diff --git a/.commit_template b/.commit_template
index f634563..1b5e939 100644
--- a/.commit_template
+++ b/.commit_template
@@ -1,9 +1,23 @@
-(Commit summary. Replace this with a one-line description of this commit.)
 
-What I changed
-(Replace this with a description of what you changed in this commit. This should be 1-2 sentences.)
 
-Why I changed it
-(Describe why you made these changes. Were you working toward a goal? Did you reorganize your code? This should be 1-2 sentences.)
+# -----------------------------------------------------------------
+# Write your entire commit message above this line.
+# 
+# The first line should be a quick description of what you changed.
+# Then leave a blank line. 
+# Then, taking as many lines as you want, answer the questions 
+# corresponding to your checkpoint. 
+#
+# Checkpoint 1: 
+# - This is the first time you have been asked to read a substantial amount
+#   of code written by someone else. What was this experience like for you? 
+#   Did you find any strategies which made it easier to make sense of the code?
+#
+# Checkpoint 2: 
+# - Describe the strategy you used to check for a winner. 
+#
+# Checkpoint 3: 
+# - Playing tic-tac-toe is pretty easy, even for children, but it takes a lot
+#   of work to get a computer to play well. How did your awareness of your 
+#   own cognition change as you worked on this lab?
 
-Estimate for remaining time to finish assignment: [REPLACE WITH TIME ESTIMATE]