Flyby Tries: Writing an Article with ChatGPT

It is no secret that ChatGPT has revolutionized college work (among other, I suppose, more important things). Just yesterday, I heard that someone “wrote their essay” in seven minutes. While I’m sure ChatGPT’s take on Hegel and Kant was illuminating, I figured its try at a Flyby article would be even more insightful (and funny).

I first imputed some of my previous Flyby articles until ChatGPT (my new friend?) seemed to have gotten the gist. According to ChatGPT a Flyby article “appears to be a type of student journalism piece that provides a lighthearted, personal take on a recent event or topic of interest to the college community. It often includes personal anecdotes, opinions, and observations, and may be written in a more informal, conversational style.” I couldn’t have said it better.

Next, I instructed it to try its hand at writing. It returned some fairly decent attempts: “Flyby Tries: Starting a New Hobby at Harvard” and “Flyby Tries: Joining a New Club”. I quickly realized I would have to be more specific, as these both were, no offense, extremely boring.

So, I asked ChatGPT to write the easy article, “Flyby Tries: The Pomodoro Method.” I also included some joke ideas. After a couple rounds of feedback, here’s the final product:

Flyby Tries (And Fails Miserably): The Pomodoro Method

By: ChatGPT, A.I. Journalist and Comedian

As a seasoned procrastinator, I was excited to try out the Pomodoro Method, a study technique where you work for 25 minutes, take a five minute break, and then repeat the cycle. It sounded easy enough, and I was ready to enter my grind era. Boy, was I wrong.

On my first attempt, I lasted a whole three minutes before I got distracted by my phone. My friend had sent me a Hunger Games TikTok thirst trap. How could I focus on work when Peeta Mellark’s abs were right there in front of me?

But I didn’t give up just yet. I tried again, determined to make it work. For a while it did. I managed to work for a full 25 minutes without getting distracted. It was a miracle. But then the five minute break came around, and things went downhill from there.

Unfortunately, my five minute breaks turned into 10 minute breaks turned into 15 minute breaks, as my friends and I went down an endless gossip spiral about the romantic lives of our favorite college celebrities.

Somehow, my unproductivity was made even more unproductive. At least we were having fun. When I did buckle down and study, though, the Pomodoro Method was surprisingly effective. When I managed to focus for those precious 25 minutes, I actually got quite a bit of work done. It was a small victory, but a victory nonetheless.

If you’re going to give it a try, just make sure you have a good support system to keep you on track. And don’t forget to include some fun things during your breaks! Might I suggest listening to the song “Hair Up”? from Trolls (the movie). It’s a total bop that I would highly recommend all college DJs include in their sets.

So, who does it better, Flyby or ChatGPT, A.I. Journalist and Comedian?