ALMOST AT QUALIFIERS!

I am so happy to announce...

that I passed my 200 WPM 4-voice real-time 5-minutes test!  THANK GOD!!!!!!!!!!


                           

So that means I need only ONE MORE TEST to get into Qualifiers... which is the 200 WPM 4-voice test at TEN minutes!  This test, plus the Qualifiers test (which is the exact same test except with a live panel instead of one teacher with the lightboard), is different from all the other tests from the past.  All the other tests leading up to this moment have been a length of FIVE minutes.  Now I need to DOUBLE my stamina and concentration in order to pass this next test and then the Qualifiers.  Easier said than done, but...

                                    

Here's my "Things To Do" before the end of this term, December 16th, at Downey Adult School:

1) Submit my intern hours, both official and freelance
2) Complete my Online Vocabulary Class
3) Pass my 200 4V at 10 minutes test

I met with the Court Reporting Director at my school last week to make sure I'm on track to get into Qualifiers without a hitch.  UNFORTUNATELY, I found out that EVEN if I do pass my 200 4V at 10 minutes test BEFORE the end of this term, I will NOT be able to advance to Qualifiers YET since my Online Vocabulary Class won't be finished until late December. :(

I just checked out the website of the Court Reporters Board of California found here.  The next CSR Exam will be held on February 3, 2012, and the last date of filing is January 4, 2012.  Then it hit me... I realize that I most likely will NOT have the chance to qualify for the February 2012 CSR Exam and will have to wait for the next exam sometime in July 2012.  It sadly makes sense that this is likely the reality I am faced with now... because I for sure will NOT be able to get into Qualifiers this year because of my pending last academic class, Vocab, PLUS our next term starts up in January 3, 2012 with the LAST date of filing for the February 2012 CSR Exam as the very NEXT day following the FIRST day back to school, January 4, 2012. :(

Oh well...

But you know what?!?!  I REFUSE to let this "setback" get me down!!!  I tell my husband that I am SO BLESSED that sometimes I look for any minutiae type of "setback" to complain about! :P What am I going to do instead?!?!  I'm going to practice and work hard and smart to make sure that FOR SURE I WILL qualify well in advance for the July 2012 CSR Exam... AND I'm going to look into taking the RPR Exam as well in 2012!

For my fellow court reporting students, here are some helpful links for you too as you figure out YOUR schedule to the CSR and/or RPR Exams:

Court Reporters Board of California CSR Exam Dates & Locations -- http://www.courtreportersboard.ca.gov/applicants/exam-dates.shtml

NCRA 2012 Exam Schedule for the RPR, RMR, RDR, CBC, CCP and CLVS --
http://www.ncra.org/Certifications/content.cfm?ItemNumber=8594&navItemNumber=11217

"Ways to Get to the CSR Exam" posted by Cerritos College Court Reporting Program
(I don't know exact date of publication of this and if this info is still current) --
http://www.cerritos.edu/vmorgan/Online_Theory_140b_141b/Lectures/L21_140b_ways_to_get_to_the_csr_exam.htm

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! :)

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!!!

PASSED MY LAST JURY CHARGE!

I am so happy to report that I have passed my last Jury Charge for CR school!  It was a 200 WPM Jury Charge!  WOO HOO!

With that being said, I need the following tests to pass in order to graduate from CR school and move forward in taking the RPR and/or CSR exam.  May GOD continue to help me as I continue to work my booty off! :D

Here is my current road map to my final destination as a working licensed court reporter!

• 180 4V at 5 mins
• 200 4V at 5 mins real-time
• 200 4V at 10 mins
• QUALIFIERS - 200 Live 4V at 10 mins

All these tests are at 97.5% accuracy.

===============

I become eligible to take California's CSR exam once I pass our school's Qualifiers, which is the same exact test that the CSR will give -- 200 Live 4V at 10 mins.  

OR I can bypass Qualifiers by first taking and passing the RPR exam (no requirements necessary except your steno speed and registration), and then taking California's CSR exam.

