{"id":30385,"date":"2017-01-31T15:55:50","date_gmt":"2017-01-31T15:55:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/uncategorized\/2017\/01\/31\/27-study-aids-for-student-veterans-apps-and-gadgets-for-reading-notes-tests-and-more\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T06:00:45","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T06:00:45","slug":"27-study-aids-for-student-veterans-apps-and-gadgets-for-reading-notes-tests-and-more","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/education-transition\/2017\/01\/31\/27-study-aids-for-student-veterans-apps-and-gadgets-for-reading-notes-tests-and-more\/","title":{"rendered":"27 study aids for student veterans \u2014 apps and gadgets for reading, notes, tests and more"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

If poring over a college text is making your eyes droop just thinking about it, download one of these apps before needlessly letting a single credit hour of education benefits slip away. Experts on college campuses track the tech tools that best help students succeed, and the staff at Colorado State University highlighted those apps and devices with military students in mind during the institution’s Veterans Symposium in the fall of 2016. The mobile apps are free or relatively low-cost, so there’s little risk in giving one a try. Reading, writing, note-taking, studying and test-taking are all covered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n

Once you\u2019re enrolled, your college may be able to set you up with premium desktop software for free that combines several functions and otherwise would cost as much as $1,400. Computer software including Wynn<\/a>($199-$595), Kurzweil 3000<\/a>($1,395) and Read&Write\u00a0Gold<\/a>($645) combine study tools, text-to-speech, highlighting, annotation, and more and are among those available at CSU.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Assistive technology services may be offered by varying departments depending on the campus \u2014 including IT or disability support \u2014 said CSU\u2019s Shannon Lavey, who facilitates assistive technology through her institution\u2019s occupational therapy department.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Such technology may be especially helpful to veterans with symptoms of post-traumatic stress or brain injury \u2014 or those who just never liked school to begin with. Here are more suggested technology supports for student veterans according to CSU\u2019s Lavey and Andrew Flint (prices are approximate):<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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An iPad screen shot of Voice Dream Reader ($14.99), a text-to-speech app that reads text on iOS devices aloud.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Photo Credit: Courtesy of Sunshine Sachs<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Reading<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Depending on your situation, three types of apps may help with reading assignments \u2014 text-to-speech, in which your device reads text to you aloud; software that visually displays one word of text at a time; and apps that let you take notes right on documents such as pdfs. (On Mac OS systems, text-to-speech is built in. Here are quick-start guides<\/a>.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n