5 A.M. Club
AskThePhD AI Challenge
30 Days to Master AI Before Breakfast | Join 1 Million Educators Transforming Higher Education
Wake up. Learn AI. Transform your classroom. Repeat.
Welcome to the 5 A.M. Club. This isn’t just another tech tutorial. It’s a commitment to your future self. Each morning, we tackle one focused AI skill designed specifically for higher education professionals. In 30 minutes or less, you’ll build genuine AI literacy—moving beyond “ChatGPT tricks” to fundamental mastery.
WEEK 1
AI Fundamentals & Core Skills
Day 1 30 min
Wake Up to AI Reality
- Learn how AI actually works under the hood
- Understand tokens and processing logic
- Stop treating AI like magic, start treating it like a tool
Day 2 25 min
The Magic Prompt Formula
- Master Context + Task + Instruction + Example
- Write your first structured prompt
- Test on multi.ai comparing models
Day 3 20 min
Your AI Research Assistant
- Use Perplexity for academic research
- Compare results to traditional search engines
- Build a repeatable research workflow
Day 4 15 min
Social Intelligence with AI
- Use Grok for social media research
- Analyze current trends in higher ed
- Gather student sentiment data
Day 5 30 min
Stop Repeating Yourself
- Identify repetitive teaching tasks
- Build your first Custom GPT
- Create reusable prompts for feedback
Day 6 15 min
Week 1 Checkpoint
- Test your AI fundamentals knowledge
- Share one breakthrough with #AskThePhD
- Reflect on what clicked this week
WEEK 2
AI for Your Productivity
Day 7 25 min
Excel & Spreadsheet Superpowers
- Automate complex grade calculations
- Build data analysis workflows
- Transform student data into insights
Day 8 30 min
Dashboard Magic for Educators
- Create a course analytics dashboard
- Visualize student performance trends
- Share insights with colleagues
Day 9 20 min
Slides in Minutes, Not Hours
- Turn lecture notes into slides using Gemini
- Build a presentation from research papers
- Save 2+ hours on prep time
Day 10 15 min
Email Copywriting for Academics
- Write department announcements fast
- Craft empathetic student outreach emails
- Build templates for common scenarios
Day 11 30 min
Syllabus & Course Design
- Generate comprehensive syllabus drafts
- Create aligned learning outcomes
- Design assessment rubrics with AI
Day 12 15 min
Productivity Checkpoint
- Calculate time saved this week
- Share your best productivity hack
- Build your personal AI toolkit list
WEEK 3
AI for Your Learning
Day 13 20 min
Summarize Anything on the Web
- Summarize research papers in seconds
- Create reading lists from articles
- Build literature review frameworks
Day 14 25 min
Your AI Learning Buddy
- Upload course materials to NotebookLM
- Create study guides from textbooks
- Generate quiz questions automatically
Day 15 20 min
Learn from Videos Fast
- Extract key points from educational videos
- Create transcripts and summary notes
- Build multimedia learning resources
Day 16 30 min
Research Paper Analysis
- Analyze methodology sections deeply
- Compare findings across multiple papers
- Generate literature matrices
Day 17 25 min
Create Interactive Learning Materials
- Build interactive case studies
- Design scenario-based learning modules
- Create engaging discussion prompts
Day 18 15 min
Learning Checkpoint
- Review what knowledge you’ve absorbed
- Share learning materials created
- Connect with #AskThePhD community
WEEK 4
AI for Your Creativity
Day 19 25 min
Visual Content Creation
- Generate custom course graphics
- Create visual aids for lectures
- Design infographics for complex concepts
Day 20 30 min
Course Website in One Click
- Build a course landing page
- Create student resource hub
- Design portfolio showcase
Day 21 20 min
Interactive Assessment Design
- Generate diverse question types
- Create formative assessments
- Build adaptive learning paths
Day 22 25 min
Multimedia Course Content
- Create lecture video supplements
- Generate audio summaries of readings
- Build accessible content formats
Day 23 25 min
Creative Assignment Prompts
- Design “AI-proof” assignments
- Create authentic assessment tasks
- Build critical thinking exercises
Day 24 15 min
Creativity Checkpoint
- Showcase what you’ve built
- Share creative teaching materials
- Celebrate your innovation
WEEK 5
AI for Your Career & Automation
Day 25 25 min
Professional Development Plan
- Build your AI skills roadmap
- Identify teaching innovation opportunities
- Plan conference presentations
Day 26 30 min
Automate Administrative Work
- Set up intelligent email filters
- Automate meeting scheduling
- Streamline repetitive admin tasks
Day 27 20 min
Build Your Teaching Brand
- Create professional bio variations
- Draft engaging LinkedIn posts
- Design thought leadership content
Day 28 30 min
Grant Writing & Applications
- Generate grant proposal drafts
- Create robust budget justifications
- Build research impact statements
Day 29 30 min
Your 30-Day Reflection
- Document your full journey
- Create before/after workflow comparisons
- Plan your next steps
Day 30 FINAL
Join the Movement
- Share final project with #AskThePhD
- Commit to teaching AI literacy
- Celebrate becoming an AI-fluent educator
✨ Bonus Resources
Everything you need to succeed in the 5 A.M. Club Challenge.