Ep. 100 - Google NotebookLM, Study Hacks & Adapting to AI in Learning

Celebrating 100 episodes of the CSUSB Advising Podcast! Academic advisor Matt Markin and Director of academic advising Eduardo Mendoza discuss AI's role in education. They explore Google NotebookLM, an AI tool for organizing and summarizing notes. They analyze Reddit threads from CSUSB students on study spots and academic challenges, highlighting the importance of community support and time management. Matt and Eduardo use ChatGPT to provide insights on NotebookLM's features and ethical considerations. Eduardo shares personal experiences and emphasizes the need for students to adapt to new study practices. 

*AI should be a supplement and not replace traditional learning methods.

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Transcript

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Matt Markin  
Hello and welcome to the CSUSB advising podcast. This is Matt Markin, an academic advisor in the ASUA academic advising office at Cal State, San Bernardino. And I am happy to say that this is episode 100 and I'm joined by the director of the Academic Advising Office, Ed Mendoza. Ed, welcome back.

Ed Mendoza  
Thank you. Good to be back in let me. Let me start with the congrats to you, Matt, for all the work you've done to get to 100. I know it's been work, so I appreciate it, and I think our students appreciate it. So thank you from all of us.

Matt Markin  
I appreciate that. Thank you. You know a topic that's a hot topic nowadays is AI, and I mean, AI has been around, and we know students use it. We know some faculty use it, some staff may use it. I use it as an academic advisor. So I thought, wouldn't it be cool to have episode 100 be about AI and maybe use an AI platform and get your thoughts about it. And just as a disclaimer, this is not a promotion of an AI product. This is not saying that you should use this AI product, since AI is a big topic, we just thought we'd want to celebrate episode 100 just doing something interesting, something fun, something unique, and that's testing out an AI platform. This is similar to Episode 97 of the podcast titled asking ChatGPT how AI can help you succeed, which wasn't a promotion of ChatGPT, but more so a fun way to use AI and ask it questions about student success. So one AI platform I've been dabbling with is notebook LM through Google and I found a couple Reddit posts from CSUSB students that I thought we could use notebook LM to analyze and use their kind of podcast mode to hear its thoughts on those Reddit posts, which have to do with study spots on campus, and if it's normal to sometimes not do well in school. So Ed, what are your general thoughts when you think of AI?

Ed Mendoza  
I know there's some hesitation by some based off what AI can do or not do, there'd be someone students to obviously get that college experience. But who are we to say? It needs to be our way, so it's a different college experience. Now, I think it's something for them to use.

Matt Markin  
Yeah, agreed. So I thought, if anything that I mean, I can try to explain what notebook LM is, but maybe, if anything, we can ask chatgpt to tell us more what they might know about notebook. Lm, hey, ChatGpt, how are you?

ChatGPT  
I'm doing great. Thanks for asking. How about you? 

Matt Markin  
Doing fine. Now you're on the CSUSB advising podcast for our 100th episode. Are you okay if I asked you a few questions?

ChatGPT  
Of course, I'd be happy to answer your questions. Congratulations on your 100th episode. What would you like to know?

Matt Markin  
Well, thank you. So my boss is also here with me, so let's make sure this is some good answers that I don't get in trouble. 

ChatGPT  
Got it. I'll make sure to provide the best answers possible. Let me know what you need help with. 

Matt Markin  
I'm interested to know if you can tell me what you know about Google's notebook LM, how would you describe that AI platform?

ChatGPT  
Notebook LM is essentially a note taking and organization tool developed by Google. It integrates features like Intelligent Search, context awareness and summarization to help users manage and retrieve their notes more efficiently. It's particularly useful for organizing information from various sources and making it easier to find and use.

Matt Markin  
Can you talk a little bit more in depth about the kind of functionality that notebook LM has?

ChatGPT  
Sure notebook LM offers functionalities like advanced search capabilities, allowing you to quickly find notes using natural language queries. It can also automatically summarize content, highlight key points and provide contextual suggestions. Plus it supports multimedia notes, making it easier to manage diverse types of information. It's designed to help streamline the way you capture, organize and retrieve information.

