BEST WISHES FOR THOSE TAKING THE CSR EXAM!

Just wanted to wish all who are taking the CSR Exam this coming Friday...

May you relax...

May you breathe...

May you let go and let your fingers fly...

May you not tense up...

May you not repeat in your head...

May you stay on top of the speakers...

May you transcribe with confidence from your notes...

MAY YOU PASS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You can do this!!!  It's all just nerves!!!  Tell yourself that you've come this far... and you WILL pass that 200 4-voice 10-minute test at 97.5% accuracy... AND get that coveted Certified Shorthand Reporter license for California!!!  It's all within your grasp...

For those of us who have yet to take the CSR Exam, here are some helpful links:

CSR Exam Dates: http://www.courtreportersboard.ca.gov/about-us/meeting-calendar.shtml

CSR Dictation Exam Transcripts: http://www.courtreportersboard.ca.gov/applicants/dictation_exam.shtml

CSR Prep Program: http://www.csrprep.com/

Various Exam Prep Resources: http://image2.source4.com/welcome.asp

MY WEEKLY WORDS #3

Sorry I'm late!

Here are the words I will concentrate on this week:


answer the question - AEGS
anything further - NIRT
anywhere - NIR
arrow - RAOR
arrows - RAORZ
at some point - SPOIN
at some point in time - SPOINT
attorney - TOERN
attorneys - TOERNZ
calls for - KAUFLZ
canvas - KWAS
canvassing - KWAFG
canvassed - KWAFD
canvasses - KWAZ
cell phone - SFOEN
cell phones - SFOENZ
cross-examination - KRAUX
cross-examine - KRAUM
deed of trust - DOFT
defense attorney - DOERN
defense attorneys - DOERNZ
entrance - SBRANS
entry - SBRI
execute - SKAOUT
executed - SKAOUD
executes - SKAOUTS
executing - SKAOUGT
explain - KPLAIN
explained - KPLAIND
explaining - KPLAING
explains - KPLAINZ
explanation - KPLAIGS
frequent - FREK
frequented - FREKD
frequenting - FREG
frequently - FREL
frequents - FREKZ
in order - NORD
is it your opinion - STOURP
is it your testimony - ST-RM
is it your understanding - STOURNG
Kleenex - KLAOEX
may I approach - MOEFP
next in order  - NOERD
no idea - N-D
nowhere - N-R
OI - " "(quotes)
origin - AURJ
original - ORJ
originally - OERJ
originals - ORJZ
phone call - FOENK
phone calls - FOENKZ
plaintiff attorney - PLOERN
plaintiff attorneys - PLOERNZ
point of origin - POIJ
rear-view mirror - RFM
rear-view mirrors - RFMZ
recess - RAOES
side-view mirror - SFM
side-view mirrors - SFMZ
somewhere - SM-R
speculate - SPLAIT
speculated - SPLAID
speculates - SPLAITS
speculating - SPLAIGT
speculation - SPLAIGS
speculative - SPLAIF
telephone call - TOENK
telephone calls - TOENKZ
therapy - THAOERP
they were - THERP
transaction - TR-X
transactions - TR-X/Z
yes and no - Y-N
yes or no - YOERN
you may answer - YAOUMS

I'M AT 200 WPM!!!

I am so happy to announce...

that I passed my last 180 test and am officially at 200 WPM!!!!!!!!!!

The last 180 test I had to overcome was Testimony 4-voice at 5 minutes with 97.5% accuracy.  I had ALMOST passed this test last term and then again 1-2 weeks ago... and missed the test by ONE POINT!  I got sooooooooooo mad at myself.  This test kept on eluding me, and I had to buckle down and focus!  I told myself that when I pass this 4-voice test, as my husband encouraged me, it would not be by "luck" but by sheer skill and determination.  I wanted to make sure there would be NO CHANCE of a failed test again.  Thankfully, I missed only 6 errors out of a possible of 23!  PASS!!! :D

It's amazing.  I can finally say I'm at 200 WPM... a place I've wanted to be in for sooooooooooo long!  I have a very good friend of mine at court reporting school.  We had started Theory together at Bryan College and had both found our way to Downey Adult School.  I asked her if she knew the year when we started court reporting school since I had lost track of time.  Gulp, it was 7 years ago that we started our court reporting journey!!!  But NOT to be dismayed.  We both went to school part-time, which everyone knows that going part-time to court reporting school plus working full-time is SUPER HARD to do!  Not impossible, just SUPER HARD!  (That's why, if you have a chance to go full-time to school, TAKE IT!!!)

