Searches for ChatGPT have jumped again this week, and plenty of people are typing it in a hurry ("chat gpt", "chatgtp", "chat gopt"). If you're one of them, welcome. This guide shows you how to use ChatGPT and Claude step by step: how to sign up, how to write prompts that actually work, and how students and freshers can use both tools for learning, resumes, and interview prep without getting into trouble.
No jargon, no hype. Just what to click, what to type, and what to avoid.
What are ChatGPT and Claude, in plain words?
ChatGPT (made by OpenAI) and Claude (made by Anthropic) are AI assistants. You type a question or a task in normal language, and they reply in normal language. They can explain concepts, summarise PDFs, draft emails, debug code, quiz you, and help you think through a decision.
What they are not: a search engine you can trust blindly, or a replacement for your own understanding. Both can sound confident and still be wrong. Treat them like a very fast, very well-read senior who sometimes makes things up. You check their work.
A quick note on what's new: OpenAI announced GPT-6 with "Intelligent UI" on 7 October 2026, and says free users began getting it from 8 October. Answers can now include interactive charts, diagrams and small tools inside the chat. Anthropic has also been shipping updates to Claude through October. Features and plan limits change often, so if a button below looks slightly different on your screen, that's normal.
How to start using ChatGPT (step by step)
- Go to the official site or app. Open chatgpt.com in your browser, or install the official ChatGPT app by OpenAI from the Play Store or App Store. Check the developer name; there are many lookalike apps.
- Sign up. Use your Google account, Microsoft account, Apple ID, or email. You can try a few questions even before logging in, but an account saves your chat history.
- Type your first message in the box at the bottom and press Enter.
- Explore the basics:
- Attach files (the + or paperclip icon) to upload a PDF, image, or document and ask questions about it.
- Voice mode lets you talk instead of type, which is great for practising spoken English or mock interviews.
- Search lets ChatGPT look things up on the web and show sources. Always click the sources.
- New chat starts a fresh conversation. Use a new chat for each new topic so old context doesn't confuse answers.
- Know the plans. There's a free plan, a lower-cost Go plan in India, and paid plans like Plus and Pro with higher limits and more features. Prices and limits change, so check the current details inside the app before paying. For most students, the free plan is enough to start.
How to start using Claude (step by step)
- Go to claude.ai in your browser, or install the official Claude app by Anthropic on Android or iOS.
- Sign up with your Google account or email.
- Start a chat and type your request. Claude is known for long, careful, well-structured answers and is especially good with long documents and writing.
- Useful features to try:
- Upload files: drop in a PDF of your syllabus, a research paper, or your resume and ask questions about it.
- Artifacts: when you ask for something substantial, such as a study plan, a piece of code, or a small web page, Claude can put it in a separate panel you can view, edit, and copy.
- Projects: group related chats and files (for example, "DBMS semester notes") so Claude has the same background each time. Check which of these your plan includes.
- Web search: Claude can search the web and cite sources for current information.
- Know the plans. Claude has a free plan and paid plans (Pro and Max) with higher usage limits and extra features. If you hit a message limit on the free plan, you'll see when it resets.
How to write prompts that get great answers
The single biggest difference between people who find AI useful and people who don't is how they ask. A good prompt has four parts:
- Role: who should the AI act as?
- Context: who are you and what's the situation?
- Task: what exactly do you want?
- Format: how should the answer look?
Compare these two:
Explain normalization.
You are a patient DBMS teacher. I'm a second-year BTech student and I have an exam in three days. Explain database normalization (1NF, 2NF, 3NF, BCNF) using one simple student-marks table as the running example. End with five exam-style questions, without answers.
The second one takes 20 more seconds to type and gives you something ten times more useful.
A few more habits that help:
- Follow up instead of starting over. Say "simpler", "shorter", "give me a real example", or "now quiz me on this".
- Ask it to ask you questions first. For example, "Before you answer, ask me three questions about my background."
- Give examples of what you want. Paste a sample answer you like and say "write in this style".
- Tell it what to avoid. "No jargon", "don't invent facts", "say 'I'm not sure' if you don't know".
5 ways students and freshers can use ChatGPT and Claude
1. Learn faster, not lazier
Use AI as a tutor, not an answer key. Ask it to explain a concept, then explain it back in your own words and ask for feedback.
