You know that moment when you try to study something, but your brain feels like it just froze? The problem is not always the content. Sometimes it is the way the material is being delivered. That is where ChatGPT comes in. It is not magic, although it can become the best tutor you have ever had if you know how to guide it.
Below are five prompts that help unlock real learning. They work for anyone studying any subject, from programming to time management, including English, history and even math. The goal is not memorizing. The goal is understanding.
1. A diagnosis with a personalized plan
I am having trouble learning [topic] because [explain what is blocking you]. What are three practical strategies I can use to improve, considering that my learning style is more [visual, auditory, reading and writing or kinesthetic]?
This prompt works almost like a mini coaching session. By explaining what is getting in the way and how you learn best, ChatGPT can create a tailored plan to help you move forward. It is great for anyone who has tried studying alone but feels nothing sticks. The answers usually come with strategies you can use right away, such as videos, mind maps, simulations or even teaching someone else.
Practical example
Prompt: I am having trouble learning English because I freeze when it is time to speak. Reading and writing are fine, but I cannot pronounce words naturally or keep a conversation going. What are three practical strategies I can use to improve, considering that my learning style is more focused on reading and writing?
ChatGPT’s answer
- Read out loud with shadowing
Choose short texts you already understand and read them out loud. Then use shadowing. Listen to a native speaker and repeat along with the audio, copying rhythm, intonation and pauses. This helps adjust pronunciation and trains your ear to follow the natural flow of the language.
- A spoken journal supported by writing
Since writing is your strength, start by writing a few short sentences about your day in English. Read them out loud and record your voice. Listen back and compare with pronunciation tools such as Cambridge, Forvo or text to speech platforms. Over time, increase the complexity of the sentences and reduce your dependence on writing first.
- Daily mini dialogues
Create small written scripts for everyday situations like ordering food, introducing yourself or scheduling a meeting. Read the dialogue, practice the pronunciation and then say it without looking. The key is repetition until the speech becomes automatic. This builds mental shortcuts and reduces the block when speaking with someone.
Why this works for you
- Shadowing links reading, your strong point, with spoken practice.
- The spoken journal helps you organize thoughts before speaking, which reduces anxiety.
- Mini dialogues build speaking habits that make conversations flow more naturally.
2. A visual explanation
I need to understand [topic or process] in a clearer way. Create a visual resource based on these points. It can be a mind map, an infographic or a flowchart. [list three to five ideas you need to understand].
Sometimes the issue is visual. Some people need to see the logic drawn out to connect the ideas. With this prompt, ChatGPT creates a structured diagram that organizes the information and makes everything easier to absorb.
Practical example
Prompt: I need to understand how a public blockchain works in a clearer way. Create a visual resource such as a mind map, infographic or flowchart based on these points.
- What a block is
- What miners or validators are
- How transactions are verified
- What consensus means
- How data is stored in the network
ChatGPT’s answer
3. The failure autopsy
Pretend you are my brain explaining what went wrong in my attempts to learn [topic]. Show where I got stuck, what I mixed up and how I can reorganize the ideas so they finally make sense.
This prompt é para quem está estudando há dias e sente que nada entra. When you ask for this simulation, you get an internal view of how your mind might be processing that subject. ChatGPT points out where the noise is, where the logic feels tangled and what may be missing in the foundation. The intention is to restart with clarity and without the guilt.
Practical example
Prompt: Pretend you are my brain explaining what went wrong in my attempts to learn Python. Show where I got stuck, what I mixed up and how I can reorganize the ideas so they make sense.
ChatGPT’s answer:
Where you got stuck
Basic concepts blended together: You tried to learn everything at once. Variables, lists, functions, classes. The layers got mixed. You did not consolidate the foundations before jumping to more advanced structures.
Syntax versus logic: You often confused how to write with how to think. You knew what you wanted the code to do, but got stuck on the exact way to type it. The colon at the end of an if, the indentation, the parentheses. Your mind focused on the mechanical detail and forgot the bigger logic.
Memorizing instead of practicing: You tried to memorize rules instead of applying them in small projects. Your brain discarded the information because there was no context. When you tried to write code without the example, it felt like you had forgotten everything.
What you mixed up: List and dictionary. You tried to use them as if they were the same thing. It was not clear when to access something by index or by key. Built-in function and your own function. Sometimes you called Python functions thinking they were yours and the opposite also happened. Theory and interpreter error. You read the error message as if it were another language. Instead of seeing that the issue was on line five because you forgot a quote, you thought you did not understand Python at all.
How to reorganize the ideas
- A mental construction line
- First understand variables, data types and basic operations.
- Then lists, tuples and dictionaries.
- After that control structures such as if, for and while.
- Only then functions, modules and classes.
- Each group is like a floor of a house. You cannot decorate the roof if the foundation is still soft.
Learning through error
Stop treating error as failure. Error is the clearest feedback. Read it slowly as if a colleague were pointing out the issue.
Real mini projects
Replace isolated examples with mini projects. For example:
- An IMC calculator
- A task checklist
- A simple game such as hangman or a dice roll
This stabilizes the logic through practice.
A logic mind map
Before writing code, sketch what needs to happen. This helps your mind organize the sequence without getting lost in syntax.
4. Dual Lesson With Two Opposite Teachers
I want you to explain [topic] to me in two different ways. First, as a direct and impatient teacher who summarizes everything in 5 blunt sentences. Then, as a patient teacher who explains each of those sentences as if I were 10 years old.