Admittedly, I did not put school at the forefront of my priorities back then as I do now.  7 years ago I had placed my job, my church, my family, my friends, my social life as NUMBER 1 -- all these were behind my court reporting education.  Stupid girl! :P  Now I know MUCH BETTER!

Now this same friend/classmate and I are at school on a full-time basis for the first time, and we are flying by!!!  And I'm so happy for both our successes... as well as EVERYONE ELSE'S SUCCESS!!!

I don't regret the "wasted years."  I learned a lot.  And I will not feel sorry for myself or think that I am less than the court reporting student who is at 200 WPM and did it in 1 year.  We all come with different sets of circumstances and levels of determination.  I am GLAD for the 7 years behind me... because now it makes me WANT WANT WANT to be a court reporter THAT MUCH MORE!!!  It makes my soon-to-be-accomplished-goal of becoming a licensed court reporter SO, SO, SO MUCH SWEETER!!!  So I don't take it for granted.  I am better because of it!

So going back to the tests...

Thankfully, I've already passed my 190 Congressional test and 180 Jury Charge test.  That means I only need 2 more tests to pass to get into Qualifiers:  200 4-voice test at 5 minutes and 10 minutes.  I will take the RPR before or while in Qualifiers to see if I can get the RPR license, as well as the CSR license, under my belt.

Exciting times!  It's all FINALLY coming together... and I truly believe that GOD's TIMING IS PERFECT!

Haha, thanks for reading my joyful post! :)

MY WEEKLY WORDS #2

Hello!

Hope everyone is having a great weekend!  Remember to...

Here are my Weekly Words #2 that I will concentrate on this week:

1. anybody else - NIBS
2. anyone else - NINS
3. anything else - NELS
4. anything further - NIRT
5. ascertain - SAERN
6. ascertain the - SAERNT
7. assignment - SAOIMT
8. back and forth BORGT
9. best estimate - BEMT
10. beyond the scope - YOEP
11. business address - BAES
12. call your first witness - KWINS
13. call your next witness - KWEX
14. complain - KMPLAIN
15. consult - SKULT
16. crime scene - CRAOEM
17. current address - KRAES
18. did I observe - DIB
19. did you observe - DUB
20. Ed - ED*
21. email –AOEM
22. emailed – AOEMD
23. emailing - AOEMG
24. emails – AOEMZ
25. error - ROR
26. errors - RORZ
27. facsimile - F-MS
28. fair statement - FAIRMT
29. fingerprints - F-PTS
30. first time - FOIT
31. for identification - FOID
32. foreign - FOERN
33. forensic - FRENS
34. forensic evidence - FREFD
35. forensics - FRENZ
36. forgave - FRAEF
37. forget - FERGT
38. forgive - FRIF
39. forgiven - FRIFN
40. forgiveness - FRIFNS
41. forgives - FRIFZ
42. forgiving - FRIFG
43. forgot - FORGT
44. forgotten - FORN
45. handwriting - H-RG
46. handwritten - H-RN
47. he did - ED
48. he observed - EFRBD
49. I beg your pardon - B-RP
50. I can - IK
51. I cannot - YANT
52. I can't - YA
53. I could - IKD
54. I could not - YUNT
55. I couldn't - YU
56. I did - ID
57. I did not - YINT
58. I didn't - YI
59. I do - YO*
60. I do not - YONT
61. I don't - YO
62. I object - IB
63. I object to - IBT
64. I object to the form - JIRM
65. I object to the form of the question - JIRK
66. I observed – IFRBD
67. I offer - OIFR
68. I would say - IDZ
69. I.D. - ID*
70. identification - OIFGS
71. identify - OIF
72. identity - OIT
73. if you would - IFD
74. immaterial - IRM
75. in conjunction - NUNGS
76. in other words - NORDZ
77. in that case - NAIS
78. in the case - NES
79. in this case - NIS
80. intellect - SBLEKT
81. intellectual - SBLAUL
82. irrelevant - IR
83. latent - LAINT
84. latent fingerprints - L-PTS
85. litigation - LIGS
86. marked for identification - M-FD
87. misdemeanor - MOID
88. misdemeanors - MOIDZ
89. misstates the evidence - MEFD
90. misstates the testimony - MEFT
91. motion to strike - MOETS
92. move to strike - MOFT
93. next in order - NORD
94. nothing further - NURG
95. observation - OFGS
96. observe - OBS
97. observed - OBDZ
98. observes - OBZ
99. observing - OFG
100. occupation - OUPS
101. operator - PRAIRT
102. pardon me - PARM
103. phencyclidine - FEN/FEN
104. phone call - FOENK
105. real estate - RAOE
106. real estate agency - RAOEGS
107. real estate agent - RAOEG
108. rear-view mirror - R-FM
109. relate - RAILT
110. relevance - REFS
111. relevancy - RAEFS
112. relevant - REFT
113. resource - RORS
114. resources - RORS
115. second time - SOIT
116. sexual intercourse - SKORS
117. she did - SHED
118. she observed - SHEFRBD
119. shed - SHED*
120. side-view mirror - S-FM
121. state of mind - STAOIND
122. they did - THED
123. they observed - THEFRBD
124. third time - TOIT
125. training and experience - TREX
126. we did - WED
127. we observed - WEFRBD
128. wed - WED*
129. where was - W-RFS
130. within - W-N
131. work address - WAES

