How Students Can Use AI to Excel in School

At Codecademy, we think of ChatGPT as an enthusiastic study buddy, not a cheating device. There are AI-powered tools built right into our courses and paths so you can quickly get help when you’re stuck or need an error explained. This kind of feedback can be a game-changer for folks who are learning on their own.  

Your teachers at school may not be as lenient when it comes to using AI in the classroom. That’s understandable — AI systems often get things wrong or make facts up. You should absolutely follow your teacher or school’s policies for using AI. When you have permission to use AI, there are lots of creative ways you can use these innovative tools to foster ideas and support your academic growth.  

Experimenting with Codecademy’s AI learning tools is one way to gain experience interacting with AI systems firsthand. We make it easy for students to get started with Codecademy: High school students ages 16 and up (college students, too) are eligible to claim our student discount on Pro plans. We also partner with Clever to offer free Pro memberships to US K-12 teachers and their students — so your whole class could get in on the action.  

As you head back to school, read on to discover creative (and totally ethical) ways you can use AI to impress your teachers and get ahead this school year.    

Learn about AI’s limitations  

Responsible AI practitioners understand the difference between what AI is and isn’t. As AI becomes more integrated into society, it’s important to learn about the underlying technology that powers these tools. We have lots of beginner-friendly AI courses that break down everything from how machine learning models work to what makes an effective generative AI prompt. You can also dig deeper into the societal impacts of AI in the course Navigating AI Ethical Challenges and Risks.  

Use AI to generate ideas and make connections  

Generative AI tools can be incredible remixing and brainstorming partners, because they can instantly spin a simple prompt into a diverse range of ideas. For instance, if you can’t figure out what to build to practice your skills, you can ask ChatGPT to come up with a long list of open-ended project ideas (psst, we also have a library of practice projects). Or you can ask ChatGPT to generate icebreaker activities for you to try at your next group study session. Or you can use ChatGPT to help you name your coding club.  

Leverage AI to actually understand the assignment 

One of our favorite AI features in the Codecademy learning environment is the AI Learning Assistant. The contextual AI chatbot can examine the code you’re working on in a lesson and explain what it’s doing or tell you why you’re getting errors. You can ask it as many follow-up questions as you need to wrap your head around a problem or ask it to re-explain concepts in a way that makes sense to you.  

This technique doesn’t cut corners, it enhances your comprehension of a topic or assignment. A 2024 survey of students at a technical school in Switzerland found that a many of them used ChatGPT to summarize papers or lecture materials. Interestingly, they mentioned that these AI-generated summaries are often easier to understand than the original content.  

Utilize AI-powered tools for language learning  

Whether you’re taking a foreign language class for the first time or trying to learn another programming language, you can use AI to practice and improve your skills. For example, ChatGPT understands over 100 languages, so you can use it to quiz yourself on vocab or practice having conversations in a different language. 

Similarly, you can use ChatGPT to learn a new programming language. Lots of languages share features — like variables, conditionals, loops, lists, and functions — though they use different syntax and structure. You can ask ChatGPT to convert a concept from one language to another and compare how programming principles manifest across languages. Checking out these similarities and differences broadens your perspective and helps you adjust to new approaches. 

Explore AI-related extracurricular activities and programs  

If you’re a high school student who’s curious about AI, consider applying for the Mark Cuban Foundation’s AI Bootcamp. This free three-day program takes place across the US and is an amazing opportunity to learn about AI through lectures and workshops led by experts.  

At the end of the bootcamp, you’ll get to create a capstone project that uses AI to make a positive impact on people’s lives. Another cool perk: Students who attend the 2024 bootcamps will get free Codecademy Pro annual subscriptions so you can access our full catalog of coding, data science, and professional skills courses. Apply by September 30 to be part of the next bootcamp cohort! 

Going into the school year, we hope these ideas inspire you to keep learning about AI. No matter what your professional goals are after school, knowledge of AI can give you a head start and make you more competitive in the job market.