{"id":920,"date":"2025-09-05T09:45:31","date_gmt":"2025-09-05T08:45:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.qub.ac.uk\/studentatguide\/?page_id=920"},"modified":"2026-05-18T14:00:59","modified_gmt":"2026-05-18T13:00:59","slug":"notetaking-writing","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/blogs.qub.ac.uk\/studentatguide\/notetaking-writing\/","title":{"rendered":"Assistive Tech for Notetaking &amp; Writing"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Taking notes and turning them into essays doesn\u2019t have to be a stress-fest. Whether you\u2019re trying to keep up in lectures, organise research, or polish an assignment, there are tools that make the whole process quicker, clearer, and way less painful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Capture it all (without the panic)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>OneNote<\/strong> \u2192 Think of it as your digital notebook. Record lecture audio, get transcripts, import presentations and PDF&#8217;s, add pics of slides, scribble with your iPad, or just type straight in. Everything stays synced across devices. \n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>\ud83d\udc49 <a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.qub.ac.uk\/studentatguide\/assistive-tech-for-academic-reading-and-understanding\/\"><\/a><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.qub.ac.uk\/studentatguide\/2024\/12\/19\/your-guide-to-microsoft-onenote-for-noteaking-and-lecture-organisation\/\">OneNote for notetaking and lecture organisation<\/a>.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Make sense of your research<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Copilot in Word<\/strong> \u2192 Stuck staring at a blank page? Copilot can draft an outline, reword clunky sentences, or summarise your reading into bite-sized chunks.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>\ud83d\udc49 <em>Check out this guide on <a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.qub.ac.uk\/studentatguide\/2025\/10\/02\/using-ai-safely-and-smartly-at-qub\/\"><strong>Using AI Safely and Smartly at QUB<\/strong><\/a> and how to access Copilot<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>NotebookLM<\/strong> \u2192 Upload your lecture notes, articles, and readings, then chat with your sources like you would with ChatGPT. Perfect for pulling ideas together without losing track of where you found them.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>\ud83d\udc49 <em>Check out this<\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.qub.ac.uk\/studentatguide\/2025\/04\/01\/two-ai-tools-every-student-should-know-reclaimai-notebooklm\/\"><em><strong> Guide on NotebookLM<\/strong><\/em><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Turn ideas into essays<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Dictation in Word<\/strong> \u2192 Say it out loud and let Word type it for you (game-changer if your brain works faster than your typing).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Immersive Reader<\/strong> \u2192 Play back what you\u2019ve written \u2014 hearing it aloud is the best way to catch mistakes and check if it flows.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>\ud83d\udc49 <a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.qub.ac.uk\/studentatguide\/assistive-tech-for-dyslexia-support\/\">See our Reading &amp; Understanding Support tools<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n\n\n<p>\ud83d\udca1 <strong>Pro tip:<\/strong> Mix and match! Record in OneNote or Word, draft and polish with Copilot. No more lost notes or 2am essay meltdowns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>\ud83e\uddf0 Getting Started with Assistive Tech<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Not sure where to begin? Here\u2019s how to choose the right tools:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Know Your Needs<\/strong> \u2013 What\u2019s most challenging for you?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Pick Your Style<\/strong> \u2013 Visual learner? Prefer voice tools?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Start Small<\/strong> \u2013 Try 1\u20132 tools before adding more<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Check Device Compatibility<\/strong> \u2013 Apple, Android, Windows, etc.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Explore &amp; Adapt<\/strong> \u2013 Try free versions and see what sticks<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>\ud83c\udfaf Try this:&nbsp;<strong>AHEAD\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ahead.ie\/Discover-your-AT\">\u201cDiscover your AT\u201d tool<\/a><\/strong>&nbsp; helps match tools to your needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\ud83d\udc49 <a class=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/view.genially.com\/67c966440a6fe4a101653b97\/interactive-content-ai-and-accessibility\"><strong>AI and Accessibility Interactive Guide<\/strong> \u2013 explore AI tools that support neurodivergent ways of working<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\ud83d\udcac <strong>Final Thoughts<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>AT isn\u2019t just about accommodation \u2014 it\u2019s about <strong>empowerment<\/strong>. The right tech can help you manage tasks, reduce stress, and unlock the way <em>you<\/em> learn best.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\ud83d\udc4b Got a tool you love? Let us know! Sharing what works can help others find their perfect fit too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Support and Training<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\ud83d\udc49 The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.qub.ac.uk\/directorates\/sgc\/learning\/One-to-OneAppointments\/\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.qub.ac.uk\/directorates\/sgc\/learning\/One-to-OneAppointments\/\">Learning Development Service<\/a> (LDS) offers free one-to-one appointments for undergraduate students at Queen\u2019s to help build confidence and support independent learning. Book through Microsoft Bookings or contact lds@qub.ac.uk for support.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\ud83d\udc49 IT Helpdesk: For licensing issues or technical support, reach out to the QUB IT Helpdesk.&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":2401,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-920","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry","comments-off"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.qub.ac.uk\/studentatguide\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/920","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.qub.ac.uk\/studentatguide\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.qub.ac.uk\/studentatguide\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.qub.ac.uk\/studentatguide\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2401"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.qub.ac.uk\/studentatguide\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=920"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.qub.ac.uk\/studentatguide\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/920\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1806,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.qub.ac.uk\/studentatguide\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/920\/revisions\/1806"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.qub.ac.uk\/studentatguide\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=920"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}