Check yourself before you wreck yourself: Four critical AI tips for students.
As someone who works with students and faculty every day, I hear a lot of concerns about artificial intelligence. Some students worry that using AI will hurt their ability to think critically. Others worry about accidentally crossing a line and violating an instructor’s guidelines.
The good news is that AI can support learning—but only when it’s used thoughtfully.
My biggest piece of advice is this: Don’t let AI do your thinking for you.
Not a Substitute Brain
When I talk with students about AI, I encourage them to remember that the purpose of college is not simply to produce answers. The real goal is to develop skills—analyzing information, solving problems, communicating ideas and making decisions.
If you copy and paste an assignment into an AI tool and ask it to complete the work for you, you might save time in the short term, but you are also outsourcing the exact mental processes that your courses are designed to help you build.
I often tell students that AI should be a tool, not a substitute brain.
Understand Your Professor’s Expectations
Before using any AI tool, I recommend checking your professor’s course guidelines. Different instructors may have different expectations about when AI is appropriate and when it isn’t. Understanding those expectations early can help you avoid confusion later.
If you’re unsure, ask questions. In my experience, most instructors appreciate students who proactively seek clarification.
You Drive the Work
I also encourage students to keep their own critical thinking at the center of the learning process.
Start with your own ideas. Form your own interpretations. Make your own decisions.
AI can be a helpful partner, but you should always remain the person driving the work. Good learning starts with critical thinking first, learning first and thoughtful prompting first—not blindly trusting whatever an AI tool produces.
With that in mind, here are three ways I think students can use AI effectively while still protecting their learning:
1. Use AI to Manage Your Time
One of the best uses of AI is helping you get organized for the semester. I often recommend that students upload course schedules, assignment deadlines and major projects into an AI tool.
You can ask it to create a calendar, semester plan, checklist or even a visual roadmap—whatever works best for your learning style. Staying organized helps reduce stress and makes it easier to focus on learning rather than scrambling to remember due dates.
2. Use AI to Understand Assignments
Instead of asking AI to complete an assignment, ask it to help you understand the assignment. I would rather see a student ask, “What is my professor asking me to do here?” or “What questions should I ask my instructor about this project?”
Of course, actually talking to your professor is the best option—but they can’t be available to you 24/7. Using AI as a tutor or interpreter can help you gain clarity while still doing the intellectual work yourself.
3. AI as a Writing Coach
When writing, I encourage students to begin with their own ideas and draft something original first. Then, use AI as a peer reviewer just like you would with a classmate or at the FRCC Writing Center.
Ask for feedback, suggestions for improvement, or help identifying unclear sections. But don’t have it rewrite for you. The important thing is that you remain the author.
Keep drafts, save version histories and document your process. Not only does this strengthen your writing, but it also demonstrates that the thinking and decision-making were yours.
4. Use NotebookLM as a Study Partner
One of the most powerful ways I’ve seen students use AI is by creating a course notebook in Google’s NotebookLM. Think of it as building your own AI-powered study guide.
Instead of scouring the internet for answers, NotebookLM works only with the materials you provide. I recommend uploading your syllabus, assignment sheets, lecture slides, course readings, notes and even transcripts from instructional videos.
Once everything is in one place, you can ask it to explain a difficult concept to you in simple language. Or questions such as, “What are the major themes we’ve covered so far?” or “How does this week’s reading connect to the previous unit?”
Want help studying for finals? You can ask NotebookLM to create study guides, sample quizzes and flashcards to help you solidify your understanding of the material.
It’s all based on what you put into the notebook. Because the tool is grounded in your notes and course materials, it can help you review, organize information and identify connections you may have missed.
Use AI Thoughtfully
Of course, there are also significant ethical and environmental impacts associated with using AI. We plan to address some of these in a future blog post.
For now, I don’t think the future belongs to students who avoid AI, and I don’t think it belongs to students who let AI do everything for them. T
I think the future belongs to students who learn how to think critically, ask good questions and use AI strategically.
Whether you’re organizing your semester, getting feedback on a draft or building a NotebookLM course notebook, the goal isn’t to replace your brain.
The goal is to build a better one.
