Cursor 101 Foundation Session

Use this session to build a common baseline for all developers and establish a durable habit: shipping validated outcomes, not just generated code.

Cursor 101 progress

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Session checklist

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• AI coding surfaces and daily workflow setupAgent view, IDE, CLI, and when to use each.
• Create a project and establish context hygieneRules, skills, chat boundaries, and context resets.
• Source control and quality loopValidate outcomes and prepare production-safe changes.

Module 1: AI coding surfaces and workflow setup

Objectives

• Identify when to use Agent mode, IDE chat, and CLI for different work types.
• Understand how plan, ask, and debugging patterns improve consistency.
• Set a team default workflow for task intake and execution.

Demo/Lab

1. Open a real backlog item and run it through plan -> implement -> validate.
2. Compare how the same task behaves in Agent mode vs IDE chat.
3. Capture a reusable team prompt scaffold in project docs.

Knowledge check

Knowledge check: surfaces

Which approach best fits the 101 workflow baseline?

Use one long chat for all work and avoid mode changes.Choose surface by task type and validate before committing.Default to code generation speed and skip quality checks.

Apply at work

• Pick one current ticket and document why you chose Agent mode or IDE chat.
• Record one repeatable prompt pattern for your team.

Module 2: Project setup and context management

Objectives

• Configure project-level context (rules, skills, and file targeting).
• Practice splitting work into clean task-specific chats.
• Use @ references to ground prompts in exact code and docs.

Demo/Lab

1. Create a new chat for a scoped task and attach only relevant files.
2. Add one project rule and one personal workflow rule.
3. Duplicate a chat and compare outcomes from two prompting strategies.

Knowledge check

Knowledge check: context engineering

What is the most reliable way to reduce context drift?

Keep all tasks in one chat so history is never lost.Start new chats per task and use explicit @ references.Avoid project rules because they constrain creativity.

Apply at work

• Break one sprint story into two isolated chats (implementation and review).
• Save one reusable context template for your team.

Module 3: Quality, source control, and delivery loop

Objectives

• Validate generated output with tests, linting, and code review.
• Integrate source control flow into daily Cursor usage.
• Build confidence in outcome quality before merge.

Demo/Lab

1. Run a small implementation through commit-quality checks.
2. Use bug review and PR review patterns on a sample diff.
3. Capture a merge checklist that your team can reuse.

Knowledge check

Knowledge check: delivery quality

Select all actions that should happen before merge.

Run validation checks and review diff for regressions.Skip tests if code compiles locally.Confirm changes are scoped and commit message is clear.

Apply at work

• Use your team merge checklist on one production PR this week.
• Share one example where validation changed the final implementation.

✦Reverse demo prompt

Ask one engineer to run a 10-minute reverse demo showing a real ticket from prompt to validated merge. Archive the prompt pattern and checklist for the next cohort.

Reinforcement after 101

Book office hours in the same week and ask each team to bring one blocked use case from production work.

Continue to Cursor 201Back to Enablement Overview