Another option is I can work now as a CART provider and/or broadcast captioner, both of which do NOT require any court reporting licenses.  However, it WOULD be good to have the CCP (Certified CART Provider) and/or CBC (Certified Broadcast Captioner) license, which are given by NCRA.

I want to get as many licenses under my belt as possible.  Right now, aside from my remaining tests at DAS, my focus is on the CSR and the RPR licenses.

===============

The RPR consists of:

• Lit at 180
• JC at 200
• 2V at 225

All these tests are at 95% accuracy.  You are given 75 mins to transcribe each take.

The RPR also includes a WKT of 105 multiple-choice questions with 90 minutes for completion and a passing rate of 70 or better.  It consists of:

• Reporting (48%)
• Transcript Production (44%)
• Operating Practices (4%)
• Professional Issues and Continuing Education (4%)

More info on the RPR can be found HERE.

===============

The CSR consists of:

• 200 Live 4V at 10 mins.  

This test is at 97.5% accuracy.

The CSR also includes a WKT consisting of:

• English
• Professional Practice (Medical, Legal, Codes, etc.)

More info on the CSR can be found HERE.

===============


GLOSSARY
2V - 2-voice
4V - 4-voice
CBC - Certified Broadcast Captioner
CCP - Certified CART Provider
CR - Court Reporting
CSR - Certified Shorthand Reporter
DAS - Downey Adult School
JC - Jury Charge
Lit - Literary
NCRA - National Court Reporters Association
RPR - Registered Professional Reporter
WKT - Written Knowledge Test

===============

Today I transcribed a 180 4V and missed it be NINE POINTS!  It wasn't at 97.5% accuracy, but SURELY it was in the 90% range?!?!  Close... SOOOOOOOO CLOSE!

With my JC test out of the way, my remaining tests are all Testimony at 4V.  So I will focus my practice to writing fast takes and memorizing helpful briefs and phrases.  Be on the lookout for lots and lots of briefs on Steno Nerd!  I've got a lot to learn... and re-learn! :)

TWO PASSED TESTS!

I am so excited to announce that I passed two tests last week -- a 180 WPM Congressional and a 190 WPM Congressional!  Woo hoo!  Thank GOD!  And I thought Congressional takes were my most dreaded takes!  I have NO FURTHER Congressional tests to worry about!  What a relief!  YAY!

I think I know why I might have passed these tests:

-I have been practicing longer and at higher speeds (180 up to 225 WPM).

-I have been practicing hard copy and repeating each sentence 3 times.  If I make any kind of error, I repeat the sentence another 3 times to help ensure accuracy.

-I didn't stress out while taking the tests.  I allowed my fingers to take full control.  I shut down my brain and went into auto pilot.

-I made sure I used up my full 1 hour of transcription time and went over my tests very carefully before turning them in.

-I was generally happy.  I was in high spirits, getting enough rest, and content and proud that I was accomplishing small tasks in my daily to-do list.

I think all the above culminated in my passes.  What are the factors that allow you to pass your tests?

I'M OFFICIALLY AT 180 WPM!

It's confirmed! I passed my last 160 wpm test, a Q&A (Testimony)! I marked 4 wrong out of a total max of 17. I'm officially at 180 wpm!!! ;D WOO HOO!!! THANK GOD!!! And THANK YOU ALL for your well wishes, prayers, hopes, and encouragements that I finish this challenging AND rewarding court reporting program ASAP! I'm inching my way up to 225 wpm! Hopefully, I'll be a working reporter sometime next year! That's the goal! Again... WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!! Hehehe! ;D

LAST DAY OF SUMMER SESSION

Close, but no cigar (yet!).

