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

YAY!!

Hi, everyone!

Hope you are all doing well. :) I sure am. Today I passed my 180 4-voice!! I corrected it, and I was able to have 3 more errors and still pass. So that meant that a teacher would have to grade my test as well to double check how I corrected it, and to mark me off for any punctuation errors.

Seeing as I only had 3 more errors I could get, I pretty much just accepted the fact that I was not going to pass this one. I made the mistake of doing that a couple months ago with another 180 4-voice. I had like 15 more errors I could get, and I went beyond that just with punctuation errors alone! It was a hard test to punctuate because it had run-on sentences, fragments, you name it.

Anyway, so I waited for the teacher to grade my test, and he told me I passed!! I was sooo excited! He was, like, "Yeah, your punctuation was great. You don't have a problem with that." That made me feel great. :)

So now I need to focus on getting a 200 4-voice or a 225 Q/A. Then I will only need to pass the qualifier before I take the state test! I'm hoping I can take the next CSR test in February 2012. Fingers crossed.

XO, Aly

Feeling motivated

Most of the time I find it hard to get motivated to practice at home after a day of schooling, and always a little harder on the weekends. My excuse for during the weekdays when I have school, is that I'm mentally exhausted, and also my hand muscles feel strained because of the 225 - 240wpm sustained Q/A or even literary material during 2 out of the 3 periods of my school. I know I need to hear speeds that fast because I need to train my brain to listen that quickly and then transfer what they're saying to my fingers instantaneously, but I feel that sometimes my fingers are so out of control that I'm just slapping random keys and if I had my realtime plugged in, only about 2% of the words would come out correctly. I feel like that is just hindering my writing because my fingers are not learning the correct strokes, they're just going everywhere.

One of the things that motivates me a little more to practice is if I practice to something interesting to me. It's so refreshing to be able to just practice to something interesting when all day at school I'm hearing jury charge after jury charge, and I can pretty much recite those word for word now. And one of my teachers likes to torture us -- I'm pretty sure -- because she will sometimes decide to read us zoning regulations or estate planning at excess speeds of 200+. I just want to shoot myself to put me out of my misery! lol

So today, I asked my mom if she would be able to read me some short stories out of Readers Digest. Side Note: The teacher that likes to torture us sometimes breaks up the monotony with stories out of there so she redeems herself with that. :) But anway, so I had my mom read the short story once, slow, and then a second time fast. Her fast speed was probably about 200wpm which is good. :) She read to me for about 40 minutes because she had other errands to do today. It was a good little practice, and then for about 30 minutes after that I put briefs in my dicionary. I want my realtime to look amazing!!

That's what I practiced for today. :) I know it's not much, but it's better than none at all. I need to start getting ready for the day as well because I'm going to a BBQ with all my friends for a pre-4th of July party. Hope you all have a fabulous weekend!

XO, Aly

Court Reporting Article

Hi, all!

I found a really cool court reporting article that I would like to share with you. Check it out here! :)

Hope you are all doing great and keeping out of the heat!

XoXo, Aly

Good morning!

Good morning, everyone!

Just woke up a little while ago. Today my speedbuilding classes were canceled because we were short a couple of the readers. So I guess that means it's up to me to not be lazy and jump on my machine to get a little practice time in! Thinking about practicing to some 180-200 4-voice DVD's, and then some 225 Jury Charge.

Tomorrow is also the CSR test in Los Angeles, so congrats to everyone who has gotten to that point, and good luck! I actually went to the CSR in Los Angeles this past March with some girls from my school (we're all at the same speed.) Of course, this was only for practice and to see how the set up was. I encourage everyone to go and check it out! I didn't actually take the CSR, but every time they do have the CSR, they always have practice sessions the night before and the morning of the test. These practice sessions are great! And that's what the girls and I did from my school.

On another note, I was on YouTube this morning, and I'm subscribed to Mark Kislingbury's videos. (In case someone doesn't know who he is, he holds the award for the fastest writer at 360wpm!) His name is 'magumsteno' in case you would like to subscribe as well. Here is one of his videos that was intriguing to me:



I was taught StenEd Theory and I've always been trying to shorten my writing; however, he shortens his to such an extent that I do not know how he memorizes all those 3 or 4 word phrases! To me it just sounds like it would be difficult to memorize those all, especially if you do not hear them very often. I also don't know how easy it would be for me to try to read all these one-word strokes that I have in my notes. For now, I am just trying to find briefs for words that I am having to do 3 or 4 strokes on. I believe that will help me with my speed. Thoughts?

XO, Aly

It's been a while

Hey, all!

Not too sure how many will still check out my blog since I haven't posted in, like, half a year lol.

So update on my school progress.. I am not officially in the 200's yet, but my school allows me to sit up in the higher speed classes because I have passed my 180 Lit and 180 Jury charge. I just haven't passed my 180 4-voice yet. Although a month ago I almost passed a 180 4-voice. I missed it by 3 (and it was all because of punctuation errors) I could have killed myself! I was so mad and disappointed :(

Oh, well though.. I guess the time will come soon enough for me. I just need to keep at it and practice, practice, practice!

Hope everyone is doing well and, if you'd like, please leave me a comment letting me know where you are at in school! :)

XO, Aly

SO HAPPY!!!

Today I FINALLY, FINALLY, FINALLY passed my 160 four-voice test!!! It has been 7 mos in this class so it feels great!!! Not to mention missing the test by 2, and another by only 8 mistakes.

Now I just need to pass my 180 four-voice to be in the 200's!!

Great way to end the semester so I'm happy. :) That was my goal was to pass it before Christmas break.

Hope everyone is doing well!!! :)


-Alyson