As a statistics or data science major in college, you are likely already familiar with the importance of staying up-to-date with the latest tools and techniques in your field. One tool that is rapidly gaining popularity among data scientists and statisticians is ChatGPT, a large language model developed by OpenAI.

ChatGPT is a highly versatile tool that can be used for a wide range of tasks, from generating reports and visualizations to answering questions and providing recommendations. For a statistics or data science major, ChatGPT can be an incredibly valuable resource for quickly and easily accessing information and data.

Here are some tips for effectively using ChatGPT as a statistics or data science major:

Get to know the basics

Before using ChatGPT, it’s important to understand the basic features and capabilities of the tool. This includes how to ask questions, how to format your requests, and how to interpret the results you receive. It’s easy to start by asking questions about non-technical subjects, or topics that you already know about. For example, I began by asking about how diabetes works (I have diabetes) and seeing if it could generate happy birthday messages for a friend. I was impressed by the simple yet thorough output I received. Since then, I’ve been able to ask R and python related questions, both general and code-related.

Stay organized:

When using ChatGPT, it’s important to stay organized and keep track of the information you receive. This can include saving information to a spreadsheet or text document, or creating a system for categorizing and storing information. What’s nice is that because an account is needed to use it, ChatGPT remembers your previous inquiries and comes up with a title summary for each visit, and acts as a bookmark that lets you go back to your previous searches. This can be found in the upper left-hand corner of the page.

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Ask specific questions

If you were to only walk away with one tip it would be this one. To get the most accurate and useful results from ChatGPT, it’s important to ask specific, well-defined questions. This may include providing background information or context for your question, or specifying what types of results you are looking for. For example: I could ask how to create a scatterplot in r, which would help me learn how to do an explanatory data analysis – or, I could have it produce the exact code I need so that I don’t have to copy code from an old file or rack my brain trying to remember all the geom_ arguments. An example of this:

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Use multiple sources

While ChatGPT is a valuable resource for quickly accessing information, it’s important to remember that it is not the only source of information available. By using multiple sources, you can cross-reference information and ensure that the information you receive is accurate and up-to-date. This AI is a powerhouse that will usually give accurate information, but it’s important to use other sources such as stack overflow or other websites that can help you learn from real people with real (imperfect) experiences. I found it helpful to learn about some of the shortcomings of ChatGPT and you might too.

In conclusion, if you are a student looking to make life easier and yourself smarter, ChatGPT is a valuable resource that can help you stay informed, organized, and up-to-date. Whether you are just getting started or are an experienced professional, there are many ways to effectively use this tool to achieve your goals.

So, if you haven’t already, give ChatGPT a try today! Whether you’re working on a project, conducting research, or just looking for information, ChatGPT is there to help.