Matt Markin  
Awesome. Now, how would you how would you say that college students can maybe adapt the functionality of notebook LM to their study practice?

ChatGPT  
College students can really leverage notebook LM for their studies in several ways. They can use the advanced search to quickly find information across all their notes, which is great for exam prep. The summarization feature can help them review key points from lectures or textbooks quickly. They can also organize multimedia notes, which is useful for subjects that involve diagrams or videos. Overall, it helps streamline their study process and keeps everything organized in one place. 

Matt Markin  
And do you think there are any ethical concerns college students should consider whether they're using notebook, LM or any other type of AI platform?

ChatGPT  
Definitely. When using AI platforms like notebook LM, college students should be mindful of data privacy, ensuring their notes and personal information are secure. They should also consider the accuracy of AI generated content and avoid over relying on it without critical thinking. Plagiarism is another concern. They need to ensure that their work remains original and properly cited. Being aware of these ethical considerations will help them use the technology responsibly.

Matt Markin  
Awesome. Well, that sums up my questions. Thanks so much. ChatGPT.

ChatGPT  
Thank you for having me, and congrats on the 100th episode. It's been a pleasure. Take care.

Matt Markin  
All right, so that it's got some information from chatgpt about notebook LM. So now let's actually go to notebook LM, and we'll take a look and see all that it can do. So first, Ed, I'm going to show you the site. And those that listening, you could always go to the notebook LM website, but this is where you would be able to upload, whether it's like a PDF, some sort of document. You could put links to a YouTube video, to a website, upload a Google Doc, paste text, and then it would analyze that information.

Ed Mendoza  
Can I ask a question? 

Matt Markin  
Yeah, go for it. 

Ed Mendoza  
Does that include our written notes? Like I can upload what I wrote, and hopefully you understand my writing?

Matt Markin  
Well, actually, that's a good question. I am not sure, but yeah, that's something that we could look into and see. I know you can type in notes like your own text.

Ed Mendoza  
And to be honest, most students probably type notes as opposed to my way of writing. And my writing isn't the best, so that's so maybe, maybe it's not as important for our college students nowadays.

Matt Markin  
But it's still an interesting question, because I know they're, you know, a lot of people still write, you know, handwritten so that maybe that is something to look into. So with this one, I've put in two Reddit threads, one from CSUSB student who want to know about more about study spots on campus, and then one who I think just did not perform as well, maybe in their first term, and is kind of asking the Reddit audience, is that normal? So with this notebook, LM has generated what they call like a deep dive conversation, which is basically AI to AI, as if they're humans talking to one another about what they just analyzed. So it's kind of like a mini podcast episode. It's about 11 minutes. I'm going to play it, listen to it, and then we'll discuss it afterwards. 

Notebook LM Voice 1  
Hey everyone. Ready to find some awesome study spots at CSUSB? I'm ready. Those long breaks between classes can be a drag sometimes, especially when you're on a huge campus like CSUSB, absolutely. So today we're gonna deep dive into a couple of Reddit threads from good old R/CSUSB. One thread is all about good study spots and hangout spots, you know, just places to chill between classes, makes sense. But the other one is titled, is it normal? So we'll be getting into some real talk about the student experience at CSUSB.

Notebook LM Voice 2  
Wow, that's a really interesting combo, like we're looking at the practical and the emotional side of college all at once. 

Notebook LM Voice 1  
I thought so too. So let's start with those hidden study gems. Okay, I was so surprised to see some of these suggestions, like places you wouldn't normally think of for studying.

Notebook LM Voice 2  
Like, what? 

Notebook LM Voice 1  
Well, someone mentioned the anthropology museum on the third floor of the SPS building. Apparently, they have super comfy lounge couches there.

Notebook LM Voice 2  
You know? That makes me wonder how many other cool spots are hidden around campus that would be great for studying, right?

Notebook LM Voice 1  
Like, sometimes you just want a quiet spot to focus, and museums can have that kind of vibe.

