A student discovering confidence through Khanmigo and AI in education

On my first day at a new school, I was nervous right up to the moment I reached for the classroom door. The heaviest thing I carried wasn’t my backpack—it was the tight, unreadable expression on my face. Everything felt unfamiliar. Even saying “Hi” seemed risky. But then the teacher pointed not to the chalkboard, but to a tablet. “We’ll be using the Khanmigo AI tutor starting today,” she said. I had no idea what “AI in education” truly meant. I just quietly started typing my first words to someone—or something—on the screen.

At first, I only managed one-word answers. I couldn’t even form the question, “What is this?” But Khanmigo waited. It responded to my slow pace, my typos, even the awkward grammar, as if all of me—every hesitant part—was welcome there. That’s how I realized edtech wasn’t about fitting into a rigid system. It was about creating one that waited for *me*. I didn’t become brave by finding the right answers. I became brave the moment I realized I had the freedom to ask.

At first, I didn’t trust an AI tutor

When I first met Khanmigo on the Khan Academy platform, it felt too polished—too nice. I wondered if it was watching me, judging me. But Khanmigo didn’t operate like that. It invited me to learn by asking gentle, emotionally aware questions. According to Freethink, the AI is designed to reduce anxiety and build confidence through a conversation-style interface that encourages inquiry rather than performance.

It didn’t give orders—it said things like “Let’s figure it out together.” When I got something wrong, it didn’t call me out. It praised my effort to explore. For the first time, I felt that learning wasn’t about avoiding mistakes. It was about asking the questions that mattered. Through AI-powered education, I stopped trying to be a perfect student and started becoming a curious one.

EdTech taught me emotions come before technology

I’d heard that online learning platforms could personalize learning. But I didn’t really know what that looked like. Before Khanmigo, I thought digital learning was just videos and quizzes. But this AI listened—at my pace, in my language. The hardest thing for me to say was, “I don’t get it.” But when I finally typed that out, Khanmigo replied, “That’s okay. Let’s figure out where you got stuck—together.”

That’s when I knew learning didn’t have to be shameful. Just like the review in EducationNext said, Khanmigo adapted to my needs, explained things in ways that made sense to me. Once I felt less pressure, my focus improved and I started truly understanding the material—for the first time in a long time.

My everyday learning began to shift

On Day One, I couldn’t even ask. On Day Two, I managed a “Why?” On Day Three, Khanmigo started asking *me* the questions. Three weeks later, I raised my hand in a live class. Those small changes stacked up. And just like that, I believed—maybe I really *can* learn. Without Khanmigo, I’d probably still be staring at the chalkboard in silence.

This AI didn’t laugh at my mistakes. It didn’t rush me. That alone convinced me that maybe this technology really was for people like me. Just like Khanmigo’s official site emphasizes, the Socratic method it uses felt like a mirror that reflected my curiosity back at me. Being treated with that kind of intellectual respect was something I never expected from software—but that’s what made it so powerful.

Core effects of AI in education

Khanmigo supports personalized learning as an AI tutor.
AI in education offers real-time feedback and a safe space to make mistakes.
Online learning platforms help adjust to individual pacing and difficulty.
Edtech can nurture emotional safety and boost self-efficacy in learners.
Khanmigo enhances creative thinking through Socratic questioning.

AI in education changed who I am

I used to be afraid of learning. Grades felt like a measuring stick I couldn’t live up to. Mistakes were humiliating. But time with Khanmigo rewired that. I started valuing questions more than answers. I began to understand that getting something wrong was actually part of learning—maybe the most important part.

Khanmigo wasn’t a teacher, and it wasn’t a friend. It was something in between—a presence that never judged me. And because of that, I started being more honest with myself. Over time, I truly began to believe: I’m smarter than I thought I was.

Now, I want to be that kind of person for someone else

If someone asked me, “Isn’t it lonely studying with AI?” I’d say, “AI is the quietest friend you’ll ever have—but the one who waits for you the most patiently.” The age of AI in education is already here. And in that space, I didn’t just grow academically. I grew emotionally. I stopped believing that tech had to be cold or intimidating.

I’ve learned how to ask better questions. And those questions have taken me somewhere better. Someday, I want to be someone who offers questions to others the way Khanmigo offered them to me. Because “You’re braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.” That’s how it started for me—and that’s what I want to pass on.

Discovering Confidence Through AI in Education and EdTech