Concept checks
“We’re revising integration by parts. Can you outline the idea in 3–5 short bullet points and give us one worked example?”
Assist AI Study Tutor Guide
Turn Assist into a repeatable study ritual
This loop works whether you are studying solo, hosting a weekly circle, or running structured cohorts. Each step keeps Assist grounded in your goals instead of drifting into generic chat.
Anchor Assist to a real task
Before you open Assist, write one concrete task or learning goal in the room—finishing a problem set, reviewing a concept, or debugging a piece of code.
Ask specific, context-rich questions
Paste the exact problem, share what you have tried, and mention where you are stuck so Assist can tailor the explanation.
Work through the steps together
Use headings and bullet points in Assist’s reply as a mini-lesson plan. Pause between sections to attempt each step before scrolling.
Capture takeaways in the Focus Log
Turn the key insight into a quick note in the Focus Log or room description so you can revisit it in future sessions.
Prompts that work well with Assist
These examples are written for groups, but they work just as well solo. Feel free to adapt the wording to your own voice as long as you keep the intent clear.
Homework hints
“This question looks like graded homework. Please give us hints, not full solutions. Here’s what we’ve tried so far…”
Debugging and code review
“Our group is stuck on this error in a React project. Can you point out likely causes and a minimal example to test?”
Exam rehearsal
“We have a midterm in a week. Suggest a 5-question practice set that matches this topic breakdown, and we’ll try them in this room.”
Ways to use Assist across rooms
- Warm‑up explanations: open with a quick Assist overview of the topic before you start your first focus sprint.
- Mid‑sprint checkpoints: when the room pauses to debug or clarify an idea, paste the sticking point into Assist and skim the response together.
- Cool‑down reflections: after the timer ends, ask Assist to summarise what you covered and propose next steps for the next session.
Example room flow
- Open "/r/zen#focus-room" and set a 25–50 minute sprint.
- Have everyone write one intent in the room sidebar.
- Paste a shared question into Assist and agree on how far to read before attempting it yourselves.
- Run the sprint, pausing briefly if you need more hints.
- Use the break to log what you learned in the Focus Log or a linked document.
How is Assist different from a generic chatbot?
Assist is room-aware and tuned for collaborative learning. It keeps one shared thread per Study Spaces room and follows instructions that prioritise explanation, structure, and hints over one-shot answers.
Can I use Assist with campus programs or cohorts?
Yes. Hosts can treat each room as a recurring Assist notebook—reuse the same thread across weeks, ask students to post attempts, and highlight key explanations in the Focus Log or room description.
What kinds of questions work best with Assist?
Assist works well for concept explanations, worked examples, reading summaries, code walkthroughs, and planning sequences of study blocks. The more context you provide, the more targeted the answer.
Does Assist remember everything forever?
Assist keeps a rolling window of recent messages per room so responses stay grounded in the latest context without growing unwieldy. If a thread gets noisy, you can clear it from inside the panel.
Is Assist safe to use for graded work?
Assist is designed to support learning, not to replace your own work. Use it for hints, strategy, and explanation—but always follow your institution’s academic honesty policies.
Turn your next room into an Assist-powered study lab
Start with one focused question, follow the four-step loop, and let Assist keep explanations flowing while your group stays heads‑down on the work.