Notebook LM Voice 2  
Yeah, definitely. Have you ever tried studying in a museum?

Notebook LM Voice 1  
Can't say that I have, but I'm kind of curious now. Yeah. Oh, and another one that caught my eye was the CGI third floor patio, fresh air, sunshine and peace and quiet. It's like a little escape from the craziness of campus.

Notebook LM Voice 2  
That sounds amazing, especially for people who get restless being stuck inside all the time.

Notebook LM Voice 1  
Totally and there are those study nooks on the fourth and fifth floors of Jack Brown Hall. Have you ever been up there? 

Notebook LM Voice 2  
I haven't. 

Notebook LM Voice 1  
Yeah, they're like these little hidden pockets of solitude, perfect for when you need to buckle down and get serious. 

Notebook LM Voice 2  
I love those little hidden spots.

Notebook LM Voice 1  
Okay, so we talked about some of the less obvious spots, but we can't forget about the classics, like the fowl library, especially the top floor, with those amazing views.

Notebook LM Voice 2  
Yeah, the views from up there are incredible.

Notebook LM Voice 1  
A lot of people on Reddit were talking about how quiet it is, which makes sense.

Notebook LM Voice 2  
 It is a library after all, exactly. 

Notebook LM Voice 1  
But sometimes you need a little bit of buzz, you know, maybe some background noise to help you focus.

Notebook LM Voice 2  
Yeah, sometimes silence can be too distracting, right?

Notebook LM Voice 1  
So a good alternative would be SMSU north. Someone mentioned the bleacher style seats near the food court as a favorite. 

Notebook LM Voice 2  
Oh, yeah, I can see that. 

Notebook LM Voice 1  
You can grab some food, hang out with friends and then settle in for a study session.

Notebook LM Voice 2  
That's a good point. It shows how different people have different study needs. Some people need total quiet, while others prefer a little bit of a social atmosphere.

Notebook LM Voice 1  
So it seems like CSUSB has a good mix of both. Wouldn't you say?And speaking of social versus solo study, one user actually asked specifically about where to find other students to connect with. Oh, interesting. And someone recommended the affinity centers on the third floor of SMSU North. 

Notebook LM Voice 2  
Have you ever been to the affinity centers? It's cool that they came up in the context of study spots. It's like for some people socializing and studying go hand in hand.

Notebook LM Voice 1  
Yeah. Maybe they find it motivating to study with other people, or they like to bounce ideas off each other. Okay, so are you ready to switch gears a bit? 

Notebook LM Voice 2  
Yeah, hit me. 

Notebook LM Voice 1  
Let's talk about that second Reddit thread, the one called, is it normal? I have to say this one really hit home for me, because who hasn't felt that way at some point in college? 

Notebook LM Voice 2  
I know what you mean, that feeling of being totally overwhelmed making mistakes and wondering if you even belong here.

Notebook LM Voice 1  
Exactly, yeah. And it's so brave of that person to share their experience so openly.

Notebook LM Voice 2  
And you know, what's even more heartwarming all the supportive responses they got from other students.

Notebook LM Voice 1  
I know, right? It seems like there's a real sense of community on that subreddit.

Notebook LM Voice 2  
It really shows the power of community, especially in a place like college that can sometimes feel really competitive and lonely.

Notebook LM Voice 1  
So true. And some of the advice was really helpful too. Like someone suggested taking classes at a community college to catch up or improve GPA.

Notebook LM Voice 2  
That's a good idea for some students. 

Notebook LM Voice 1  
What do you think about that? 

Notebook LM Voice 2  
Well, it can be a great option if you need a little extra support, or if you're looking for a more affordable way to get started with college, but it's important to remember that everyone's path is different. There's no right or wrong way to do college.

Notebook LM Voice 1  
Yeah, and it's not always easy to just go to community college. One user mentioned that it can be tough if you live in a rural area and there isn't one nearby.

Notebook LM Voice 2  
That's true. There are definitely a lot of factors to consider.

