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%

Some days I get really close to passing, like I'll only be 3 or 2 errors shy of the error limit. This gives me great hope because I see that I'm close! And then there are other days, because I'll drop whole phrases, or misidentify speakers, or mess up on little words, or because I rush through my test, that I'll grade a test at 100 errors! I know, sounds sooo horrible, right?! BUT I try to not let that three-digit error limit depress me. Instead I try to remind myself that I AM getting better, I'm learning from my mistakes, and I just gotta keep going, going, going! One day I'll pass ALL my tests... all the way right up to 225 WPM! I just can't give up! EVER!!! How about you? How do you keep yourself from getting discouraged every time you get a "failed" test? Would love to know your thoughts on stick-to-it-ive-ness... In court reporting school, we definitely have to get used to "rejection" before we get a pass! (And all the court reporting students say, "So true!!!") The court reporting program is sooo different from traditional schools where you have a mid-term, a final, pop quizzes, homework, and everything else that's "normal." Not in court reporting! To do stenography, you have to be NEAR PERFECT... ALL THE TIME!!! So school really kicks your butt because they're preparing you for the real world. That's why there's a huge dropout rate in court reporting schools no matter which school you go to! Not many can stick with it...

BUT for those who CAN STICK TO IT because they CHOOSE TO STICK TO IT, we will reap the rewards of one day becoming professional, licensed SHORTHAND REPORTERS!!! (And all the court reporting students say, "So true!!!")