I'll explain how recursion works in my own words. Point out anything I got wrong or missed, but don't rewrite it for me.
This works brilliantly alongside a structured path, such as one of our courses, where you need a second explanation of a tricky topic at 11 PM.
2. Build and improve your resume
AI is very good at turning vague lines into specific ones. Give it your real details; never let it invent achievements.
Here is a bullet from my resume: "Worked on a web project using React." Rewrite it in three different ways that show what I built, which tools I used, and the result. Only use the facts I've given; ask me for numbers if you need them.
Then run the final version through the Ucanly AI resume review to check formatting and keyword gaps for the roles you're targeting.
3. Practise interviews out loud
Use voice mode in ChatGPT, or type with Claude, and run a mock interview.
Act as an HR interviewer for a fresher software developer role at an IT services company. Ask me one question at a time. After each answer, give me a score out of 10 and one specific improvement. Start with "Tell me about yourself".
Do this for 20 minutes a day for a week and you'll notice the difference.
4. Understand job descriptions and tailor applications
Paste a job description and ask what it's really looking for.
Here is a job description. List the top five skills it asks for, which of them are must-haves vs nice-to-haves, and three questions I'm likely to be asked. Then compare it with my resume below and tell me what's missing.
Once you know your gaps, shortlist roles that genuinely match you on the jobs board.
5. Write emails and messages professionally
Freshers often lose opportunities because of a clumsy email. Use AI to draft, then edit it so it sounds like you.
Draft a short, polite email to a recruiter following up on my application for the Data Analyst Trainee role I applied to last week. Keep it under 100 words and not desperate.
ChatGPT vs Claude: which one should you use?
Honestly, try both on the same task and keep the answer you like better. Both have free plans, so it costs you nothing. That said, here's how many users tend to split them:
- ChatGPT is a strong all-rounder: voice conversations, image generation, interactive visual answers, and a huge range of everyday tasks. It's often the quickest way to get a visual explanation or a quick tool.
- Claude is often preferred for long-form writing, careful reasoning, and working with long documents, such as a full syllabus, a long PDF, or a big chunk of code. Many people find its writing sounds more natural.
- For coding, both are capable. Paste the error message and the relevant code, and ask it to explain the bug before fixing it so you actually learn.
- For current facts (exam dates, company news, cut-offs), use the web search feature in either tool and open the sources. Don't trust a date or number that has no source.
The skill that matters is not which tool you pick. It's knowing how to ask, and knowing how to check.
Mistakes to avoid when using AI tools
- Copy-pasting assignments. Many colleges now check for AI-written work, and you learn nothing. Use AI to understand, then write it yourself. Follow your institution's rules.
- Trusting facts without checking. AI can invent references, statistics, and even laws. Verify anything important.
- Sharing private data. Don't paste passwords, Aadhaar or PAN numbers, bank details, or anything confidential from an internship. Check the privacy and data-training settings in each app.
- Letting AI write your whole resume. Recruiters can spot generic, buzzword-heavy resumes. Keep your real projects and your real voice.
- Using fake apps. Only use the official apps from OpenAI and Anthropic, and never pay for "ChatGPT premium" through a third-party link.
Your 7-day plan to get good at ChatGPT and Claude
Reading about AI tools won't make you good at them. Using them every day will. Here's a simple one-week plan:
- Day 1: Create accounts on both ChatGPT and Claude. Ask both the same question about a subject you're studying and compare.
- Day 2: Rewrite three of your vaguest prompts using role, context, task, and format.
- Day 3: Upload one set of class notes or a PDF and ask for a summary plus ten quiz questions.
- Day 4: Improve three resume bullets with AI, using only true facts.
- Day 5: Run a 20-minute mock interview and note your weakest answer.
- Day 6: Paste two job descriptions you're interested in and list the skills you're missing.
- Day 7: Pick one missing skill and start learning it properly.
Remember: AI makes a prepared person faster. It doesn't make an unprepared person ready.
If you want a clear sequence for what to learn next, along with a view of how hire-ready you are today, create your free Ucanly account and get a personalised career roadmap. The tools will keep changing. The habit of learning with them is what lasts.