Notebook LM Voice 1  
And that's where guidance from counselors can be so valuable. A lot of people on Reddit were saying how much it helped them to talk to a counselor, especially about things like picking the right classes and figuring out how transfer credits work. 

Notebook LM Voice 2  
Yeah, that stuff can be really confusing. 

Notebook LM Voice 1  
I know it's like having a guide to help you navigate the whole college system. You know, another thing that kept coming up in that thread was the struggle with time management, especially for students who are working full time while going to school. 

Notebook LM Voice 2  
Oh yeah, that's a tough balancing act. 

Notebook LM Voice 1  
It is, and it can be so stressful. No doubt, one user suggested focusing on just one challenging class at a time and taking it easier with other courses. That's a really smart strategy. What do you think about that approach?

Notebook LM Voice 2  
I think it's brilliant. It's all about recognizing your limits and setting realistic expectations. We often feel like we have to do it all, but sometimes it's better to prioritize and focus our energy where it's needed most. It's like giving yourself permission to not be perfect in every single class.

Notebook LM Voice 1  
Exactly. And you know, it's not just about managing the workload. It's also about dealing with all the emotional stuff that comes with college life. 

Notebook LM Voice 2  
Yeah, for sure, reading that Reddit thread, you really see how much pressure students are under these days. It's like there's this expectation that college is supposed to be this perfect care free time, right?

Notebook LM Voice 1  
Like everyone's supposed to be having the time of their lives. But that's not always the reality. And then you add in social media where everyone's showing off their highlight reel. It's easy to feel like you're not doing enough, or you're falling behind. One user even said they felt ashamed for taking seven years to finish their degree.

Notebook LM Voice 2  
Well, that's so sad. It also makes you think about this whole idea that there's one right timeline for achieving your goals.

Notebook LM Voice 1  
Like everyone's supposed to graduate in four years and have their whole life planned out.

Notebook LM Voice 2  
Yeah, but that's just not realistic for a lot of people. 

Notebook LM Voice 1  
And there's nothing wrong with taking a little longer or taking

Notebook LM Voice 2  
Everyone's journey is unique. 

Notebook LM Voice 1  
Couldn't agree more, it's a marathon, not a sprint, exactly. And that's something that people kept saying in that thread, you know, encouraging each other to just embrace the journey, even the tough parts. That's so important. And it really struck me that one user who eventually graduated with an MBA. Oh, yeah, I remember that one, even though they had been on academic probation and even withdrawn from classes. 

Notebook LM Voice 2  
Talk about resilience.

Notebook LM Voice 1  
It's so inspiring. 

Notebook LM Voice 2  
It really shows that setbacks don't define you, for sure, they're just opportunities to learn and grow.

Notebook LM Voice 1  
It would have been interesting to hear more about how that person turned things around.

Notebook LM Voice 2  
Like, did they get a tutor or change their study habits, or what? 

Notebook LM Voice 1  
I wonder if they connected with a mentor or found a support group.

Notebook LM Voice 2  
That would be really helpful for other students who are going through similar challenges. 

Notebook LM Voice 1  
I think so too. Yeah. You know, it's so valuable to hear these real life success stories totally. It reminds us that it's possible to achieve our goals even when things get tough.

Notebook LM Voice 2  
For sure, it normalizes the ups and downs of college and makes it okay to ask for help.

Notebook LM Voice 1  
Speaking of asking for help, let's go back to that advice about talking to counselors. Okay, I think sometimes we forget how much they can actually help us, not just with academics, but with personal stuff too. 

Notebook LM Voice 2  
It's easy to forget that they're trained to help students with all aspects of college life.

Notebook LM Voice 1  
Like they can help you pick the right classes, connect you with resources and even give you strategies for dealing with stress and anxiety. 

Notebook LM Voice 2  
It's like having a personal advocate on your side. 

Notebook LM Voice 1  
Right? I remember someone specifically mentioned how a counselor helped them figure out the whole transfer credit process.

