🎓 AI Study Assistant

A full-stack AI-powered web application that helps students learn smarter — featuring an AI Chat tutor, MCQ Practice generator, and Notes Summarizer.

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✨ Features

Feature	Description
💬 AI Chat	Ask any study question and get a structured answer with a direct response and explanation
🔁 Simplify Answer	Rewrites any AI response in simple, easy-to-understand language
📝 MCQ Generator	Enter any topic and instantly get 5 multiple choice questions with answers and explanations
📄 Notes Summarizer	Paste your notes and get bullet-point summaries and key takeaways

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🛠️ Tech Stack

Layer	Technology
Frontend	React.js
Backend	Python + Flask
AI Model	Groq API (Llama 3.1 — free)
Styling	Custom CSS (dark theme)

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📁 Project Structure

AI Study Assistant/
├── backend/
│   ├── app.py              # Flask API with 4 endpoints
│   ├── requirements.txt    # Python dependencies
│   └── .env                # API key (not uploaded to GitHub)
├── frontend/
│   ├── public/
│   │   └── index.html
│   ├── src/
│   │   ├── App.js          # Main app with tab navigation
│   │   ├── App.css         # Global styles
│   │   └── components/
│   │       ├── Chat.js         # AI Chat component
│   │       ├── MCQ.js          # MCQ Practice component
│   │       └── Summarizer.js   # Notes Summarizer component
│   ├── package.json
│   └── .env                # API URL (not uploaded to GitHub)
├── .gitignore
└── README.md

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⚙️ Setup Instructions

Prerequisites

Make sure you have these installed:

• Python 3.8 or above → python.org
• Node.js 16 or above → nodejs.org
• A free Groq API key → console.groq.com

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1. Clone the Repository

git clone https://github.com/your-username/AI_Study_Assistant.git
cd AI_Study_Assistant

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2. Backend Setup

cd backend

Install dependencies:

pip install flask flask-cors groq python-dotenv

Create a .env file inside the backend folder:

GROQ_API_KEY=your_groq_api_key_here

Start the backend server:

python app.py

The backend will run at: http://127.0.0.1:8000

To confirm it is working, open your browser and go to:

http://127.0.0.1:8000

You should see: {"status": "ok", "message": "AI Study Assistant API is running"}

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3. Frontend Setup

Open a new terminal and run:

cd frontend

Install dependencies:

npm install

Create a .env file inside the frontend folder:

REACT_APP_API_URL=http://127.0.0.1:8000

Start the frontend:

npm start

The app will open automatically at: http://localhost:3000

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🔑 Environment Variables

File	Variable	Description
backend/.env	GROQ_API_KEY	Your free Groq API key from console.groq.com
frontend/.env	REACT_APP_API_URL	URL of the running backend (default: http://127.0.0.1:8000)

⚠️ Never share your .env files. They are excluded from GitHub via .gitignore.

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🚀 Running the App (Every Time)

You need two terminals open at the same time:

Terminal 1 — Start Backend:

cd backend
python app.py

Terminal 2 — Start Frontend:

cd frontend
npm start

Then open http://localhost:3000 in your browser.

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🌐 API Endpoints

Method	Endpoint	Description
GET	/	Health check
POST	/chat	Ask a study question
POST	/simplify	Simplify an AI response
POST	/generate-mcq	Generate 5 MCQs for a topic
POST	/summarize	Summarize study notes

Example Request — Chat

POST /chat
{
  "question": "What is Newton's Second Law?"
}

Example Response

{
  "answer": "**Direct Answer:**\nNewton's Second Law states that Force = Mass × Acceleration.\n\n**Explanation:**\nThis means the greater the force applied to an object, the greater its acceleration..."
}

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🧪 How to Test Each Feature

1. AI Chat → Type What is photosynthesis? → Click Ask
2. MCQ Practice → Type French Revolution → Click Generate MCQs → Select answers
3. Notes Summarizer → Paste any paragraph of text → Click Summarize Notes

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📸 Output

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📂Additional Resources

The Lean Canvas and Project Presentation are combined into one PPT file and have been pushed to this repository for viewing and reference.

🐛 Common Issues

Problem	Fix
Failed to fetch error in app	Make sure the backend is running (python app.py)
ERR_CONNECTION_REFUSED	Backend is not running — start it first
model_decommissioned error	Change model in app.py to llama-3.1-8b-instant
npm install fails	Run npm install --legacy-peer-deps
Port 3000 already in use	Press Y when asked to use another port

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👀Live Demo

The AI Study Assistant is deployed and accessible online:

Website: https://shravanis-ai-study-assistant.vercel.app/

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📄 License

This project is open source and available under the MIT License.

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🙋‍♀️ Author

Made with ❤️ by Shravani Thouta

If you found this helpful, give it a ⭐ on GitHub!