Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly changing how students approach school, creating a divide in study habits across classrooms. While some students rely on AI as a daily learning tool, others avoid it entirely, raising questions about how technology is changing education and whether those changes are for the better or worse.

For sophomore Xavier Cruz, AI plays almost no role in his academic routine. He prefers more traditional methods of learning, such as reviewing his notes and memorizing all the material on his own.

“I never use AI or any sort of chatbot for studying,” Cruz said. “I just review the material a few times until I feel confident that I can remember all of it.”

Cruz believes his independence from AI is a strength that allows him to build discipline and confidence without relying on outside tools. However, he acknowledges that artificial intelligence can still be useful to others when used correctly.

“I think students who use AI could be missing out on learning skills,” said Cruz. “But for some people, it could still be very beneficial.”

In contrast, sophomore Pierre Attalla represents a growing group of students who have integrated AI into their daily academic routines. From generating practice questions, breaking down complex topics, and summarizing information for review, Attalla uses AI as a personalized study assistant.

“I use AI almost every day to help me with schoolwork,” Attalla said. “It helps explain complicated concepts in a simpler way, and it allows me to test myself.”

According to Attalla, AI has made studying much more effective and efficient. Instead of passively rereading notes, he is actively engaging with the material by asking questions and completing practice problems.

“It mainly helps me understand material better,” Attalla stated. “I can ask follow-up questions and clarify things by saying ‘Please, I didn’t fully understand.’”

Despite their differences, both students agree on one key point about AI: there is a line between using artificial intelligence as a tool and using it to cheat. That line for both Cruz and Attalla is when students rely on AI to complete assignments without understanding the content.

“Submitting AI-generated work as your own without learning from it is cheating,” Attalla said.

Teachers are also noticing these shifts in the submitted assignments. AP and Honors English Teacher Joshua Long has observed clear changes in students’ writing since AI tools became more accessible to students.

“AI tends to overuse patterns like parallel structure and lists of three,” Long said. “It can sound formulaic or robotic compared to more natural human writing.”

While AI can help eliminate grammar mistakes and improve clarity, Long warns that overreliance on the tool could weaken students’ critical thinking skills, especially in classes that require a lot of writing.

“My greatest concern is that students will struggle to create and analyze arguments,” Long said. “Some [students] are already using AI as a replacement for critical thinking.”

Long stresses that using AI responsibly requires a lot of self-control and depends on clear boundaries. He believes that students should use AI only when instructed to and should prioritize real learning over convenience.

“AI can certainly be used as an education tool,” Long said. “But it is too often used to cheat.”

Looking towards the future, Long predicts that AI will continue to influence education significantly, potentially acting as a personal tutor for every student. However, he also warns that the same technology could negatively affect students’ learning if it is too accessible and not carefully managed.

“With proper guardrails, every student could ideally have access to his or her own personal AI tutor geared towards that student’s needs,” Long said. “Humans are naturally lazy, so without careful management, many students simply use AI to do the work, the thinking, or the writing for them.”

Students like Cruz and Attalla reflect this ongoing tension. One relies on self-discipline and old-school study methods, while the other embraces new technology to enhance understanding. Together, their experiences highlight a larger shift happening in classrooms all around the world.

As artificial intelligence continues to get better and evolve, its impact on study habits will ultimately depend on how students choose to use it. Whether as a shortcut or a support system, the responsibility remains on the student to ensure that their education remains a priority, not just completion.