study-guide

name	study-guide
description	Writes study guides with key concepts, review questions, memory aids, and exam preparation strategies.
allowed-tools	Read Write Glob
metadata	{"author":"matthewhitcham","version":"1.0"}

Study Guide

When to Use This Skill

Use this skill when you need to:

• Create a study guide that consolidates key concepts from a course or training
• Build review materials with questions, memory aids, and practice exercises
• Design exam preparation documents with study strategies and focus areas
• Produce reference sheets learners can use during and after a program

DO NOT use this skill for full course content, lesson plans, or assessments. This is a supplementary resource that helps learners review and retain what they have already been taught.

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Core Principle

A STUDY GUIDE IS A MAP, NOT A TEXTBOOK — IT TELLS LEARNERS WHAT MATTERS MOST, HOW TO REMEMBER IT, AND WHERE THEY ARE WEAKEST SO THEY CAN STUDY SMART, NOT JUST STUDY MORE.

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Phase 1: Brief

Required Inputs

Input	What to Ask	Default
Subject matter	"What course, module, or topic should this study guide cover?"	No default — must be provided
Source material	"Share the course outline, lesson notes, or key topics to include."	No default — must be provided
Purpose	"Is this for an exam, certification, self-review, or ongoing reference?"	Self-review
Learner level	"Are learners beginners, intermediate, or advanced in this topic?"	Intermediate
Format preference	"Do you want a structured document, flashcard set, or one-page cheat sheet?"	Structured document

GATE: Confirm the brief and receive source material before proceeding.

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Phase 2: Organize

Study Guide Structure

1. Overview — what the guide covers and how to use it
2. Key Concepts — organized by topic with definitions and examples
3. Frameworks and Models — visual summaries of key frameworks
4. Review Questions — self-test per topic area
5. Memory Aids — mnemonics, acronyms, and association techniques
6. Common Mistakes — what learners typically get wrong
7. Quick Reference — one-page cheat sheet of the most important points

Topic Prioritization

Rank every topic as:

• Must know — core concepts tested or applied frequently
• Should know — important context that supports core concepts
• Nice to know — supplementary details that add depth

Focus 70% of the study guide on "must know" topics.

GATE: Present the topic list with priority rankings for approval.

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Phase 3: Write

Key Concepts Section

For each concept:

### [Concept Name]
**Definition:** [One clear sentence]
**Why it matters:** [Business application in one sentence]
**Example:** [Concrete, real-world example]
**Remember:** [Memory aid — acronym, analogy, or association]

Review Questions

Write 3-5 questions per major topic:

• Mix question types: definition recall, application scenarios, compare/contrast
• Include answers on a separate page or in a collapsible section
• Mark difficulty level (basic, intermediate, advanced)

**Q:** [Question text]
**Difficulty:** [Basic / Intermediate / Advanced]
**A:** [Answer]
**Why:** [Brief explanation of why this answer is correct]

Memory Aids

For complex frameworks or multi-step processes, create:

• Acronyms — first-letter memory devices (e.g., AIDA for Attention, Interest, Desire, Action)
• Analogies — connect new concepts to familiar things
• Visual maps — describe a diagram or flowchart the learner can sketch
• Chunking — group related items into 3-5 categories

Quick Reference Sheet

One page maximum with:

• Key definitions (10-15 max)
• Core formulas or frameworks
• Common mistakes to avoid
• Decision-making shortcuts

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Phase 4: Polish

1. Study Plan

Provide a recommended study schedule:

## Suggested Study Plan

**Day 1:** Read through key concepts (30 min)
**Day 2:** Answer review questions without looking at notes (20 min)
**Day 3:** Review wrong answers, revisit weak areas (20 min)
**Day 4:** Quiz a partner or recite key frameworks aloud (15 min)
**Day 5:** Review quick reference sheet only (10 min)

2. Self-Assessment Checklist

## Am I Ready?
- [ ] I can define all "must know" concepts without looking
- [ ] I can apply each framework to a real scenario
- [ ] I scored 80%+ on the review questions
- [ ] I can explain each concept to someone with no background
- [ ] I know which topics I am weakest on and have reviewed them twice

3. Quality Check

• Every "must know" topic has a concept entry, review question, and memory aid
• Review questions have complete answers with explanations
• Quick reference fits on one printable page
• No jargon is used without a definition provided earlier in the guide

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Example 1: Digital Marketing Fundamentals Study Guide

### Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC)
**Definition:** The total cost to acquire one new customer.
**Why it matters:** If CAC exceeds customer lifetime value, you lose money on every sale.
**Example:** Spent $500 on ads, got 10 customers = $50 CAC.
**Remember:** CAC = "Cash to Acquire a Customer"

Example 2: Business Finance Basics Quick Reference

## Quick Reference
- Revenue - Expenses = Profit
- Gross Margin = (Revenue - COGS) / Revenue
- Break-even = Fixed Costs / (Price - Variable Cost per Unit)
- Rule of thumb: Keep CAC below 1/3 of LTV

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Anti-Patterns

• Rewriting the entire course — a study guide summarizes and reinforces, it does not reteach. Keep it concise.
• No prioritization — treating every topic equally means learners waste time on low-value details.
• Questions without answers — review questions are useless if learners cannot check their work.
• Walls of text — use tables, bullets, and formatting. Study guides must be scannable.
• No memory aids — definitions alone do not stick. Every core concept needs a hook for recall.
• Skipping the quick reference — the one-page cheat sheet is often the most-used part of the entire guide.

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Recovery

• No source material provided: Ask the user to list the 10 most important topics from memory. Build the guide from that list.
• Too many topics: Enforce the must/should/nice framework. Cut "nice to know" topics entirely if the guide exceeds 10 pages.
• User wants flashcards only: Create Q&A pairs in a format compatible with Anki or Quizlet (front/back format).
• Subject matter is highly technical: Add a glossary section at the top with all specialized terms defined before diving into concepts.