MY WEEKLY WORDS #1

I'm going to start posting words/phrases that I want to review each week.  There won't be any set rules on how many words each week I will go through.  Most of these words I do know in the back of my steno brain, but I don't have the strokes 100% memorized.  That's what my goal is by the end of each week: to memorize these words and be able to recall them immediately.  Again, don't fear -- MOST of these words I already do know.  I just need to practice them a little bit more to truly cement them into my cerebral. :)

I'll print my weekly words and highlight the ones that I'm having difficulty recalling throughout the week.  Thus, I will have a focal point when I go through my words and will spend more time on the highlighted words/phrases.

Please feel free to join me! :)

Here is Week #1...

MY WEEKLY WORDS #1

1. about what time - BAOIM
2. acquaintance - KWAINS
3. acquaintances - KWAINZ
4. actual - TUL
5. actually - TWAUL
6. addiction - DIX
7. admitted into evidence - NOEFD
8. after the accident - AEX
9. all the - AULT
10. argue - GAOU
11. argued - GAOUD
12. argues - GAOUZ
13. arguing - GAOUG
14. argumentative - GUF
15. arraign - AIRNG
16. arraigned - AIRNGD
17. arraigning - AIRNG/G
18. arraignment - AIRNMT
19. arraigns - AIRNGZ
20. arrange - AURNG
21. arranged - AURNGD
22. arrangement - AURMT
23. arranges - AURNGZ
24. arranging - AURNG/G
25. at all - TAL
26. author - AUR
27. authored - AURD
28. authoring - AURG
29. authorities - THORTS
30. authority - THORT
31. authorization - THORGS
32. authorize - THORZ
33. authorized - THORDZ
34. authorizes - THORZ/Z
35. authorizing - THORGZ
36. authors - AURZ
37. autopsies - AUPZ
38. autopsy - AUPS
39. awed - AUD
40. babble - BABL
41. back on the record - BR-RD
42. bandana - B-ND
43. baseball - BAIBL
44. basketball - B-BL
45. bathroom - BARM
46. bedroom - B-RM
47. before the accident - BAEX
48. birthday - B-RD
49. carrier - KR-ER
50. cash register - KAJ
51. cash registers - KAJZ
52. communicate - KMAOUK
53. communicated - KMAOUKD
54. communicates - KMAOUKZ
55. communicating - KMAOUG
56. communication - KMAOUX
57. compare - KPAR
58. compared - KPARD
59. compares - KPARZ
60. comparing - KPARG
61. comparison - KPARS
62. conference - KOFRNS
63. conferences - KOFRNZ
64. deteriorate - DRAIT
65. deteriorated - DRAID
66. deteriorates - DRAITS
67. deterioration - DRAIGS
68. do you know - DOUN*
69. do you mean - DAOUM
70. do you recall - DOURL
71. do you recognize - DOURG
72. do you remember - DOURM
73. do you think - DOUNG
74. document - DOUMT
75. documentation - DOUMGS
76. documented - DOUMD
77. documenting - DOUMG
78. documents - DOUMTS
79. down - DOUN
80. driver seat - DRAET
81. driver side - DRAOID
82. driver's license - D-L
83. driver's seat - DRAET*
84. driver's side - DRAOID*
85. during the accident - DAEX
86. during the course of - DROURS
87. effective - AEF
88. effectively - AEFL
89. event - AOENT
90. events - AOENTS
91. household - H-LD
92. households - H-LDZ
93. I am - Y-M
94. I did - ID
95. I do - YO*
96. I do not know - YOEN
97. I do not recall - YOERL
98. I do not remember - YOERM
99. I do not think - YOENG
100. I don't - YO
101. I don't know - YON
102. I don't recall - YORL
103. I don't remember - YORM
104. I don't think - YONG
105. I.D. - ID*
106. immaterial - IRM
107. in any event - NAOENT
108. in evidence - NEFD
109. innefective - NAEF
110. innefectively - NAEFL
111. insurance carrier - SHAOURK
112. is it true - STRAOU
113. isn't it true - SN-R
114. laundry - LAURND
115. may have been - MAIFB
116. meantime - MAOIM
117. mechanism - MEFP
118. medical insurance - MAOURNS
119. no objection - NOEX
120. obtain - AUB
121. obtained - AUBD
122. obtaining - AUB/G 
123. obtains - AUBZ
124. occupant - AUPT
125. odd - OD
126. off the record - AUFD
127. offhand - AUFND
128. opposition - PIGS
129. parking lot - PROT
130. parking lots - PROTS
131. passenger seat - PAET
132. passenger side - PAOID
133. passenger's seat - PAET*
134. passenger's side - PAOID*
135. paycheck - PAIFP
136. permissible - PERBL
137. permission - PERGS
138. permission to - PAOERGS
139. Persian - PERGS*
140. prior to - PRAOIRT
141. priorities - PRORTS
142. priority - PRORT
143. properties - PROPTS
144. property - PROPT
145. purport - PURT
146. purported - PURT/D
147. purporting - PURGT
148. purports - PURTS
149. quarrel - KWOERL
150. quarreled - KWOERLD
151. quarreling - KWOERLG
152. quarrels - KWOERLZ
153. quarter - KWAUR
154. quarterly - KWAURL
155. savings and loan - SLOEN
156. scene of the accident - SNAEX
157. so granted - SGRAND
158. so marked - SMARKD
159. so stipulated - STOIPD
160. tall - TAUL
161. taller - TAURL
162. to my knowledge - TIRJ
163. to the best of my knowledge - TIBS
164. to the best of your knowledge - TOUBS
165. to your knowledge - TURJ
166. what do you mean - WHAUM
167. what time - WHAOIM
168. where was - W-RFS
169. whom - WHAOUM
170. Yes, I am - YAM
171. Yes, I did - YID
172. Yes, I do - YOD
173. you did - UD
174. you do - UD*
175. you mean - YAOUM
176. you're welcome - YURM

