College life is a journey of discovery, growth, and often, significant academic challenges. For many students, traditional learning methods can fall short, leaving them feeling overwhelmed, underprepared, or struggling to keep pace.
But what if there was a tool that could not only help students overcome these obstacles but truly empower them to thrive?
We recently sat down with two incredible Genio student ambassadors, Samantha and Beki, to hear their first hand experiences. They shared the real struggles they faced in college and how Genio Notes has transformed their learning, boosting their confidence and academic success.
What challenges do the new majority learners face?
The landscape of higher education is evolving. A new majority learner is emerging – students who often face unique challenges that go beyond traditional assumptions about college freshmen. These challenges often fall into three overarching themes:
Time and Attention Poor: Students need more time and focused attention to succeed.
Underprepared Learners: Many students lack the foundational study skills needed for higher education.
Individual Barriers to Learning: This category heavily links to accessibility, encompassing a wide range of diverse needs.
Both Samantha and Beki deeply resonate with these challenges. Beki, a Politics and International Relations student with high functioning autism and Asperger's syndrome, shared her struggles with processing information differently than her peers.
Before Genio Notes, she often felt "unworthy to be in a classroom" and found it hard to process information in real time, leading to feelings of being out of her depth. Samantha, a film and high-end TV Production student, also on the autism spectrum, echoed this, explaining that her tutors' rapid speaking pace made it difficult to understand concepts during lectures.
Both students also represent the new majority learner demographic, with Samantha noting her age (26, soon to be 27) as another factor, which she now views as an advantage due to her life experience.
Student experiences with learning tools
So, how has Genio Notes helped these students overcome their unique obstacles? Both Beki and Samantha emphasized how the tool streamlines their learning process, making it more manageable and effective.
For Samantha, Genio Notes' audio recording feature is critical. She sits closer to the board during lectures to ensure clear audio capture, free from unnecessary chatter. After the lecture, she utilizes the transcription feature to review content and integrate important quotes and film examples, which has helped her understand terminology easier.
Beki highlighted Genio Notes' ability to consolidate multiple tasks into one seamless experience. As someone who struggles with multitasking, she appreciates “being able to record a lecture, get definitions up, and view PowerPoint slides” all within the same app.
She particularly values the transcription and AI outlines, which prevent her from feeling overwhelmed with information in her fact heavy politics degree.
"I'm just constantly overwhelmed with facts, statistics, case studies and theories," Beki explained. But with Genio Notes, she can “write an essay, do a pop quiz or talk in class without panicking".
The tool's organized structure means she doesn't have to spend “hours stressing about the presentation of notes because it kind of does it all for me". This eliminates the messy notes problem that plagues traditional pen and paper methods, as Samantha also noted, finding Genio Notes "tidier" and easier to edit.
How students develop better learning habits
The impact of Genio Notes extends far beyond just better notes; it fosters significant improvements in academic performance and, crucially, student confidence.
Samantha shared how Genio Notes helped her achieve a mark to be proud of on an essay by allowing her to easily reference slides and notes, deepening her knowledge of specific subjects like New Zealand cinema. She now consistently gets better marks in her academic writing.
Beki’s transformation is particularly compelling. After failing two essays in her first year before using Genio Notes, she is now a first class student, achieving some of the highest grades in her module. She attributes this success directly to being able to take organized notes.
Beyond grades, Genio Notes has dramatically increased Beki’s confidence in class participation. Her lecturers are even writing her references due to her increased contributions, and she's been recommended for prestigious opportunities like Mun Model United Nations.
"My confidence comes from Genio Notes," she stated powerfully, highlighting how the tool "gave me that little push in the door" to actively engage and benefit from her lecturers' time. Samantha echoed this sentiment, stating that with Genio Notes, she now has the information right in front of her to confidently answer questions.
Advice for educators and institutions
When asked for advice for institutions considering learning tools, both students emphasized the importance of not just providing the tool, but also providing proper training. Samantha urged educators to ensure students receive proper training to use Genio Notes so they can be "happier, more focused, more engaged".
Beki further stressed the importance of showing students how to use specific Genio Notes features that complement their individual learning needs, such as the scribble feature.
"I think that's something in mainstream education that is forgotten," Beki concluded, emphasizing that this personalized approach benefits all students.
The experiences of Samantha and Beki powerfully illustrate how Genio Notes goes beyond simply being a note taking app. It’s a transformative tool that addresses the diverse needs of today’s students, empowering them to overcome learning barriers, build essential study habits, and achieve academic success with newfound confidence.
By embracing solutions like Genio Notes and providing comprehensive support, institutions can truly unlock the full potential of every learner.