This prompt works well when you need a quick overview but also benefit from slow, detailed explanations. The contrast between the two styles helps your brain absorb the subject in layers. You see the big picture first and then the details. It works for both technical and theoretical topics.
Practice
Prompt: Explain NFTs in two ways. First as a direct, impatient teacher who summarizes everything in 5 blunt sentences. Then as a patient teacher who explains each of those sentences as if I were 10 years old.
ChatGPT’s answer
1. Short, direct and impatient version (5 blunt sentences)
- NFTs are unique digital certificates stored on a blockchain.
- They prove you own a digital item such as an image, music or video.
- Unlike regular files, they cannot be duplicated in the registry.
- You can buy, sell or trade NFTs in online marketplaces.
- Their value depends on demand, not real utility.
2. Long, patient and child-friendly version (as if you were 10 years old)
NFTs are unique digital certificates stored on a blockchain.
Imagine you have a rare World Cup sticker and there’s only one like yours in the world. The blockchain works like a giant public notebook where everyone can see and confirm that this sticker really belongs to you. An NFT is that ownership record, but instead of being on paper, it lives on the computer.
They prove you own a digital item such as an image, music or video.
Normally, when you save a picture from the internet, anyone can have the same copy. But NFTs work differently. Even if someone copies the image, only you have the official “ownership document”. It’s like having the deed to a house, but in digital form.
Unlike regular files, they cannot be duplicated in the registry.
If you send a drawing on WhatsApp, it appears identical for everyone. But an NFT has a unique code that cannot be duplicated. This code works like a fingerprint: only one exists for each NFT.
You can buy, sell or trade NFTs in online marketplaces.
Just like sticker-trading fairs, there are websites where people buy and sell NFTs. You can use regular money (dollars, reais) or cryptocurrencies to make these trades.
Their value depends on demand, not real utility.
An NFT can be expensive not because it does something useful, but because many people want it. It’s like when a pair of sneakers becomes trendy: they may be similar to any other pair, but the price goes up because people think it’s “cool” to have them.
5. Learning Therapy
Analyze why I cannot learn [topic], considering that I have already tried [method, time spent or resource used]. Create a theory about what is going wrong and propose a recovery plan divided into three phases.
This prompt makes the ChatGPT act like an educational advisor. It takes your study history, identifies patterns that might be holding you back and builds a kind of rehabilitation plan. The idea is to treat the challenge as something solvable, not as lack of intelligence. This shifts the focus away from guilt and toward adjusting the learning process.
Practice
Prompt: Analyze why I cannot learn linear algebra, considering that I have already tried learning through videos from different types of teachers, studying two hours a day every day for a month. Create a theory about what is going wrong and propose a recovery plan divided into three phases.
ChatGPT’s answer
Why you cannot learn Linear Algebra
Even studying every day for a month, something may still be blocking your progress. Here is a plausible theory based on what you described.
Too much theory and not enough structured practice
Most videos teach abstract concepts such as vectors, matrices and transformations without immediate connection to practical problems. This can create the feeling of understanding in the moment, but the knowledge does not solidify.
Cognitive overload
Two hours of new content per day without time to process may mean you are stacking information but not turning it into stable learning. Math requires pauses so the brain can settle the concepts.
Missing foundational skills
Linear algebra relies heavily on previous knowledge of algebra, geometry and logic. If that foundation is not firm, everything feels like loose formulas.
Learning style mismatch
Videos may not be your ideal medium. Some people need to write constantly, others need dozens of exercises or visual explanations.
In short, it is not that you cannot learn. The method you tried does not match what the subject demands from your reasoning.
Recovery Plan in 3 Phases
Phase 1- Rebuild the foundation and reduce anxiety
- Review basic concepts such as linear systems and vector and matrix operations.
- Use visual resources like 3Blue1Brown’s “Essence of Linear Algebra”.
- Study less time per day, around forty to sixty minutes, with handwritten summaries and short reviews the next day.
- Daily practice: solve at least three basic reinforcement exercises.
Phase 2 – Connect the concepts with real applications
- Choose a simple practical project such as manipulating images with matrices in
- Python or applying linear algebra to linear regression.
- Study a new idea only after solving exercises from the previous one.
- Use visual maps to connect the chain of concepts: vectors, matrices, transformations and vector spaces.
- Goal: study fewer topics per week but apply everything.
Phase 3 – Consolidation and fluency
- Solve longer exercise lists from books such as Anton’s “Elementary Linear Algebra with Applications”.
- Reinforce learning by explaining each concept aloud to yourself using the Feynman technique.
- Review the entire content weekly with short summaries and practical examples.
- Use flashcards for formulas and definitions with examples attached.
My suggestion is simple. Treat this restart as a kind of brain training workout. One month was not enough because you tried to absorb too much in a short time. If you follow this plan, in three months Algebraic Linear stops feeling like a wall and starts becoming a tool you actually understand.
Learning becomes easier when you ask the right question
Studying doesn’t have to be exhausting, frustrating or lonely. When you use AI with intention, it stops being just a tool and becomes a real partner in the learning process.
Each well-crafted prompt opens a new path to understand better, unblock what feels stuck and find your own study rhythm. With time, you realize it’s not about memorizing, it’s about taking ownership of the knowledge. And when the question is right, the answer comes in the way you need most.
