Anyway...
July 30, 2009
LAST DAY OF SUMMER SESSION
Anyway...
July 29, 2009
TODAY WAS A GOOD STENO DAY!
Today was definitely a good steno day... totally making up for my really bad steno day just yesterday! HOORAY! :)
Here's the recap:
- I woke up at 6:00 a.m.
- I went to the gym and did some cardio.
- I went to class and sat in on the lower speeds -- Jury Charge at 120 all the way down to 80 wpm.
- I went to Yogurtland (my favorite!) and wrote down several of my briefs just so I can see them in front of me.
- I went home for a break. I needed a change in scenery. I took a nap.
- I went back to class tonight all refreshed and ready! I sat in on a push speed -- Testimony at 200 wpm... and then I sat in for my actual class -- Literary and Testimony at 160 wpm.
And now the best news of this good steno day...
You know, though... even if I don't pass this test, I know for sure I'm so close to it... it's literally within my reach! And that truly is enough encouragement already! To pass this test, though, ('cause I won't lie!) would be SUPER SWEET!!! :)
July 28, 2009
A BREAKDOWN MOMENT
July 27, 2009
PRACTICE, PRACTICE, AND MORE PRACTICE
By Carolee Freer
JOURNAL OF COURT REPORTING JUNE 2003 p. 30
Practice makes perfect - or so they say. After teaching court reporting for over 20 years, I have again returned to the genesis of all court reporting programs: theory. Believe me when I say it was not an easy decision to go back once again to the very beginning and resume instruction in court reporting theory. But all of my dreams and expectations for this crop of theory students are materializing. They are bright, quick, and eager to learn. Although I teach other classes, my focus on ensuring success for my group overshadows many of my thoughts during waking hours. After having taught high-speed classes for many years, I was reminded by my theory students that those same perplexing questions about practice are on their minds, too: What should I practice? How long should I practice? When should I practice? That's when I decided to go back up the ladder of success to my high-speed students and ask them what had worked best for them in their practice regimen so that I could share this invaluable information with the theory students. Their answers to my question "What is your best practice tip?" follow: 1. Practice at least one hour every day. 2. Transcribe your notes at least three times a week. This helps you to know and understand what you are really writing and what you are not writing. 3. Read back your notes and circle problem areas. 4. Write problem words on 3x5 cards and practice repeatedly until you have mastered the word. 5. Practice in a comfortable environment with tapes, reference material, books, and a dictionary at your fingertips. 6. Review theory outlines. 7. Analyze your typed transcripts for drops, fingering errors, and mistranslates. 8. Warm up before every class and be prepared. 9. Practice slower material for control and accuracy. 10. Type up your tests as frequently as possible. 11. Practice a speed tape until you can write it smoothly with control and accuracy. 12. Use brief forms and phrases only if you feel comfortable using them. 13. Practice to your favorite television show if it is within your speed range. 14. Use hard copy to build your dictionary and to write unusual words and phrases. 15. Practice for short spurts on football and basketball games. This provides excellent practice for numbers and fingering dexterity. 16. Practice with a metronome on hard copy sentence drills. 17. Practice to court TV programs for multivoice experience. 18. Practice briefs and phrases and try to write without hesitation. 19. Practice multivoice videos and tapes. 20. In a notebook, write down the words that cause problems and review them daily. 21. Go to a trail speed class to clean up your notes. 22. Go to class every day. 23. Read everything to increase your vocabulary. Improved vocabulary helps on the machine when you are taking difficult material. 24. Set up a practice schedule with a wide variety of material and stick to it. 25. Don't make excuses. 26. Practice consonant compounds and difficult fingering. 27. Practice finger drills and finger strengthening exercises. 28. Focus your energies on attainable practice goals. 29. Relax and write. 30. Practice little words. 31. Keep track of your progress. To tell you the truth, I could not have said it better. Thanks a lot, Cypress College students. Your success is well deserved! Carolee Freer,CRI, is from Cypress,California, and editor of CASElines.
Click here to read "Practice Hints on How to Be a Successful Reporting Student" -- compiled by Kay Smith, taken from CASElines, Issue 2, 2006.
July 26, 2009
300-PLUS SUBSCRIBERS!
It's official! Today marks 316 subscribers (readers) of Steno Nerd! Wow! You guys are awesome! Thank you, thank you, thank you! :)
This blog is truly a joy for me to put together for you! I started Steno Nerd because I love to blog/write, I want to be of help to other court reporting students (I hope I have been so far!), and I want to chronicle my own journey of transitioning from a court reporting student into a certified shorthand reporter. Are you having as much fun as I am? Hope so!
I started Steno Nerd on June 18, 2009, so it's been up and running for about a month and one week now. I'm really humbled by the outpouring of readers, and your readership loyalty really makes me want to always bring you quality content, honest opinions, and a fun online steno community where we can interact.
