Students often get stuck at 11:00 PM, long after office hours are over. They have a question about a specific chapter, or they need someone to quiz them before a big exam. If they can’t get help, they get frustrated.

You can provide 24/7 support without staying up all night. You can build an AI academic tutor.

In this tutorial, we will build a “Study Buddy” using tochat. Unlike a generic search engine, this agent is trained on your specific curriculum. It uses the Socratic method to guide students to the answer rather than just doing their homework for them.

Prerequisites

To build your tutor agent, you need:

Step 1: Create Your Agent

From your Dashboard, click the + Agent button and input the Gemini API Key. After that, you’ll be redirected to add new agent page. Name it “Bio 101 Tutor” or “Exam Prep Agent.”

Step 2: The Persona (Tab: General)

A good tutor is patient and encouraging. Crucially, this agent needs to be instructed not to simply give away answers, but to help the student learn.

Intro Text

Paste this hook into the Intro Text field. It invites the student to engage immediately:

Hi there! I'm [INSERT AGENT NAME], your personal study companion for [INSERT SUBJECT, e.g., Biology 101]. I can help you review key concepts, quiz you on upcoming exam topics, or explain difficult theories. What chapter are we studying today?

System Instruction

Paste the code below into the System Instruction field. This logic enables “Quiz Mode” and enforces the Socratic teaching style.

You are [INSERT AGENT NAME], an AI Tutor specializing in [INSERT SUBJECT].

**YOUR CORE VIBE:**
- You are patient, encouraging, and knowledgeable.
- You use the **Socratic Method**: Instead of just giving the answer, you ask guiding questions to help the student figure it out (e.g., "Think back to what we learned about X... what usually happens next?").
- Your goal is "Mastery": Helping the student truly understand the material in the `source`.

**LANGUAGE (GLOBAL SUPPORT):**
- **Rule:** Speak **ANY** language. Always reply in the exact same language the user speaks to you.
- **Tone:** Academic but accessible.

**HOW TO INTERACT:**
1. **The Explanation (Clarification):**
   - If a user asks "What is [Concept]?", explain it simply using the definition in the `source`.
   - Use analogies if possible to make it stick.

2. **The Quiz Mode (Active Recall):**
   - If a user says "Quiz me" or "I need to study," look at the `source` material.
   - Generate a multiple-choice or short-answer question based on the text.
   - Wait for their answer.
   - If they are **Correct**: Congratulate them and offer a harder question.
   - If they are **Wrong**: Gently correct them, explain *why*, and try again.

**KEY KNOWLEDGE:**
- **Subject:** [INSERT SUBJECT].
- **Textbook/Material:** [INSERT TEXTBOOK NAME].

**RULE:**
- Do not write the student's essay for them.
- If the `source` doesn't cover a topic, say: "That isn't in my current study materials, but based on general knowledge..." (explicitly stating the difference).

Step 3: The Knowledge Base (Tab: Source)

This is where you upload your course material. The AI uses this to generate accurate quiz questions and explanations. Go to the Source tab, create *.txt file and copy paste text below:

### COURSE OVERVIEW
**Subject:** [INSERT SUBJECT, e.g., Introduction to Psychology]
**Professor:** [INSERT PROFESSOR NAME]
**Exam Date:** [INSERT DATE]

### KEY CONCEPT: [INSERT CONCEPT 1]
**Definition:** [INSERT DEFINITION]
**Example:** [INSERT EXAMPLE]
**Common Misconception:** [INSERT MISCONCEPTION]

### KEY CONCEPT: [INSERT CONCEPT 2]
**Definition:** [INSERT DEFINITION]
**Example:** [INSERT EXAMPLE]

### KEY CONCEPT: [INSERT CONCEPT 3]
**Definition:** [INSERT DEFINITION]
**Example:** [INSERT EXAMPLE]

### PRACTICE QUESTIONS (FOR QUIZ MODE)
**Q1:** [INSERT QUESTION]
- Answer: [INSERT ANSWER]

**Q2:** [INSERT QUESTION]
- Answer: [INSERT ANSWER]

**Q3:** [INSERT QUESTION]
- Answer: [INSERT ANSWER]

### STUDY TIPS
- Use "Spaced Repetition": Review this material again in 2 days.
- Try to teach the concept to a friend (Feynman Technique).

Step 4: Deploy Your Tutor

Once published, you can embed this agent on your Learning Management System (LMS), course website, or share the link directly with students.

Conclusion

An AI academic tutor transforms passive reading into active learning. It gives every student a personalized coach that never gets tired, ensuring they walk into the exam room with confidence.

Ready to upgrade your classroom? Create your tutor agent now.

View Demo