If we took a survey of freshers and asked them what they were excited for about heading off to university, we’re willing to bet that not many of them would vote for the huge step up in work.

Learning gets more intensive and self-led after college and contact time with lecturers is far shorter. And there are a lot of competing priorities too: different course modules will have catalogues of different books to read, and at this stage, none of them are short.

That’s why productivity-boosting student hacks are the order of the day, because even the most diligent learner is going to struggle to dedicate enough time to every last study, chapter or essay that they’re required to do, especially if they’re already feeling burnt out or stressed.

Having dyslexia at university

And when students with dyslexia get to university level, that step up can feel doubly daunting. It’s usual for them to feel a little apprehensive. The level of study changes, and instead of a small school library, there’s going to be a whole series of libraries and resource centres full of things to read.

It might feel even more daunting if dyslexia impacts them in ways that compromise time management, or sequencing problems mean that they spend a lot of study time on decoding instead of learning and understanding. Time is at a premium, and sometimes, terms just don’t feel long enough.

Luckily, we think we’ve found a way to boost productivity for every university student, including those with reading differences. So let’s take a look at student hacks with the very handy C-Pen Connect…

Productivity, sorted: our top 5 student hacks with C-Pen Connect!

The C-Pen Connect is the ultimate student hack: a text-to-speech scanner, portable translator, and data capture device all in one! Although it’s a great tool for any student with dyslexia or reading differences, it’s not just designed for reading support. It’s an all-round learning, reading and writing buddy for busy knowledge-seekers and priority jugglers who are looking to make their uni experience a little bit more productive.

#1: Sharing is caring, after all

Whether they’re the self-appointed project leader or the silent member of the group chat who only appears on the day of the presentation, group work is a feature of most uni courses. But who wants to type page after page of your lecture notes into a shared document, especially if you’ve got dyslexia?

The C-Pen Connect makes info-sharing simple: connect to your phone, tablet or computer via Bluetooth and scan straight from the page into the companion app or window on the screen. No time-consuming typing involved, guaranteed!

#2: Student hacks for library sessions!

Wouldn’t it be nice if there was a way to grab a textbook and simply scan the relevant notes and quotes into your personal notes, and cut out all the useless bits?

The C-Pen Connect has a lightning-fast scan and upload speed that makes information-gathering easy. Simply scan along the text on the page, save what’s been scanned on the connected device, and that essay’s as good as done (…we wish).

#3: Text-to-speech support for reading  

If students do have dyslexia or other literacy differences, the C-Pen Connect also functions as a text-to-speech scanner that can support reading and comprehension. It’s far easier than seeking out human reading support, or feeding whole pages of text into an AI bot for a simplified summary: just connect to the companion app and move the pen over the text on the page to hear it read aloud, to support reading multi-modally.

Tackle complex texts on easy mode!

#4: Unlock new languages

It’s a translator in your pocket, too: if you’re studying materials in other languages or working on research or survey samples where English fluency isn’t high, being able to instantly translate words can be a lifesaver (and a grade-saver), especially if you’re up against a time limit.

The C-Pen Connect can scan in over 40 different languages including Chinese, Spanish, Dutch, French and German, straight into translation apps like Google Translate. ¡Es fácil!

#5: ESOL and EAL student hacks

On any university campus there’s likely to be a lot of students who have come from other language backgrounds. Often, their English skills are great, but many students find that their reading and writing skills outstrip their spoken English ones because things like slang, unknown words and accents make things a lot harder.

Being able to scan and listen to words in English and upload to personal devices can support those learning or developing fluency in English as it provides a pocket pronunciation guide, a  companion to their on-paper language skills that might make them feel more able to converse with confidence.

What about student hacks for mature students and returning learners?

In every uni intake there’s a large number of mature students who have come to university after a time spent working, or are attending courses as part of workplace training or CPD.

Older learners like this are likely to be juggling university alongside work and childcare commitments, so ensuring that they have access to tech that can boost productivity in their study time is an important step toward ensuring that uni stays accessible for learners from all walks of life.  

We also need to think about reading needs: older students came through the school system when dyslexia was less likely to be identified, and might have managed their whole working lives to find work-arounds for their reading differences. But when revision, essays and dissertations come into the equation, those work-arounds might not work any more— which means having student hacks for reading and note-taking could be vital.

A whole family of assistive technology supports

The C-Pen Connect isn’t just a handy pen-shaped package of student hacks. It’s part of a wider family of reading and learning productivity supports that are designed to transform the reading experience for good, and support those with additional needs or neurodiversities.

If you’re looking for more in-depth reading support with dictionary lookup functions, word practice and more, check out the C-Pen Reader 2 at Scanning Pens; or the C-Pen Secure Reader 2 for reading in secure settings like hospitals and labs.

If exam-time reading is more your bag, you can find a complete test-time support system in the C-Pen Exam Reader 2!

Find out more about the C-Pen Connect today!

At Scanning Pens, we know how difficult university can be… especially if students are navigating literacy differences like dyslexia, or even if they’re just not a confident reader or writer. Learning isn’t linear in the way that it was before, where they’d move from class work to revision and then onto exams, and there are a lot more competing priorities than there were in school and in college.

Learning support devices like the C-Pen Connect are more than just student hacks to make the balancing act a little easier. Saving time and preserving bandwidth for the things that really matter might be a lifeline for some learners who are juggling other commitments like extra-curricular activities, families and even work— and more students are having to work than ever before, so it’s important that we’re understanding of those needs.

You can find out more about how the C-Pen Connect could transform learning in your university at our Connect Hub, or chat to one of our assistive tech and education experts by dropping us a line at ukinfo@scanningpens.com.