So thanks again, Everyone! Cheers! Here's to many more blog posts and new subscribers to come! :)
MY SUMMER PLANS
This coming week will be the last week of the Summer Session at Tri-Community Adult Education Center. Friday, July 31, 2009 will mark the official first day of Summer Vacation! We go back to school on Tuesday, September 8, 2009. I'll still be working my regular hours at the law office, though, which is 26 hours a week. (I'm a part-time Legal Assistant and full-time Steno Nerd!)
I won't stay idle during my Summer Vacation, though... HARDLY! :p
July 25, 2009
FUNNY STUFF
Q: What is your date of birth? A: July fifteenth. Q: What year? A: Every year.
Q: What gear were you in at the moment of the impact? A: Gucci sweats and Reeboks.
Q: This myasthenia gravis, does it affect your memory at all? A: Yes. Q: And in what ways does it affect your memory? A: I forget. Q: You forget. Can you give us an example of something that you've forgotten?
Q: How old is your son, the one living with you? A: Thirty-eight or thirty-five, I can't remember which. Q: How long has he lived with you? A: Forty-five years.
Q: What was the first thing your husband said to you when he woke that morning? A: He said, "Where am I, Cathy?" Q: And why did that upset you? A: My name is Susan.
Q: And where was the location of the accident? A: Approximately milepost 499. Q: And where is milepost 499? A: Probably between milepost 498 and 500.
Q: Sir, what is your IQ? A: Well, I can see pretty well, I think.
Q: Did you blow your horn or anything? A: After the accident? Q: Before the accident. A: Sure, I played for ten years. I even went to school for it.
Q: Do you know if your daughter has ever been involved in voodoo or the occult? A: We both do. Q: Voodoo? A: We do. Q: You do? A: Yes, voodoo.
Q: Trooper, when you stopped the defendant, were your red and blue lights flashing? A: Yes. Q: Did the defendant say anything when she got out of her car? A: Yes, sir. Q: What did she say? A: What disco am I at?
Q: Now doctor, isn't it true that when a person dies in his sleep, he doesn't know about it until the next morning?
Q: The youngest son, the twenty-year old, how old is he?
Q: Were you present when your picture was taken?
Q: So the date of conception (of the baby) was August eighth? A: Yes. Q: And what were you doing at that time?
Q: She had three children, right? A: Yes. Q: How many were boys? A: None. Q: Were there any girls?
Q: You say the stairs went down to the basement? A: Yes. Q: And these stairs, did they go up also?
Q: How was your first marriage terminated? A: By death. Q: And by whose death was it terminated?
Q: Can you describe the individual? A: He was about medium height and had a beard. Q: Was this a male, or a female?
Q: Is your appearance here this morning pursuant to a deposition notice which I sent to your attorney? A: No, this is how I dress when I go to work.
Q: Doctor, how many autopsies have you performed on dead people? A: All my autopsies are performed on dead people.
Q: All your responses must be oral, OK? What school did you go to? A: Oral.
Q: Do you recall the time that you examined the body? A: The autopsy started around 8:30 p.m. Q: And Mr. Dennington was dead at the time? A: No, he was sitting on the table wondering why I was doing an autopsy.
Q: Are you qualified to give a urine sample?
Q: Doctor, before you performed the autopsy, did you check for a pulse? A: No. Q: Did you check for blood pressure? A: No. Q: Did you check for breathing? A: No. Q: So, then it is possible that the patient was alive when you began the autopsy? A: No. Q: How can you be so sure, Doctor? A: Because his brain was sitting on my desk in a jar. Q: But could the patient have still been alive nevertheless? A: Yes, it is possible that he could have been alive and practicing law somewhere.
Q&A taken from Avolites Online: Jokes, Cartoons & Funny Stories
Cartoons taken from Stu's Views: Law & Lawyer Cartoons
July 23, 2009
TIMING YOUR PRACTICE SESSIONS
- Writing at a faster speed: 20 minutes
- Writing at your goal speed: 20 minutes
- Learning new briefs: 20 minutes
I found a great free tool online that we court reporting students can use to countdown our 20 minutes sessions. The website is Online-Stopwatch.com. They have different kinds of stopwatches with different designs and different functions -- ALL FOR FREE! Click here for their varied list of stopwatches to download them today! I personally like their classic "Countdown Timer" myself, which is the 2nd item on their list of downloadable gadgets. I use this both on my desktop and laptop when I'm studying on my machine. But this online stopwatch is an awesome tool to not track just your studying sessions, but ANYTHING really! It's a great way to keep you in check if you want to time yourself -- 20 minutes on CSR Nation, 20 minutes on Steno Nerd, 20 minutes on NCRA, etc.
