AI & You: Leveraging ChatGPT For A Unique Learning Experience

I already know what you might be thinking.

Based simply on what I've titled this blog, I can just tell you're probably shaking your head as you read on.

Great. Another blog post written by ChatGPT.

Can't we just have some pure human content?

Yes. Yes, you can. I assure you, this blog post is not written by ChatGPT. I'm sitting here at my laptop, typing away to give you some of that "pure human content" you're craving.

And the reason I have the time to sit here and do just that? Because I've been using ChatGPT.

It's a bit of an anomaly, really. Love it or hate it, ChatGPT has the power to drastically improve your life if you really take the time to get to know it and use it for all the right reasons. No one can really tell you if ChatGPT is going to take your job in the next 10 years, but those of us who use it to our advantage can tell you that it gives you a leg up if you're willing to give it a chance.

Since I discovered ChatGPT at the end of 2022 when it was in its very beginning phases, I've used it for all sorts of helpful tasks. To name a few - writing website content, creating detailed social media marketing plans, scheduling out my tasks for the week. I've used it as a personal trainer, a relationship coach, a financial advisor, and even a therapist (yes, a therapist). And though I now have many great teachers in my life on my road to educating myself in the tech field, I've been using it as a teacher as well.

My name is Makala, and I'm an aspiring software engineer. I'm currently just beginning my journey at Flatiron School's software engineering bootcamp, and yes - I've found a way to leverage ChatGPT for that, too.

I have ADHD, and my learning style has never been typical. Most educational content seems to be written for people who are pretty "Type A" overall, or at the very least, neurotypical. I struggled all through my middle school and high school years because my learning style just isn't standard enough for the majority of educational content to speak to.

The fact is, I've realized through studying my own learning habits that I actually think backwards. In order to truly grasp a concept and understand it, I have to come up with several theories that the concept might apply to and work each one backwards to apply the teachings and determine what works and what doesn't. If the concept is the clear starting point of one of those theories with no obvious objections, the theory is proven correct and I can apply it as a litmus test for understanding the concept moving forward.

To a lot of you, this probably sounds extremely complicated and roundabout. It might even sound time-consuming, or even exhausting. And, I assure you - it is. Because typical educational material doesn't account for this style of learning.

To some of you, this might make a whole lot of sense, and you might share in my frustrations.

To those of you who "get it," I ask - what if you had your own personal teacher who could understand exactly what you mean when you describe this style of learning and apply it to any concept to teach you anything you want to know, exactly the way you'll learn it best?

This is what I've found in ChatGPT. By telling it exactly how I want to learn and giving it information about the concept being taught, the AI can explain it to me in the exact way that makes the most sense to me, saving me an insane amount of time and energy.

Neurodivergent? Thinking backwards? Theorizing and conceptualizing yourself half to death? Yep - ChatGPT can teach you in the ways that will work for you.

And for the rest of you, just ask it to explain any concept to you like you're 5. There's something in it for everyone; I promise.