AI basics course for university students in Saint-Louis, Senegal (2026)

The verdict in three sentences

For a student at Gaston-Berger University (UGB) in Saint-Louis, AI is already in your pocket: ChatGPT, Gemini and Meta AI are free on a smartphone, but most students use them poorly, copy wrong answers and risk a plagiarism penalty. The course Discover AI and put it to work this week (25,000 FCFA, 5 hours, level 1 of the Artificial Intelligence track) teaches you to write a good request, check what the AI invents and protect your data. The realistic gain is 1 to 3 hours a week, sometimes more during exams or thesis writing, without paying for a subscription.

What AI really changes for a UGB student

In Sanar, the day is split between crowded lecture halls, tutorials, the library and a sometimes slow connection on campus. AI replaces neither lectures nor reading the sources, but it speeds up tasks that take time without helping you learn: rephrasing notes, preparing a presentation outline, translating an English article abstract, writing an internship cover letter, organizing a revision schedule.

The risk is real. An AI can quote an author who does not exist, invent a date or a legal article, and a thesis that copies a generated answer can be treated as fraud. The useful skill is therefore twofold: getting a usable answer, then checking it.

Free, paid or course: what it costs in 2026

The free versions of ChatGPT, Gemini and Meta AI are more than enough for a beginner student. Paid subscriptions (about 20 dollars a month, or 10,000 to 13,000 FCFA depending on the exchange rate and card fees) only become useful for heavy use, for example while writing a thesis. The real cost is often poor usage: hours lost correcting approximate answers.

The course Discover AI and put it to work this week, taught in French, fits into four short modules: understanding what AI is, getting started with the tools, five concrete uses for the week, then limits, risks and good practices. It runs online, on a phone, and each module ends with an exercise and a quiz.

Using AI without cheating or getting trapped

The simplest rule: AI helps you understand and organize, you remain the author. Ask it to explain a concept, suggest an outline or quiz you on your lecture, then write in your own words and cite the real sources you read in the library or in academic databases. Never paste personal data about classmates, internship patients or survey respondents into an assistant.

After this first level, the Artificial Intelligence track continues with writing and analyzing documents, automation, then generative AI for professionals. For a student aiming for a company internship, being able to demonstrate these uses in an interview is a real asset in 2026.

Mini case study

Fatou, 22, is a third-year economics undergraduate at UGB. She spends about 6 hours a week summarizing articles, preparing group presentations and formatting her study notes. She is considering an AI subscription at 12,000 FCFA a month, or 108,000 FCFA over a 9-month academic year.

She chooses the Kolonell course at 25,000 FCFA (about 38 EUR), paid with Wave, and sticks to the free versions. Applying the method, she saves about 2 hours a week, nearly 60 hours over the year, which she spends reading sources and looking for an internship. She also saves 83,000 FCFA compared with the subscription. Fatou is an illustrative example, not a real learner.

FAQ

Do I need to pay for an AI subscription to take the course?

No, the whole course works with the free versions of ChatGPT, Gemini and Meta AI. A subscription at 10,000 to 13,000 FCFA a month is only justified for heavy use.

Is using AI considered cheating at university?

It depends on the use and on each lecturer's rules. Copying generated text into an assignment is risky, while using AI to understand a lecture or organize revisions is generally accepted: the course devotes a full module to these limits.

How long does it take to complete the course?

The course lasts 5 hours, spread over a week, for example 45 minutes a day. Exercises are designed to be applied straight away to your courses.

Does it work with a slow campus connection?

Yes, lessons are light and run on a smartphone. AI assistants themselves use little data in text mode, a few megabytes per session.

How do I pay, and is there a certificate?

Enrollment costs 25,000 FCFA and is paid with Wave or Orange Money. A Kolonell Academy certificate is issued once quizzes are completed, useful to attach to an internship application.

Take the next step. Enroll in Discover AI and put it to work this week: 5 hours online, 25,000 FCFA, Kolonell Academy certificate. Pay with Wave or Orange Money. Questions? WhatsApp +221 77 596 93 33.