Background

Hayley did not have a pleasant experience with education despite her interest in learning and broadening her knowledge. Hayley understood that she struggled with reading and writing comprehensively. She knew that she wasn’t as strong in these areas compared to her peers and attempted to get help from her teachers, who did not provide the support she needed.

Only when she decided to return to get her GCSEs at Lincoln College did Hayley finally get the support that she needed which ensured that she got the best out of her educational experience. After taking the digital cognitive assessment as part of her enrollment process at Lincoln College, she had concrete insights into how her brain works and got her confidence back.

Hayley meets Cognassist

The first time Hayley heard about the Cognassist cognitive assessment was when her tutor Cathy told her about it. Cathy was hugely enthusiastic and supportive of Hayley as she went through the assessment process and explained her assessment report.

The assessment report finally helped Hayley understand how her brain worked and why she had struggled so much in certain areas like spelling and reading.

When she had previously tried to reach out to her teachers for help with her English preparation at GCSE level, they told her to “keep trying” and even to take a page out of the dictionary to write it out. This lack of support and guidance meant that she had to learn to develop her own strategies to get by as best as she could.

Unfortunately, she did not pass her GCSEs at that time due to her unsupported difficulties and the struggles she faced with reading and spelling. She gained her level 3 diplomas, but she wanted to return to school and get her GCSEs to be able to truly further her education and obtain a level 5 or higher.

Hayley’s introduction to Cognassist and the encouragement of her tutor ensured that this time her educational experience was filled with the support she had needed many years back.

How Cognassist helped her

Hayley has found that Cognassist has helped her a lot. The assessment helped her give herself a chance to be open and honest with herself. The assessment report was an ‘aha’ moment for her, finally having concrete reasons why she struggled in certain areas and how she could approach learning in a way that worked for her.

It has also given her a more positive outlook towards addressing those problem areas and taking on board the strategies that she receives every month. The learning strategies have proved very useful for not only introducing Hayley to new concepts but also recap existing knowledge, which she finds valuable.

Yet what stands out the most is how she’s more confident in asking for help and is no longer anxious in situations that require group work, writing or giving feedback. Cognassist has immensely improved her confidence and helped her feel more confident expressing herself.

Her recommendation

After being on the Cognassist platform for 12 months, she recommends it to everyone else and has even encouraged her peers to take the opportunity when presented with the assessment. Hayley says that while it’s a little daunting at first not knowing what to expect when beginning the assessment, there’s nothing to worry about at all as it’s quick and easy. She recommends that you are open to the process and what it entails to really reap all the benefits of Cognassist.

The impact

The Cognassist assessment and report have helped Hayley truly understand the areas where she struggles. It has also given her the confidence and tools to advocate for her needs in various situations at work and school.

In her own words, Hayley says:

“It’s made me more determined to try and reach my dream of becoming a nurse. I now know that my brain is a little different, however, I’m still more than capable of doing anything with a little hard work and determination. I just want to say thank you Cognassist.”