Student starting out

[Amanda Rogers]

Does anyone have tips, suggestions, comments, or stories about court reporting? I am looking into reporting and wanting to be the best educated I can be before starting classes in Januray.

[Amanda Rogers]

Can I ask how many hours you work and what your anual salray is based off of that? Also what certifications do you ahve, and how long did it take in school to finish. Thanks so much this CSR nation is so great!

[Jaime Stepp]

Hi Jeanese,
I am interested in becoming a court reporter. I have no idea how to start, what to expect, pay scale (real world advice), job demand, what type of school to look for.

I currently live in Florida but after I am done studdying here plan on moving back to San Diego, California. Is this something I can train for here and also work there?

Are there any national test or state test that I will need to take? I am beyond clueless and looking for any advice anyone can give me.

Thank you so very much! Jaime

[Glen Warner]

Hi, Amanda.

The one thing I would recommend is memorizing the steno keyboard.

Yes, your school will probably either give you a chart or have one in front of the class, but it's much better to memorize the keyboard than to keep looking at that chart.

One way to help memorize which keys are where would be to make a sentence out of the keys your left hand hits, and another sentence for the keys the right hand hits.

Once you've got those sentences in your head, when you lie down to go to sleep at night, picture the keyboard in your mind's eye, and recite those sentences. Visualize each key lighting up as you say the word that represents that key.

After about a week of that, you won't be making any fingering errors on those first few theory lessons!

Good luck in school.

--gdw
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"For a Good (steno) Time ...."
http://www.cheapandsleazy.net

[Kimberly Spangler]

Hi Amanda -

How exciting! You're starting classes in January - good for you. Reporting is a great career!!! I've been reporting since 1984 or 1985 (i can't remember) and I love it. There are SO MANY options open to you within the field of reporting that your opportunities will be varied and many.

I think the most important thing to know before entering school is that you will really, really, REALLY need to have the drive and motivation to STICK WITH IT. Reporting school is tough, especially in the upper speeds, and it takes a lot of "grit" to hang in there, dig in your heels, and keep on going. But it's so worth it if you do. Personally, I quit school twice and changed to a second school - all in the 200 speeds - because I was stuck and couldn't seem to finish. Thank God, I did go back for a third try and finished.......I've never looked back.

Reporting is the kind of profession that can be full time, part time, per diem reporting or official reporting. There are opportunities for CART and closed captioning, as well as many other opportunities. One thing I do recommend is that when you get into it focus on becoming real time proficient - that's the only way to go for a working reporter these days!

Reporting brings you into contact with a lot of different types of people from all walks of life - professionals in every occupation, gang members to law enforcement, and everything in between. You have the chance to learn something new every day - literally - whether it's how to appraise a piece of land or how to dust for fingerprints and the chemicals needed to process a print, or even what an eight-ball of crack cocaine is and how it's measured!

Know before starting classes that it's going to take a lot of hard work, but mostly determination, to finish. But when you do you will be rewarded with a wonderfully diversified career that is very fulfilling, both emotionally and financially!

Best of luck to you!

Kimberly

[Amanda Rogers]

thanks so much for the inout on this! I am very excited to get started! I will let you know if I need any more help!

[Jaime Stepp]

Hi Kimberly,

I am interested in becoming a court reporter. I have no idea how to start, what to expect, pay scale (real world advice), job demand, what type of school to look for.

I currently live in Florida but after I am done studdying here plan on moving back to San Diego, California. Is this something I can train for here and also work there?

Are there any national test or state test that I will need to take? I am beyond clueless and looking for any advice anyone can give me.

Thank you so very much! Jaime

[Angela McPherson]

I have to say that I agree with Virginia. Focusing mainly on learning the machine is the hardest thing about the program. I am a year in already and I still sometimes get my fingers confused!!

I did it backwards. I doubled up on some academic classes in the beginning to get them out of the way. Boy, I wish I would have just saved those til the end. But, I can't go back. I also have to say that briefs will come later. Don't worry about those right away. Learn how to type EVERYTHING out word for word. Then, when you get to the speed levels, the briefs will be much easier to learn. Hope this helps!

[Glen Warner]

Hi, Angela.

Hate to disagree with you on this one, but I must.

First, check out this one:

http://tinyurl.com/567e98

That is Stephen Shastay's Magic Drill. He uses that to teach students two things:

(1) How to drop without losing the next couple of words, and

(2) How to stroke basic phrases.

Does it work, you ask? Check here:

http://tinyurl.com/6jour7

Amanda, will you be using a laptop and a realtime-capable writer in school? If so, you will be able to search your theory dictionary for those phrases mentioned in the first link up there ... which, I would recommend learning at about lesson 10 (unless, of course, you're learning Stenomaster ... in which case, you'll probably know when!).

Hope I haven't caused you any headaches ...!

--gdw
----------------------------------
"For a Good (steno) Time ...."
http://www.cheapandsleazy.net

[Amanda Rogers]

I am so new to this I dont know what realtime capable writer and Stenomaster mean?

[Glen Warner]

Hi, Amanda.

Looks like I did cause you a headache! Sorry about that.

Stenomaster is a relatively new theory from Mark Kislingbury, who holds the world record for steno speed, at (if I recall correctly) 360 wpm.

A realtime-capable writer is a writer that you can connect to your laptop, on which you have some CAT ("Computer Aided Translation") software on, which translates your strokes from steno into English, thanks to the computer version of your theory's dictionary.

It's probably too early in your training to mention this, but on my (cheap and sleazy) website is an article on how to buy laptops, writers, and CAT software -- without spending $10,000 in the process. You can read that here:

http://www.cheapandsleazy.net/goodstuff.html

Be careful, though -- you can easily lose two hours looking at all the stuff on ol' Cheap and Sleazy!

--gdw
---------------------------------
"For a Good (steno) Time ...."
http://www.cheapandsleazy.net

[Peppina Rayna Harlow]

STOP everything!!

Go to NCRA (National Shorthand Reporters Association) website NOW.

Sign up for the fantastic new program indicated on the home page. That will teach you everything you need to know. It is an intensified course that has been developed to make you into the BEST reporter possible in the shortest amount of time developed by the people who have done the research that may make it possible. You would be the first class in this new endeavor. One of the requirements I saw on the website is that you have taken no previous classes, probably so you have no bad habits to undo!
I know they are still combing the country for the best candidates possible, and what better candidate than someone already signed on to this forum and doing the research! You've got the right stuff!!
Good luck. You will love your new career!

[Jaime Stepp]

Peppina,
Hi, I read your post and went tot the NCRA website and could not seem to find the new program you are referring to.

I am looking at schools now to go to for court reporting. Everything is new to me. Is this a coarse that I would take instead of school, after or during? Considering that you said the requirements would be no prev classes would me no. I would be the perfect candidate for this.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated! Thank you! Jaime