How to use ChatGPT for studying
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Ranked on published features, free-plan limits and beginner ease (checked 14 October 2026). We have not benchmarked these tools hands-on, and commissions don’t affect rankings.
ChatGPT can be a patient tutor at 11pm, if you use it to understand material rather than to skip the thinking. Here’s how to use it well for study, with prompts to copy and the tools that suit particular jobs better.
Decide in 30 seconds
- Explain a topic or quiz me → ChatGPT free
- Questions about my own readings → NotebookLM free
- Drafting and referencing my essay → Jenni AI
- Reword one clunky sentence → QuillBot free
Our top picks
ChatGPT
Who it’s for: Students who want topics explained, practice questions and revision plans.
Worth knowing: Answers can sound confident and still be wrong. Check important facts.
Gemini Notebook
Who it’s for: Students who want answers grounded in their lecture notes and PDFs.
Worth knowing: Source-grounded answers still need checking against the original document.
Jenni AI
Who it’s for: Students writing essays who want next-sentence suggestions and citations in APA, MLA, Harvard and more.
Worth knowing: Easy to over-rely on. Write your own ideas first, check every citation and follow your course’s AI rules.
Visit Jenni AI ↗ (opens in new tab) (paid link: we may earn a commission)
QuillBot
Who it’s for: Students polishing an awkward sentence in their own draft.
Worth knowing: Rewriting can change meaning. Review it and follow your school or work rules.
Visit QuillBot ↗ (opens in new tab) (paid link: we may earn a commission)
Side-by-side comparison
| ChatGPT | NotebookLM | Jenni AI | QuillBot | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best for | Explaining and quizzing | Your own sources | Essay drafting and citations | Rewording |
| Free option | Free plan | Free with a Google account | Free (10 autocompletes a day) | Free plan |
| Watch out for | Confident mistakes | Only as good as your sources | Tight free limits | Can change meaning |
Pricing
| Tool | Free | Entry paid |
|---|---|---|
| ChatGPT | Free plan | Go: US$8/month; Plus: US$20/month |
| NotebookLM | Free with a Google account | Google AI Plus: US$4.99/month (US listing) |
| Jenni AI | Free: 10 autocompletes a day | Plus: US$12/month |
| QuillBot | Free plan | Premium: AU$12.49/month billed annually |
Prices checked on 14 October 2026 from official pricing pages (chatgpt.com/pricing, Google One AI plans, jenni.ai/pricing and quillbot.com/premium (AUD)). Prices are shown as listed, in US dollars (USD) and Australian dollars (AUD). Australian prices, GST and app-store pricing can differ, and plans change often, so confirm on the provider’s site before you pay.
How to get started
Open ChatGPT (free) and tell it your subject, level and what you’re stuck on.
Ask it to explain the idea simply, then in more depth, with one example.
Ask for 5 practice questions, answer them yourself, then ask it to mark your answers.
Check anything important against your textbook or lecture notes.
How we chose
We picked tools with free plans that suit common study jobs, using official product and pricing pages. We haven’t benchmarked them hands-on.
Five ways to use ChatGPT for studying
- Explain it like I’m new: “Explain [topic] for a Year 11 student in 5 short points, then give one real-world example.”
- Quiz me: “Ask me 5 questions on [topic], one at a time. Wait for my answer and tell me what I got wrong.”
- Check my understanding: paste your own summary and ask, “What have I missed or got wrong?”
- Plan revision: “I have 3 weeks until my exam on [subjects]. Make a realistic daily plan with breaks.”
- Flashcards: “Turn these notes into 15 question-and-answer flashcards.”
Want a ready-made prompt? Try our free AI prompt generator and choose “Study notes”.
When NotebookLM is better
NotebookLM answers from the sources you upload and shows where each answer came from. That makes it a better choice for questions about a specific reading or lecture. It can also make study guides, quizzes and audio overviews. It’s free with a Google account.
When Jenni AI is better
Jenni AI (opens in new tab) (paid link: we may earn a commission) is built for writing your own essay or paper. It suggests the next sentence as you write, rather than producing a whole essay from one prompt, and it formats citations in many styles on every plan, including free. The free plan is tight (10 autocompletes a day), and Plus is US$12/month. See how to use Jenni AI and Jenni AI vs ChatGPT.
When QuillBot helps
QuillBot (opens in new tab) (paid link: we may earn a commission) rewords a sentence in modes like Standard, Formal and Simple, and also has a summariser and citation generator. Rewording can change meaning, and paraphrasing someone else’s work still needs a citation. See how to use QuillBot.
Use AI honestly
Schools and universities set their own rules on AI. Check your course outline or ask your teacher before using AI on assessed work, write in your own words, and check every fact and reference against the original source.
Who this isn’t for
- Anyone hoping to have AI write assessed work: it can breach academic integrity rules.
- Topics where you can’t check the answer against a reliable source.
Our verdict
Use ChatGPT free to explain, quiz and plan, NotebookLM for your own readings, Jenni AI for drafting and citing your own essay, and QuillBot for rewording. See also the best AI tools for students and free AI study tools.
Frequently asked questions
Is it allowed to use ChatGPT for studying?
Using it to understand topics and revise is usually fine, but rules on assessed work vary. Check your course outline or ask your teacher.
Is ChatGPT free for students?
ChatGPT has a free plan with usage limits. Paid plans start with Go at US$8/month.
Can ChatGPT make flashcards or quizzes?
Yes. Paste your notes and ask for question-and-answer flashcards or a quiz, then check the answers against your notes.
What’s better for my readings, ChatGPT or NotebookLM?
NotebookLM, because it answers from the sources you upload and shows where each answer came from.
Can ChatGPT give me references?
It can invent references that look real. Find and read every source yourself, or use a tool built for citations.
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Prices are shown as marked: US dollars (US$) and Australian dollars (AU$). Australian GST and currency conversion may apply. Confirm the final price at checkout.