How was my 160 Testimony test, you ask? (See my previous post, "Today Was a Good Steno Day!") Well, I did what I said I would: I went over my test 1x, 2x, and 3x... and then... dun-dun-dun... I printed it up and graded it. Gulp! I counted 25 errors, and the limit is 17. Maybe there were errors in there that aren't actual errors and are more style preferences. If so, my teacher wouldn't mark them as incorrect. Fingers crossed! But I'm not holding my breath either. I KNOW I got almost all of the words down pat. It's just the transcribing part that messed me up. Like -- - I didn't put quotes around "that" when the attorney said, "So you mean by that as A-1?" - I put too many commas where there shouldn't have been (I guess!). - I misheard little words. I wrote "can" instead of "could" and "yes, yes," instead of "Yes. Yes." These stupid, little errors are what tripped me up... and are what got me so frustrated! When I graded another failed test (so many in the court reporting program before you finally get a PASS at 98% and above accuracy), I called my boyfriend and told him I just wanted a DRINK! Get a little tipsy before going to work, right? Not so smart! :P I was just REALLY BUMMED because I really thought I HAD IT! :( My boyfriend knocked some good sense into me. First, however, he let me vent, which was what I needed... and then he reminded me that it would be better to stay in a speed for a while to KNOW FOR SURE I've mastered that speed and then move on... as opposed to only staying in a speed for two weeks just to have "bragging rights" and to have passed one day because I get "lucky." He's right. I agree. He said that if I'm truly writing at 160 wpm, then when I come back to school in September, I WILL STILL be able to "get it" and be able to pass that last 160 wpm Testimony test in no time! He brought me back to the bigger picture: I'm still progressing very well, and I should be glad for that already. I am... but I'm ALWAYS striving for more, more, more... or in this case, to be faster (on my steno machine) and accurate (on my transcripts). Also, today my classmate told me that all the working reporters she knows, whether they're official or freelance reporters, shared with her that the hardest part about stenography is GETTING THROUGH SCHOOL... not the actual career afterward! She said that the reporters told her that most people don't talk past 225 wpm... and if they do talk too fast, get out of hand by talking over each other, or talk too softly or mumble, you as the court reporter can and should speak up. You as the court reporter must ask the speakers to repeat themselves, speak clearer or louder or whatever... do whatever it takes to get the record! This was comforting news to hear... that supposedly school is harder than the real world for us court reporting students. (If you're a working reporter, would you please share your thoughts. Is this really true, in your opinion?) Anyway...

TOMORROW IS THE FIRST DAY OF SUMMER VACATION FOR ME! WOO HOO!

My five-day forecast (hehehe): - Thursday: School. Work. Laundry. - Friday: Work. Spend time with my boyfriend. - Saturday: Work. Dinner with my family. - Sunday: Church. Study. Spend time with my boyfriend. - Monday: Sit-in with my first court reporter all the way in the Santa Ana court. Bowling at night with friends. Have a great summer, Everyone! Thanks for reading my venting sessions. :) It'll get better, I'm sure! Still, still optimistic! :) (And I seriously love stenography BECAUSE it's so difficult and challenging... it's a hard thing to master!) I'll report right away on how the observation hours go! I'm excited for those! Please stay posted!

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...

I THINK I MIGHT HAVE PASSED MY 160 WPM TESTIMONY TEST!!!

I hope so! I KNOW I got every word down, so now the final hurdle is transcribing it! I started the first half of the test tonight and will finish it off tomorrow morning. I'm going to go over this test very, very carefully... 1x, 2x, even 3x! I'll use every minute of the allotted time. I'll even show up to work a little late if it means giving more consideration to my test. And I really have to! Tomorrow is the last day of school before Summer Vacation. If I pass this 160 Testimony test, then I'll officially be at 180 wpm... and that would also mean that I went through my 160 wpm speed in TWO WEEKS!!! That's crazy! I've never, ever gone through any speed that fast. I honestly would average 3-4 months before I passed out of a speed... but that was before when I wasn't too serious about school (as you read in my previous post, "A Breakdown Moment"). Now I'm in an ALL OR NOTHING kind of mindset... and I'm going to get the "ALL" result because I'm putting in the "ALL" effort into it! 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!!! :)

I PASSED MY 160 JURY CHARGE TEST

It's true! Thank GOD! I also passed my 160 WPM Jury Charge Test! The limit is 12, and I got 9 wrong. This means I need to only pass my Testimony (Q&A) Test at 160 WPM to officially be writing at 180 WPM on my handy-dandy-grandy steno machine! Hehehe! So giddy! So happy! :) It really, really pays to be on CSR Nation! (If you haven't joined yet, you really, really oughta!) Through this awesome networking site for court reporters, I asked some of my online friends if they would share their best Testimony briefs with me. Keith Rowan, II, who is the author of the fabulous "How to Brief -- Philosophy & Practice," kindly shared his 47 pages of 4-voice Testimony brief words and brief phrases with me!

