Estimated reading time: 9 minutes
If you really want to optimize your revision and improve every day, what I’m about to share with you might change the way you learn.
Until now, maybe you’ve been using ChatGPT to take shortcuts with your essays, like an enhanced search engine where you ask a question and get a ready-made answer. That’s useful, but it doesn’t help you reason.
Do you want a real way to make progress in your studies? Use ChatGPT ACTIVELY.
Why is ChatGPT a powerful learning tool?
We can agree: your phone is either a great tool or a huge distraction. It all depends on what you do with it.
With ChatGPT, there are 2 ways to use it:
1. The passive way (the one everyone uses)
→ You ask a question, it answers.
→ That’s fine, but it doesn’t stimulate your reasoning.
2. The active way (the one that will change your learning)
→ You program it to make you think, like a real teacher pushing you to find the answer for yourself.
→ You develop your reasoning rather than just consuming info.
And that is where the magic happens.
Effective learning: focus on the process, not just the result
Are you familiar with Atomic Habits by James Clear? This book is in my top 5 books to read for organizing one's life and projects. It explains that the key to progress is not to set goals, but to establish solid habits and focus on the system of action.
Example:
• If your goal is to get an A in anatomy, but you don't have a work method, it’s pointless.
• On the other hand, if your system is to be a lifelong learner, you put in place a daily system, with progressive revisions and an effective method, which will allow you to learn AND ABOVE ALL to understand, the grades will follow naturally.
And that is exactly what you can do with ChatGPT.
Do you want to become an excellent professional in the long term? Adopt a learner identity, not just that of a student aiming for a grade.
How does ChatGPT help you shift from passive to active learning?
1. Let ChatGPT make you think before it gives you an answer
Instead of asking it: « What are the muscles that attach to the scapula? »
It gives you a complete list, and you read it without truly absorbing it.
Ask it to quiz you before answering:
PROMPT: When I ask you a question, guide me to find the answer myself before giving it to me. Ask me intermediate questions to stimulate my thinking.
Example of an exchange:
👨🎓 « What muscles attach to the scapula? »
🤖 « Can you first give me different muscle groups that attach to the scapula? »
👨🎓 « Er… are there deep muscles, superficial muscles, for example? »
🤖 « Exactly! Can you now tell me which of them have an attachment on the posterior face of the scapula? »
👨🎓 « Hmm… I would say the trapezius, the latissimus dorsi, the levator scapulae… »
🤖 « Good! What do you know about the rotator cuff muscles? »
Result: You think, you make connections, and you retain information much better than by reading a ready-made list.
2. Generate MCQs and exercises with ChatGPT
Once you have learned a lesson, test yourself! It's the blank sheet exercise improved.
Use this PROMPT:
Create a 30-question MCQ for me with the following rules:
- 15 questions have 2 correct answers.
- 15 questions have only 1 correct answer.
- Vary the difficulty levels and topics.
- Don't give me the answers immediately, I want to test myself first.
You can also ask it for open-ended questions (OEQs) to go further in your reflection.
3. Structure your revision with ChatGPT
- Use it to organize your study schedule.
You can tell it, and it’s EVEN better if you have the lesson in PDF format or can copy-paste it into the conversation with CHAT GPT.
"I have an exam in 30 days on this PDF. I have X chapters to learn. Give me an effective revision schedule with progressive reviews and spaced repetition. Every day you will give me a quiz to evaluate my progress on this course, and you will adapt the quizzes based on my correct or incorrect answers."
Result: It generates an optimized plan for you, distributing the concepts intelligently to avoid cramming the night before the exam.
Integrate ChatGPT into your habits as a good learner.
Do you want a solution to revise daily without having to worry about what to revise? Pair ChatGPT with the habit method described in Atomic Habits:
1. Make your revision obvious
💡 Example: Open ChatGPT as soon as you pick up your phone instead of scrolling through Instagram, and ask it to give you 1 question on a course you are currently revising (resume the discussion where you have already started revising)
2. Associate your revision with pleasure
💡 Example: Do an MCQ on ChatGPT while drinking your morning coffee. You can even do it by speaking out loud with the new version.
Another example: As soon as you are in a waiting moment, like on the subway, train, or at the post office, ask CHATGPT to quiz you on what you are learning at the moment.
3. Create a tracking system
Ask CHATGPT to tell you every day how long you have been revising with it without having missed two revision days in a row.
💡 Example: Note how many days in a row you have used ChatGPT to revise and challenge yourself not to break your chain.
Conclusion: Make ChatGPT your personal coach
As you have understood, ChatGPT is not just a search engine.
If you use it intelligently, it becomes a mentor who guides you, makes you reason, and optimizes your revision.
Remember these 4 key strategies:
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Make it reason with you instead of asking for ready-made answers.
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Generate exercises and MCQs to test your knowledge.
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Use it to structure an effective revision program.
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Integrate it into your habit system to make progress every day.
Now, it’s your turn! Test these methods, and challenge yourself to be the best student you wish to be.
Discover my other articles that will help you be a better student:
- Why reading your notes isn't enough and how to revise better?
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How to create study sheets that push you to understand your lessons better
Thanks to Nicolas Augst for his valuable help in writing this article!