AI reports are indicating a growing market for AI in education. Educational institutions are integrating AI-powered platforms into their learning environments, as well as academic preparation strategies. On the other hand, usage trends emphasize the use of AI tools for tutoring and personalized learning, as well as providing extended explanations or fragmented answers to specific questions. This work-in-progress study investigates the utilization of ChatGPT by university freshmen students in preparing for business and IT exams. The research aims to understand how students integrate this AI tool into their study routines and explores its perceived benefits and potential limitations. The focus is on the application and impact of the tool. This qualitative survey was conducted in the Spring 2024 semester, and it involved 71 freshmen. While conducting the survey, students were asked to explain how they used ChatGPT while preparing for exams, and to support it students were asked to provide a ChatGPT interaction link. The goal was to explore and gain insight into the usage of ChatGPT in students' study routines.

Findings revealed six different categories of usage. The first was the clarification of complex theoretical concepts, then interactive learning (generating practice questions, creating quizzes and practice exams), simplifying concepts by changing roles, application of theories and finding applicative examples from the industry, collaborative learning (acting as virtual study partner), example generation and practical application of the concepts. Students emphasized the importance of accuracy and verification and questioned the reliability of the source. There was a difference and variation in high and low-performing groups. While high performers used and explored sophisticated options, low performers focused on the basic usage of the tool for the links analyzed. The study we performed, based on the survey, revealed differences in gender tool usage. Males used the tool based on more specific prompts while female usage was based on collaborative study and discussions. The study findings indicate quite a rapid shift towards the usage of digital tools and the expanding potential of e-learning with digital learning tools in higher education. Findings also emphasize the ability of ChatGPT as a personalized tool, virtual study peer, and flexible support for exam preparation. However, students are aware of a need to verify the accuracy of AI-generated information but also that they need to improve their skills in order to learn how to write prompts and gain a more interactive learning experience. Future studies could focus on providing more examples of the application of AI tools for studying purposes as well as the long-term educational impact of such practice.

Keywords: ChatGPT, exam preparation, digital learning, student engagement, AI in education.