 words total, plain text. Use the corrected exam date from the end of lecture and skip the side stories.

Common mistakes when you ask AI for this

• Just saying "summarize". The AI writes formal study notes, not a quick text to a friend. Try: Say who it's for: "a text to my lab partner who missed class."
• Burying the date. The AI follows the lecture's order, so the exam date ends up at the start or end, and maybe the wrong one. Try: Say: "Start with the exam date, using the final correction (Nov 21)."
• Trusting the AI to count words. AI is bad at counting. Ask for a total and it often lands 20% over. Try: Cap each part: "first line under 12 words, each bullet under 12."
• Not limiting bullets. The AI makes a bullet for every line of your notes. Try: Set a cap: "At most 3 bullets. Skip the side stories."
• Forgetting where it will be read. AI formats for a screen, with bold and headings that show up as stray symbols in a text message. Try: Say: "Plain text, no bold, no headings."

What a strong prompt includes

• Says who it's for
• Puts the date first
• Uses the final date
• Limits the bullets
• Sets a length limit

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