Notebook LM Voice 2  
That can be a nightmare. Okay, so before we wrap up, there's one more story from that thread that I wanted to mention. 

Notebook LM Voice 1  
Okay, which one?

Notebook LM Voice 2  
It's the one about the student who is struggling with organic chemistry. 

Notebook LM Voice 1  
I remember that one. They were working full time and couldn't make it to most of the study sessions or office hours.

Notebook LM Voice 2  
It's a situation that a lot of students can relate to, trying to balance work and school and feeling like there just aren't enough hours in the day. So anyway, this student was feeling super discouraged and even questioning if they could handle the major. But then another user gave them some really good advice. They said, to focus on that one difficult class and take it easier with the other courses. 

Notebook LM Voice 1  
Oh, yeah, that's a great strategy.

Notebook LM Voice 2  
Right? It's about being strategic with your time and energy. 

Notebook LM Voice 1  
Instead of trying to be amazing in every class, you focus on the one that's really hard and give yourself a break in the others.

Notebook LM Voice 2  
Yeah, sometimes it's okay to just aim for a passing grade. 

Notebook LM Voice 1  
That's such an important point. We put so much pressure on ourselves to get straight As but sometimes just getting through a tough semester is a win in itself.

Notebook LM Voice 2  
I agree, and it sounds like this student was putting in the effort they just needed to adjust their approach a little. You know, it's a good reminder that college isn't a race. It's about finding what works for you and setting your own pace.

Notebook LM Voice 1  
Okay, so we found some amazing study spots, and we got real about what it's like to be a student these days.

Notebook LM Voice 2  
I feel like we just scratched the surface with those Reddit threads. It's fascinating how those personal stories, you know, the struggles and the triumphs, they actually reflect bigger trends in higher education. 

Notebook LM Voice 1  
What do you mean? 

Notebook LM Voice 2  
Well, we're seeing more diverse students than ever before, people from all kinds of backgrounds with different experiences and challenges.

Notebook LM Voice 1  
That's true. It's not just the typical 18 year old, fresh out of high school anymore. 

Notebook LM Voice 2  
These are students with jobs, families, financial pressures, the lock to juggle, and then on top of all that, they're dealing with academic pressure, competition, the fear of failing. And yet they do not only survive, but often thrive. What really stood out to me was the resilience in those threads, the way they were supporting each other and their determination to succeed. 

Notebook LM Voice 1  
It's like they created their own support system. 

Notebook LM Voice 2  
It's like they realize they're all in this together. 

Notebook LM Voice 1  
And that makes me think about how important it is to ask for help, whether it's from counselors, professors or even other students. 

Notebook LM Voice 2  
It's not about being a lone wolf anymore.

Notebook LM Voice 1  
 It's about being part of a community. And I think that brings us to another big takeaway, the growing focus on student well being and mental health.

Notebook LM Voice 2  
It's about time, don't you think? We're finally starting to understand that academic success isn't just about grades.  It's about creating an environment where students can thrive emotionally and personally.

Notebook LM Voice 1  
And that's where self care comes in. Things like setting boundaries, prioritizing your well being, knowing when to step back and recharge.

Notebook LM Voice 2  
Those Reddit threads really highlighted the importance of finding that balance between pushing yourself and taking care of yourself.

Notebook LM Voice 1  
So true, it's a lesson that applies to life in general. So we've covered a lot of ground today, from those secret study spots to the big picture of what it means to be a student in this day and age. 

Notebook LM Voice 2  
I feel like we could talk about this for hours. 

Notebook LM Voice 1  
Me too, but yeah, we're out of time for today. Any final thoughts for our listeners?

Notebook LM Voice 2  
College is a huge journey, a time of incredible growth, both intellectually and personally. So embrace the challenges, celebrate the wins, ask for help when you need it, and remember your path is your own.

Notebook LM Voice 1  
So well said. And remember, no matter where your academic journey takes you. There's a whole community out there rooting for you, stay curious, stay engaged, and, most importantly, stay true to yourself until next time, keep diving deep. 

Matt Markin  
General thoughts?

