AI Tools Notes

  One of the biggest challenges in college is dealing with difficult textbooks. Some chapters are packed with technical terms, long explanations, and dense paragraphs that take a long time to process. I remember spending hours reading the same section repeatedly and still feeling unsure whether I actually understood the main idea. Over time, I started using AI tools to help me break down difficult textbook material. Instead of replacing reading, AI became a tool that helps me process information faster and understand concepts more clearly . After using this method for several months, I found that it significantly reduced the time I spent struggling with complicated chapters. Here is the simple process I use. 1. Breaking Down Complex Paragraphs When I read textbooks, the biggest problem is often overly complex explanations. Some paragraphs are filled with academic language that makes simple ideas sound complicated. This happened to me a lot in my biology class. The textbook con...

When ChatGPT started becoming popular on campus, most students had strong opinions about it. Some were using it for assignments, while others refused to try it at all. I wasn’t fully comfortable with either approach. Instead of using it to do my work, I spent a semester experimenting with how it could support my studying. The biggest difference came when I stopped using the default chat casually and started creating Custom GPTs with clear study-focused rules. Here’s what I actually did, what improved, and what I had to be careful about. Why I Moved Beyond Default ChatGPT At first, I used ChatGPT the way most people do. I asked a question, got an answer, and moved on. But I noticed something frustrating. I kept repeating the same instructions: Explain this in simple terms. Give me practice questions. Don’t write the full essay. Focus on exam preparation. It felt inconsistent. Some responses were helpful, others were too detailed or not structured the way I wanted. That’s wh...

If you’re like most college students, you probably use Chrome every day—for research, essays, video lectures, and (let’s be honest) YouTube distractions. I didn’t realize how much time I was wasting online until I discovered a few free Chrome extensions that helped me stay focused, manage tabs, and get work done faster. Here are the 6 Chrome extensions I personally used in college , how they helped me, and which ones I still use today. Grammarly for Chrome I’ve mentioned Grammarly before, but the Chrome extension is a game-changer. It checks grammar, spelling, and tone across all websites —including Google Docs, Gmail, and discussion forums. Why I loved it: Caught errors in real-time Helped me write better emails to professors No need to copy/paste into another app Downside: Advanced features require the Premium version, but the free one was enough for classwork Momentum Every time I opened a new tab, Momentum greeted me with a calming photo, a motiv...

Taking effective notes in college is more than just writing things down—it's about organizing information so you can actually use it later. Over the years, I tried multiple free note-taking apps , each with its own strengths and quirks. In this post, I’ll walk you through the 3 main tools I personally used: Notion, OneNote, and Evernote —and I’ll tell you which one I still use today (and why). Why I Switched From Paper to Digital Notes At first, I was a pen-and-notebook person. But I kept running into problems: I couldn’t search for anything quickly I forgot notebooks at home Group study meant rewriting notes digitally anyway So, I tried going digital—and never went back. Notion I used Notion mostly for structured class notes and organizing course materials. Pros: Fully customizable pages You can embed videos, PDFs, checklists, calendars Great for organizing multi-subject dashboards Cons: Takes time to set up properly No handwriting supp...

College life comes with a never-ending list of files—essays, slides, readings, lab reports, and group projects. At first, I saved everything on my laptop desktop. You can guess what happened: things got lost, corrupted, or forgotten. Then I switched to Google Drive , and honestly, I wish I had started sooner. It became my central hub for everything academic , and here’s how I used it to stay organized, avoid data loss, and collaborate more easily. Why I Switched to Google Drive One day, I lost a nearly finished essay because my laptop crashed. It was due in 2 hours. That experience made me look for a better way to store and access files—and that’s when I committed to Google Drive. It was free, synced across devices, and easy to use. No more lost files. No more version chaos. How I Used Google Drive as a Student Organized Folders by Semester and Course Each semester had its own folder (e.g., “Fall 2025”), and inside I created folders like: “Biology 202” “Psych 101”...

Group projects used to stress me out more than exams. People forgot deadlines, duplicated work, or waited until the last minute. I knew we needed a better way to organize and communicate. That’s when I started using Trello , a free project management tool that works like a digital bulletin board. It helped my group stay on track, meet deadlines, and (finally) avoid chaos. Here’s how I used Trello for group projects in college—and why I still use it today. Why I Chose Trello for Group Work At first, I tried using shared Google Docs and group chats. It helped a little, but it got messy fast. There was no clear task list , no deadline tracker, and people kept asking, “What am I supposed to do?” Trello solved all of that with one simple concept: cards on a board . How I Set Up My Trello Board for Projects Board Title = Project Name For example: “Marketing Strategy Presentation” Lists for Progress Stages To Do In Progress Review Done Cards for Tasks Eac...