Qualifiers

So it's been almost 3 weeks since I've passed my 200 4-v and now officially in qualifiers. It still doesn't feel real. I've been at this point before where I'm excited thinking I can get done with school by a certain time, but then still have the feeling that it's a little too far out of my reach. I know, it's ridiculous to think since I'm in qualifiers. I just really want to be able to pass the qualifier by May so that way I can take the next state test in June.

I'm also on Winter break right now which is from Dec. 16 - Jan 17. A WHOLE month. Ugh. I hate it because when left up to me to discipline myself to practice, it's so easy to do other things and get distracted, especially around the holiday times when you want to hang with friends and family. Over the break I've practiced 5 days. Man, I'm so behind. I really need to give myself a kick in the butt and stop being so lazy.

Well, anyway, this post wasn't to just complain about myself being so lazy. It was basically just to document and update the people who read this that I am now in qualifiers, and I really really think I can pass this qualifier for the next test in June! I just need to stick with the practicing. :)

Hope you all are doing well.

Don't give up // ENCOURAGEMENT

Today I was looking through some saved e-mails I had, and I came across an e-mail that was 2 years old I had sent to one of my former steno teachers from my online court reporting days at Bryan College. In the e-mail, I was asking her a few questions about how to practice, and I will directly quote what I also said in the e-mail: "It seems like I'm never going to be able to pass these stupid 120 literary tests that always have a ton of multi-syllabic words in them that always trip me up." This made me smile. This made me laugh. HA! 120! I'm at 200/225 right now, and I thought 120 was hard?! It just goes to show you that no matter how hard it seems to you at the time, you will ALWAYS get through the next speed if you just keep at it and keep practicing. No speed is impossible no matter how much you believe it at the time. You WILL progress, and you WILL pass those speed tests if you don't give up.

Anytime in the future that I have this same mentality of, oh, I'll never pass this speed. It's too hard, I will always refer back to this e-mail. I felt so happy knowing that I DID progress even though I thought it was impossible at the time. That's how it is with every speed. Just practice 10-15wpm higher than your goal speed, and then your goal speed will sound slower. Just keep practicing that way and you will break through the speed. Also, don't forget to end every practice session with a lower speed than your goal - if not to clean up your notes, but to also feel a lot better and end your practice session on a great note.

Another bit of advice that I have found out during my steno schooling: When you're in a high enough speed to where you can go out and do intern court and depo hours, do it! Go beyond the hours you need to get a better sense of what the real world will sound like, because it is NOT even close to how it is in school. People never talk at a consistent speed, and I still find myself getting a little upset about taking down how people normally talk because my brain can't switch gears that fast sometimes. We've only been trained to write down the same sustained speed. I'm working on it, though. I'm practicing more by writing on my machine to the TV shows or news reports. The news is really great because they usually talk pretty fast. Also, HLN is a great TV station too because they will show actual trials. I've also looked up some depositions on YouTube which are still pretty challenging to me, but I KNOW I will get better at it! (I just need to constantly refer back to that e-mail I sent my teacher.) :)

Oh, and I also find that when I go and do court hours, it just gets me pumped and ready to get out of school that much quicker because I enjoy it immensely. I can't wait to be starting a job that I'm going to love and get extreme fulfillment and satisfaction from. So if you're ever feeling like quitting or you hit a wall in speeds, just go do some court or depo hours and get that excitement again. It always helps me.

On the ball

So I've been really proud of myself lately. Just last week, we had a week off from school before the new Fall semester started on the 22nd. I practiced every day! I never do that. Partly is because I've been having Skype practice sessions with a few of my Twitter court reporting buddies which I LOVE and can't believe I didn't do this sooner! I love being accountable to be there at a certain time and being "forced" to write, even if I don't want to.

Also, in the past couple of days, I've been practicing an hour and a half on top of going to school. Today was the only day that I just did the 45 min. Skype practice session. I was kind of feeling burned out today (and my writing hasn't been so great today), so I gave myself a break. I think it's good to take breaks when you really are feeling like you want to throw your machine out the window. Give yourself a break, and then hop back on the horse the next day. :)

Well, this is going to be a short entry. I mainly just wanted to make a quick little blog post because I wanted to share this wonderful article that I found about tips for being a new court reporter.


Click HERE for the article. (The post I'm referring to is dated 8/25/11)

Funny Video!!

I love this video. Soo funny!

Oh, the Memories

On a boring summer day in July of 2008, I was just surfing the internet, and happened to stumble upon an article on Yahoo about surprising jobs that have the potential to make $100,000. I saw court reporting on there, did a little research, and the rest is history. :)

This article brought back so many memories! Made me smile to realize that 3 years later, I'm still loving it, and I'm so excited to almost be done with school. I'm so blessed to know that I'm going to be doing something that I absolutely love and have a passion for, and I will also be making good money along the way.

Here is the article:
Five Surprising $100K Jobs That Don't Require a Degree

How did your journey in court reporting start? :)

-Alyson

Whether or not to Interrupt

Found a great article on one of the things that I'm already stressing over! Made me feel a little better, though. :)

To Interrupt or not to Interrupt, that is the question

-Alyson

Practice

Today I was feeling motivated to do some steno practice, so I did some! I wanted something interesting, though, so I practiced to A&E's documentary of Richard Ramirez, the Night Stalker. It was a really good push because the narrator talked at a pretty quick speed. That lasted about 40 minutes, so it was good practice.

I have also decided that every day that I'm at school, since I get there about 20 minutes early, I am going to make use of that time and practice briefs. Try to memorize at least 15 or more a day. So that would be 20 minutes before school even starts, and then 5 minutes before each new period begins that I could be memorizing briefs.. totalling about 30 minutes a day. Hopefully this will help me to get these faster speeds down since I only need to pass 2 more tests to officially be done with school!! The light at the end of the tunnel is getting brighter. I believe that, realistically, I will probably be ready to take the next CSR exam in February 2012, since you have to apply and pay for the exam at least one month before you take it.

Here is a list of briefs that I was memorizing today:

Evidentiary = EVRD
Repudiate = PAOU
Repudiation = PAOUGS
Constituded = TAOUT/D
Constitute = TAOUT
Abritrate = ARB
Arbitration = AERBGS
Substantive = STIV
Kidnap = KIP
Consent = SKENT
Demonstrate = DRAEUT
Boulevard = BL-FD
Knowingly = NOELG

XO, Aly