Ed Mendoza  
And just to clarify here, that was a I doing that conversation based off everything it read or it had content from the Reddit,

Matt Markin  
Yeah, so when I uploaded those two website threads from Reddit, it that conver deep conversation mode was generated within a few minutes.

Ed Mendoza  
Wow, if we can play this to all of our students as they come into school, just, I mean, a lot of our students that come to college. As a freshman at a high school, they may not have encountered a challenge yet. I'm not saying school was easy for them, but there was. It wasn't so much of a struggle or challenge for them, and maybe the first challenge will be in college. And hearing this, hearing the how the struggles can be good for you, and the triumphs and the wins. And I'm one that taking a lot of notes, so I wrote a lot of little notes through here for this conversation that you and I can have Matt, because, as you know, so if you're okay with them, at some of our personal stuff. I've known Matt for 21 years now, and I took six, seven years to graduate college, I make fun of myself, and I took the scenic route to graduation. I wasn't so much into school, not because I didn't like education, but I just I didn't feel challenged at times, and I didn't take the time to study, I didn't take the time to read, I didn't take the time to a lot of things, and I did enough to get by, but I got to graduation, and then later on, I was thankful for it. I got a master's, and, you know, I stayed working at the university. Or Matt, on the other hand, as a as an 18 year old, he already had his high school diploma and his associates degree, and by 20, he already had his bachelor's degree in I'm gonna say, I don't know if you've ever had this conversation, but was school easy for you? Matt? Was Was it a challenge? Was it a struggle?

Matt Markin  
It so my first semester, so yeah, I did the Middle College program. So my junior and senior year of high school, I was at the Moreno Valley College campus taking college courses that were counting for college but also counting for the remaining high school requirements that I had for graduation. I was so used to a high school mentality of going about passing my classes. I mean, I did very well in my high school classes, but I almost failed my my biology class at Moreno Valley College my first semester because I didn't know how to change my studying and why I needed to adapt to a different study practice until after I got an F on my first exam, and then realized what I'm doing right now is not working. And I kind of had this thought of like, should I even be in college? But I ended up changing up my studying. Got a C on my next exam and then a B on my final, and I realized, Okay, I just need to adapt to every class, to my professors, how they want me to learn. Ask questions if I need to. But yeah, that first semester really taught me everything I needed to know on the differences between college and high school.

Ed Mendoza  
But there was still a moment that you skipped here, the moment that you thought that you learned that you were doing it the right way, the choice was, learn to do it the right way, or learn to improve on how what works best for you, or go back to your high school counselor and say, Yeah, this isn't for me. Can I just take high school classes?

Matt Markin  
Yeah. I mean, because quitting for me wasn't an option, because then I felt like I was going to disappoint my parents, and I was like, I don't want that to happen, and so I need to figure out what I need to do to stay in college and do better.

Ed Mendoza  
And that's the part, what keeps the student, the individual, moving forward. And a lot of times, is an outside motivation. A lot of times, it's just our what in our own head, and that, I don't know if it was a fear of failure for me in a lot of ways, but the fear of failure if I give it my all and I still feel then I really feel down about myself, but if I just give it a little bit of effort and I fail, then I can at least blame something. It's because I didn't try, because I didn't give it my full effort. And when I meet with students now I just what's the worst that can happen that you fall I'll be here to help you. Better do it now in college than in a career where maybe you get fired or something. So it's good to push yourself to to places that you're uncomfortable with. And that's that's part of the college experience, and that fear of failure, the support groups, all these things are part of it, the strategies that I was listening to, I wish I heard this many years ago when I was in college, but everyone's different, and there's not one strategy that works for everyone, and it's learning new strategies. And if it works, keep going. If it doesn't work, try something new, until you keep there's always room for improvement. No one ever perfect something right away or ever maybe.

Matt Markin  
And I think that's why it was, it was nice that with that Reddit thread about study spots, like you had students chiming in about, well, I like to study here, or do you know about this place, or the, you know, top floor of the library, or the open air area of the CGI building. Didn't really know about the anthropology outside the anthropology museum, but that gives me another possible suggestion for a student, if they have questions about where to go for studying.