KEEP SMILING... STAY POSITIVE

This past week I ALMOST passed my 180 4V test.  I missed it by ONE POINT!  Grr!  I was so bummed.  I did the exact same thing last term: missed the same test by ONE POINT!

My husband encouraged me though saying that he is sort of glad that I didn't pass this test.  He would rather me pass my tests by sheer skill and determination, not from "luck."  He would rather me cut that error rate in half to make sure that there is no scare of a failed test.  He would rather me have more of a buffer to ensure a passed test at 97.5% accuracy.

I see what he means.  Writing at 97.5% accuracy though is NOT easy... but I keep telling myself POSITIVE things like "I'm almost there" and "It's just a matter of time" and "I will pass this test for sure very soon."  Three pieces of advice I keep hearing from working court reporters and court reporting instructors to us court reporting students are:

• You MUST believe you can do this!
• You MUST stay positive!
• You MUST let go of the anxiety in your head and just let your fingers "do their thing!"  (Court reporting is largely a mental skill.)

I'm going to focus on the first adage: YOU MUST BELIEVE YOU CAN DO THIS!  Or as Henry Ford says it:

I wholeheartedly believe in this.  If you don't THINK you can complete the court reporting program, why even be IN the court reporting program???  BELIEF is Principle #1 to SUCCESS.  Why start if you don't believe you can finish???  You HAVE TO believe you CAN and WILL finish... and finish WELL! 

In closing, I DO BELIEVE that I will pass my 180 4V test soon.  I will WORK HARD to make sure that happens in the next few days, and I will continue to keep a POSITIVE ATTITUDE all along the way... even when I miss a test by only one point!  I will smile instead and think, "WOW!  I'm so close to passing this test!  It'll be soon for sure!"

I'll look at the bright side instead of getting bogged down with defeat since being depressed doesn't do me any good.  I'll get "mad" instead and work harder and smarter until I can happily announce that I've officially graduated from the 180 WPM speed level and entered the wonderful, challenging, and almost-done-with-court-reporting-school speed level of TWO HUNDRED WORDS PER MINUTE!!!