The struggle is real. You have plans — big plans — to enjoy yourself to the maximum this spring break. You have packed multiple outfits. Reservations have been confirmed. Tickets have been purchased. The trip is out of the group chat and will soon make its way into the history books.
But first, you have homework. And most chillingly, you will have exams.
They may come before or just after spring break, but they will come. And when they do, some unfortunate college students may either be too turnt up or too laid back to reckon with them.
Here are a few ways you can use AI to keep up with assignments that have the audacity to be given around spring break. Just always make sure to do a quick double check of any study guides, flashcards and notes before you start using AI as a study aid. AI tools are known to hallucinate and can often present you with information that’s less than accurate.
Above average review
Whether you’re all tanned and tuckered out from a trip away or your mind is mushy from bed rotting and binging, you may be so lost in the spring break sauce that everything you’ve learned escapes you entirely, not to mention the fact that looking through learning materials is a huge bummer after a long time away.
AI tools like Microsoft Copilot can review large swaths of information in your web browser and give you the highlights on what you’ve already covered as well as what’s coming up, so you don’t have to do anything but type in a prompt. The trick to this is to keep the prompt focused on simplicity.
I used Copilot to review some exceptionally dense regulatory materials from the Federal Communications Commission’s Code of Regulations. It gave me a breakdown that could be read in about a minute, and it put the information into an interactive flashcard format for easy review.
Curate notes
Sometimes students take detailed notes. Sometimes they just jot a few things down in the margins of a detailed drawing of Goku they did during class. The probability of either of those notes being remotely interesting to someone preparing for or returning from a week of spring break is low.
AI tools like Google Gemini can ingest your notes, cross-check them against your exam and assignment results and provide a customized breakdown of vital concepts you may be missing and elements you might need to brush up on, however loath the brushing may be.
I took some pics of my Japanese notes and graded exams. I then had Gemini generate some new notes for me, with an eye toward where I should put the bulk of my limited attention when I return from a nice long break.
As a fun little extra, Gemini’s Guided Learning Tool can be selected, which activates a mode that turns the AI tool into an interactive teacher. I used it to help me memorize the katakana, and it provided light questions for me throughout, mimicking a teacher-student scenario.
Students should try this out if they’re stressing around the time off, if only to save their teachers’ inboxes and help preserve their sanity. The sweet release of spring break should be for everyone, even educators. But a key part of preserving their teachers’ sanity is to make sure your AI-generated study guides and notes are accurate and not filled with weird AI errors.