Ed Mendoza  
I was thinking as I was listening to this location, it's what's the best time to study? Is it when I'm tired? Is it when I'm not tired? Is it with others? Is it with not others? It mentioned, do I want noise? Do I not want noise? Everyone's different, and it's trying things out. And one of the things I've been doing, and I've never been a big reader, but over the last year, I've been reading more books, probably, maybe to a lot, but I've learned that I need to put headphones on because I get distracted a lot. So I put headphones on and not even with music, because even the music distracts me, because I started singing the songs and not paying attention to the book. So there's the white noise that I learned, that there's green noise now, which is more nature kind of noise? There's so many different kinds of noises in all the apps that people can get, but I now need to put headphones. I like doing it outdoors and some kind of nature is kind of place, and try to focus. And that's the only way I can kind of kind of read it and really get into it different ways. And like I said, we're also learning as we get older, but I can imagine the pressure that the student feels okay I don't have time. I need to learn now, because my test is next week, I need to do this now, and there's extra support. Obviously, we resources on campus, like writing center, tutoring center, supplemental instruction that we have, that we offer students, but the fellow students, the mentors, how do you do it? What's worked for you the study groups? Because all that, the more information I have, the better decision I can make. And I say that about everything.

Matt Markin  
And I think that's where, like AI can kind of be a companion and maybe a study buddy of sorts, for students. So not replacing the tutoring on campus, not replacing going to your professor for questions, not replacing going to your class for learning, but something extra. So for example, like you're mentioning reading, like, let's say student has to read an article. They could read the article and, let's say notebook LM, since that's what we're using today, they could maybe upload that article and and have it generate a summary. They could use that deep conversation mode and hear these two AI individuals chatting about said article, and it can help them maybe have a more deeper understanding of the article, maybe pick up on things they missed when they initially read the article, but not something that would replace them actually reading it. 

Ed Mendoza  
Supplement is always better, right? And in addition to how can, in addition to be worse. So yes, reading, do the assignments the way they're supposed to be done, because there's a purpose for why professors give an assignment a certain way, because of what one can learn from it. But the supplemental to help us study, to help us be more prepared for an exam or for just that knowledge of the subject, especially for majors, right? Because if I understand this area of my major pretty well, I can address it in the future courses, in sequential courses. So it's not just the surface kind of learning, but the deep learning and that supplement will really make a difference, but all this that we're talking about in terms of a student being willing to learn how and where and when, it all starts with that same moment that you had where you mentioned, I didn't want to fail and tell my parents that I failed. But it's the your own vulnerability with yourself, the own, looking at the mirror and, okay, this is what I need to do. I can't control others, but I can control what I do. And that mindset that you had to kind of push forward, and the podcast kind of said it the student that was brave enough to put it on Reddit that was so being brave and vulnerable and and open to people possibly judging. It happens, and we're human nature for a lot of it, I wouldn't say from the advisors, and I know the podcast use the word counselor a lot, but from our advisors at CSUSB, we talked about not judging. We talked about how we went through it ourselves. We talked about a majority of us are CSUSB graduates, and how we're here to just give information and cheer them on and support them and give them extra resources and extra tools for them to be able to use. So if ever someone feels down, yeah, find that support group, whether it was Reddit, whether it was a mentor, whether it's someone in the class or just coming to an advisor. We may be a year or two older, maybe some of us a lot older, just a few years older, but doesn't mean we can't still relate and and even the faculty. Same thing with the faculty, the ones teaching, they were college students themselves. So who better to ask how to how to do better than the ones that are trying to get the best out of you.

Matt Markin  
Yeah, and that's a good catch that you found with the with the term counselor. Because, yeah, I think most of when they were referencing counselor, they were really referring to, like, academic advisors. Yes, there might be some advice academic advisors that have counselor in their title, like EOP counselor, SAIL counselor, stem counselor, but I think for the most part, it was really referencing those that are in academic advice.