Here are just a few of the first new briefs I'm going to commit to memory to help me write shorter and therefore become faster on my steno machine: to my knowledge TOIJ to my memory TOIRM to the best of my knowledge TBIRJ to the best of your ability TURBLT to the best of your memory TBURM to the best of your recollection TBURX to your attention TURNGS to your knowledge TURJ do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth? DAOUFRT call to the stand KAUND call your first witness KAUFS call your next witness KAUNS any further questions NIFRGS any more questions NIMGS or NIRGS no further NOFR or NOFRT no more questions NOMS off the record OFRK or OFRKD on the record OERKD strike that STRAT please raise your right hand PLAURND or PLAIRND raise your right hand RAURND are you employed RUMD* are you married RUMD did you live DUL do you live DAOUL what is your age WAURJ what is your job WAUB what is your occupation WAURPGS what is your address WAURS what is your WAUR what is your date of birth WAIRT*

where did you live WRUL*

where do you reside WRAOURD

where do you work WRAOURK

BIG THANK YOU TO KEITH!!!

I PASSED MY 160 LIT TEST

I just found out that I passed my 160 WPM Literary test!!! :D

The error limit is 12, I marked 10 wrong, but my teacher found only 10! WOO HOO!!!

I asked my teacher about my 160 WPM Jury Charge test. She didn't have that one in front of her, but she believes that that was a pass as well! I'll know for sure tomorrow morning! Fingers crossed... If I did pass my Jury Charge, that means I'm 2 for 3, and I only now need to pass my 160 WPM Testimony test. Too bad that Testimony is the HARDEST test to pass for me and is always my last passed test. I hesitate with the symbol changes that differentiates speakers, and Testimony just always seems so much faster than straight talk like in Literary or Jury Charge tests. Therefore, I am on a mission to learn as many practical Testimony briefs as I can! Do you know of any? If so, please share! If I pass my Testimony test before Thursday next week, July 30, the last day of school before our Summer Break, then that means I'm done with my 160s and I'm officially at 180! That also means that I will have gotten through the 160 WPM speed in about ONE MONTH! And I never do that! It usually takes me 3-4 months to pass out of a speed group. But I guess I'm much more focused and committed this time around! YAY! And so it's just a matter of time... 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

INSPIRATIONAL PICS

Just wanted to share some inspirational pics for my readers, especially my fellow court reporter students! Most of these pics are taken from the slideshow I have on my CSRnation page. *Add me if you're on there! I'd love to have another friend!* Also, I just posted a poll on my site asking: "How long does it typically take you to pass a speed level?" I answered the 3-4 months time period. At my school, Tri-Community, we have to pass 3 tests before we're bumped up to the next speed level: a Jury Charge, a Literary, and a Testimony. I usually pass my JC first because there's a ton of briefs in there that I already know. Next, is Lit since I strive to write short, write fast. Last, is my dreaded Testimony. I hesitate a lot on the symbols! Grr! Hehehe! Oh well, practice makes... MUCH, MUCH BETTER!!! ;) We'll get there! And now for the pics...

CELEBRATION

Tri-Community Adult Education

I passed my last 140 WPM test, a Testimony, and I am officially in the 160 speed!!! FINALLY!!! That last 140 Testimony was the hardest one I’ve had to pass so far. It was seriously blood, sweat, and tears for that one! That’s why I’m super elated about finally beating it! I was getting so frustrated with myself and the whole process. But i knew that I'd pass one day IF I DIDN'T GIVE UP!!!

THANK YOU, LORD, FOR HELPING ME!!!

I’m so optimistic now! I’d love to pass 1, 2, or even all 3 of my 160 tests before we’re let out for the summer! To be in 180 in 6 weeks seems doable, right?!

WITH GOD'S HELP, I CAN DO THIS!!!

*Special thanks to my man for always believing in me! ;)