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Turn your confused notes into office hours questions
Practice: Giving the right context. About 5 minutes.
About this exercise
You have 10 minutes at your stats professor's office hours, so you want to arrive with sharp questions. Get exactly 3 numbered questions, each starting with the slide number in parentheses like '(Slide 7)' and under 20 words, plain text, with no answers. Ask only about the parts you marked ??? and haven't figured out yet.
Common mistakes when you ask AI for this
- Asking what to ask. The AI suggests generic questions about regression, not the exact spots you're stuck on. Try: Say: "Only about the parts I marked ???."
- Missing what you resolved. The AI sees four ??? marks and asks about all of them, including the one you crossed off. Try: Add: "Skip the R-squared one; I figured it out."
- Getting answers instead. The AI's instinct is to answer your questions, which turns into a long lecture. Try: Add: "Just the questions, no answers."
- Not saying how many questions. The AI picks its own number, and it usually picks more questions than you need. Try: Be exact: "Exactly 3 numbered questions."
- Trusting the AI to count words. AI is bad at counting. Ask for a total and it often lands 20% over. Try: Cap each question: "each under 18 words."
- Forgetting where it will be read. AI formats for a screen, with bold and headings that show up as stray symbols in your notes. Try: Say: "Plain text, no bold, no headings."
What a strong prompt includes
- Points to your ??? marks
- Skips what you solved
- Asks for slide numbers
- Says no answers
- Says how many questions
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