Ed Mendoza  
Name, correct, correct. I think it was wonderful. And if we're talking about the notebook, LM, what? By the way, what's LM? Stand for? Maybe I throw you off here. It's just me knowing, but as you look for it. But talking about the notebook, LM, it to summarize, I always told students, and maybe this is the old school...

Matt Markin  
Language Modeling. 

Ed Mendoza  
Okay, notebook language modeling, but I would always tell students research says it. Whenever students take notes, if you rewrite them or type them up within 24 hours, you retain 50% more of the information, and it just makes it easier. And then what do people, most students, do with the notes? They put it in their notebook, or they say it on their laptop, and it doesn't get open until when right before an exam, or right before I need it. But if, if imagine that supplement, summarize, and then listen to it every once in a while, by the time it is time for an exam, I've heard it a couple of times already. I don't have to go deep studying so much, and the stress comes from not feeling prepared. So if I feel more prepared, then that stress is not there, and it just makes it so much easier. Yeah, and there's multiple classes that I'm taking a semester too.

Matt Markin  
I didn't find during that recording, I was finding the answer to your other question about handwritten notes, and so it doesn't look like notebook LM would be able to up. You'll be able to upload handwritten notes, but the workaround would be using a programmer app that would convert the handwritten text into machine readable, edible text, and then you can upload that document into notebook LM.

Ed Mendoza  
Wow. And I've learned this over the last couple of years, maybe in five years, there's something even that could do all of that at once, right? So, yeah, technology, as we know, keeps improving it.

Matt Markin  
And something like and something like this notebook, LM as an AI platform, you could also use what you upload and create a study guide, an FAQ section for it as well. So definitely can help with with the study tips. It does have a little disclaimer at the bottom of their page that says, notebook LM can be inaccurate. Please double check its responses. So I think that is just something good, whether you use notebook LM or something else, that it may not be 100% accurate. So you always want to have another source to double check the information.

Ed Mendoza  
And I'll say it again, just like you, you mentioned it a couple of times. It's not to replace, it's supplemented to add to because the more information we have, the better. I think we'll be prepared, right? 

Matt Markin  
And again, disclaimer, there's a no promotion of notebook, LM or ChatGPT. This is just to show you that there's some AI platforms out there that you might be able to use and help out. But as we end the episode, any last comments?

Ed Mendoza  
I want to say, congrats again, Matt. To to the 100th episode. This topic is good for our students. I know within these 100 episodes, we've been trying to give information for students to use, whether major tools that they have out there. This is an important topic, and dear my heart in the 18 years that I've been in advising students have struggles because life motivation, time management, just that effort that they need to put into. But it's not necessarily an intelligence thing. We don't have a magic pill to address all of it. We will continue to work with students and finding that motivation is within themselves, but maybe, but maybe having a conversation with someone else is helpful. Having a conversation with those that know you really well is helpful, but also having conversations that don't know you that well and that you maybe you're more open to because it maybe they you feel less judged by someone that doesn't know you as opposed to someone that already knows you. It's hard for me to talk about myself with people I know, the people I know, people I don't know what makes it Yeah, it's at least a little easier for me. So I think this will be helpful for students moving forward, AI as a whole, if you use if used properly, just like anything we have used properly. The good thing about AI, I don't think we need to have a lot of tutorials, because every time we have tools or things that we can that can benefit cities, we have to show them how to use it. But with AI, just start, start typing or or, if you have the ChatGPT Pro, or you could just talk to it, it's even better.

Matt Markin  
Yeah, just trial and error, and eventually you figure it out. I don't know if we'll have another 100 episodes, but we will still continue this podcast after episode 100 but Thank you, Ed, for being on this episode.

Ed Mendoza  
I'll say, I'll challenge you. We can do another 100 episodes, Matt, I'm not going anywhere. I won't retire till we do get to 200. How about that?

Matt Markin  
Who knows? Maybe, maybe I'll use this AI platform and just generate episodes. 

Ed Mendoza  
Thanks, Matt, you.