Let’s be honest — college is a lot. You’re expected to juggle 18 credits, part-time jobs, group projects (where you do all the work), and remember to drink water.
This is why you NEED AI: your new, slightly robotic best friend who doesn’t judge your procrastination habits.
Here are the top 5 AI tools that I've introduced my daughters to. As a junior in college and a senior in high school, these tools have helped both of them to survive the chaos. No hype. Just stuff that works.
ChatGPT is honestly, my favorite tool!
If professors had an opposite, it would be ChatGPT. It’s like having a super nerdy friend who never sleeps.
What it does:
Why my daughter uses it: Because sometimes I stare at the screen for 45 minutes trying to write an intro paragraph. ChatGPT helps get me unstuck, and then I can actually finish the thing.
🎯 Try this prompt: “Explain classical conditioning like I’m 5 and give me a real-life example.”
Grammarly is that smart classmate who gently nudges you when you write “their” instead of “they’re.”
What it does:
Why my daughter uses it: I write papers at 1 a.m. I am not my best self at 1 a.m. Grammarly makes sure I don’t hand in something embarrassing.
🎯 Pro tip: Use the free Chrome extension so it works everywhere — Google Docs, emails, discussion boards, etc.
Notion AI is for the overachievers and the chaotic-neutral note-takers alike.
What it does:
Why my daughter uses it: I dump all my thoughts in Notion, and it magically makes them look like I have my life together. Bonus: it’s aesthetic.
🎯 Best use: Paste in messy class notes and ask it to summarize them into a study guide.
QuillBot helps you rewrite things without sounding like you copied ChatGPT (even if you totally did).
What it does:
Why my daughter uses it: Professors love “original voice.” I love not getting flagged for sounding like a robot. QuillBot helps me make AI-generated stuff sound more human — and more me.
🎯 Use it with: ChatGPT or Notion — copy your first draft, then run it through QuillBot for polish.
Raise your hand if you’ve zoned out during a lecture and then panicked when everyone else starts writing furiously. 🙋♀️
What it does:
Why I use it: Because I type slow. And sometimes I just want to sit there and absorb without feeling like I’m live-tweeting Chem 201.
🎯 Life hack: Listen to a lecture playback while walking to class — it’s like a podcast but full of pain.
College is hard enough without pretending to be a productivity robot. These tools won’t do your degree for you, but they’ll absolutely help you:
And hey — if AI can do your least favorite parts of school, you might actually start to enjoy the rest.