Hope this helps! If you have any other time-saving tips for studying efficiently for your fellow court reporting students, please don't hesitate to share in the comments section below! We'd all love to hear from you! And as always, THANK YOU for reading Steno Nerd! ;)
July 22, 2009
I PASSED MY 160 JURY CHARGE TEST
July 20, 2009
I PASSED MY 160 LIT TEST
After 160 is 180... after 180 is 200... after 200 is 225... after 225 is Qualifiers... after Qualifiers is the State Test... after I pass the State Test, I''ll officially be a CERTIFIED SHORTHAND REPORTER!!!
It's getting closer and closer... I can actually see the light at the end of this tunnel! I'm shooting for next year, and I think I can do it! With GOD's help and my total commitment, I can do this! ;D
July 19, 2009
THE IMPORTANCE OF A HOME OFFICE
It's very important that we court reporting students (or licensed shorthand reporters -- you too, of course!) have a designated place where we can practice for hours on our steno machine, learn new briefs, scope our transcripts... and to do all this (for the most part!) uninterrupted. What do you call this place, you ask? It's called your very own home office!!! :) Do you have one???
For some ideas on how to create the space for your home office, click here. It's from Real Simple's website (which I love!), and the title is "21 Ideas for Organizing Your Home Office." It's a great click-through with awesome pictures to inspire you to have the home office of your dreams that is both beautiful and functional! :)
July 16, 2009
NO MIND
Yesterday I overheard one of our court reporting instructors from Tri-Community tell a student that the reason she wasn't progressing as quickly with her speed is because she was thinking too much. The instructor told my fellow future-CSR-holder that intelligent people tend to over-think and over-analyze things, which is fine... but NOT when it comes to court reporting.
In court reporting, you MUST clear your mind, so you can focus all your attention on making sure you hear everything, write it all verbatim on your steno machine, and do this nearly perfectly ALL THE TIME! Therefore, you CANNOT be thinking any such thoughts like...
- what happened earlier in your day.
- what you're going to do later in the day.
- what that unknown word that the expert witness just spouted means.
- why that attorney is being so cocky.
- and on and on and on...
July 15, 2009
HOW TO STUDY WHEN YOU DON'T HAVE TIME
How does one effectively and efficiently study stenography when you simply do not have enough time? I've been trying to answer this very question myself for a while now, and I think I've finally come upon the best formula. It certainly works for me, so maybe it will hopefully work with you, too!
I can't take credit at all, though, for this "formula." I give that to Trevor, a member of CSR Nation and a fellow court reporting student.
(By the way, if you haven't joined CSR Nation yet, you're really missing out on SO MUCH! I liken CSR Nation as THE authoritative social networking site for court reporters, scopists, proofreaders, etc. See my previous blog post about CSR Nation being the Facebook for court reporters by clicking here. Click here to join today! It's FREE!)
Trevor is in his final stretch of the court reporting program, and he is to be CONGRATULATED!!!
... which I did (congratulate him, that is)
- Writing at a faster speed: 20 minutes
- Writing at your goal speed: 20 minutes
- Learning new briefs: 20 minutes
I tried out this same formula today, and I found such an improvement with my writing! It also helped me mentally to break down a full hour into 20 minute increments. I didn't feel overwhelmed when I thought of a full hour (I have a short attention span!). I was able to stay focused at the task at hand -- doing my best for each 20 minute drill -- instead of getting fidgety and bored because I "had to" finish a full hour. 20 minutes a take is so doable, and I loved the transitioning from one steno discipline to the next-- from writing at a faster speed, writing at your goal speed, and learning new briefs. I need a little variety to keep me interested and focused, especially in practicing, which is the foundation of how you build up to 225 WPM!
July 14, 2009
STICKING TO IT
I just graded my Jury Charge (AKA Jury Instruction) test at 160 WPM. I marked 9 wrong. The error limit to pass is 12. Hopefully, my teacher doesn't catch any more mistakes, and this is a real, legitimate pass! If so, I would then be 1 of 3. Thus, my next two tests to kill would be Testimony (AKA Q&A) and Literary (AKA Straight Matter). Keep your fingers crossed for me!!! :D
I've been consistently transcribing my tests, even though I know the majority of them couldn't possibly be passes. It doesn't matter. I faithfully type my steno notes onto my Dell laptop, so I can see my errors firsthand: I see where I shadow, I see where I overlap, I see how I stroke words, etc. It's very useful!!!
From what I know, court reporting teachers always encourage their students to transcribe. They say, though, that the ratio between writing on your steno machine and transcribing (which is also working on your dictionary), looks something like this:
- Steno Machine - 80%
- Transcribing (Dictionary Building) - 20%




