Whether you’re facing finals season or midterms (those on the quarter system, I see you!), all college students share the stress of studying. Perhaps you can’t find a quiet place to focus, maybe doomscrolling TikTok sounds like too much fun, or — considering how January was the longest month ever — you can’t remember a single topic from the start of the year. Whatever the reason may be, when faced with a test making up more than a third of your grade, in some cases, new study techniques are a necessity. From the Pomodoro Method to creating a study group, the classics have been beside us since high school. But the uptick in AI usage among college students has created a new niche. And DeepSeek may be here to fill it, in more ways than just studying, in fact.
DeepSeek, an AI startup from China, is a new rival for ChatGPT, leaving many wondering if the U.S. has lost its presumed place as leader in the artificial intelligence market — especially since DeepSeek recently became the most downloaded free app on the App Store. While DeepSeek looks very similar to Chat GPT — with both being free, AI-powered chatbots — DeepSeek is far cheaper and more efficient in the tasks of coding and mathematics, with its code actually being accessible for anyone to modify. (DeepSeek’s collaborative nature is one of the key reasons it’s cheaper, BTW).
For all of the non-STEM students out there, this might sound like a bunch of mambo-jumbo. So here are a few simple uses DeepSeek might have to offer college students.
Research & Reviews
DeepSeek has been used to locate key research articles and scholarly papers, eliminating hours of manually searching for research papers. DeepSeek can also summarize said articles if you’re in a time crunch. To circle back to the idea of studying, by uploading notes or a course textbook, DeepSeek can create a personalized study guide or a series of questions to test your knowledge.
Grammar & Spelling Checks
If you feel like an extra set of eyes on your paper is all you need to ensure it’s ready to submit, DeepSeek can help by suggesting grammar improvements, citations, and format.
Data Analysis
When data sets feel too incomprehensible, whether in science, economics, or on another subject, DeepSeek can provide insights and interpretations on said data. Who knew some code built on numbers could understand numbers better than humans?
Translation
First of all, rest in peace to the Duolingo owl; you and your threats will be missed — but maybe not for long with DeepSeek serving as a translator, an assistant on papers in another language, and a way to practice a non-native language by conversing with the DeepSeek AI.