Disclaimer: This isn't going to be pretty. This isn't going
to fill you with hopes and dreams. This isn't going to rev you up with fluffy
motivational quotes. But it will be the truth. And in my book, the truth is always
best.
You've decided to attend court reporting school.
Congratulations! Get ready for the most challenging, grueling, tedious,
soul-wrenching, gut-twisting, heartbreaking, head-pounding time of your life,
all from the convenience and comfort of your seat! The same seat that will give
you backaches on long practice days, make you sweat during tests, and probably cause
you to gain more than a few extra pounds. Pick a good one because that seat
will become your most intimate companion for the next two to ten years at
school.
Court reporting school is not for the faint of heart. Your
determination must be akin to that of a firewalker on a hot coal cross-country
trek. Your nerves must be stronger than steel -- nay, stronger than platinum.
Your pocketbook must be well stocked, and your expectations, rock-bottom low.
Do not expect your school to be of any help. No one can help
you. This is one time in your life when you are so completely and utterly alone
that even loved ones and mentors cannot remedy the loneliness. No one will be
able to understand the depth of your despair. You will be the sole person
responsible for your success. And by the way, you may never succeed. The graduation
rate is as low as 2%, and the dropout rate, as high as 90% (www.courreportingfaq.com).
Let that sink in for a moment.
There will be dropouts. You will consider dropping out.
About halfway through the program, when it gets teeth-grindingly difficult, you
will start having fantasies of leaving it all behind and disappearing from the
face of the Earth. Now, you'd think that that would be the point at which you
would need a break to recharge. WRONG! There is no taking breaks from
stenography! That moment is precisely when you need to double-up your efforts,
workload, and all-around dysfunction in order to break through the barrier of
sound, which is a pretty accurate analogy for speedbuilding.
When you start feeling that tendinitis and that restless leg
syndrome, you'll know that you're just getting started. When you are drowning
in debt and so broke that you start rationing your food, you'll start to wonder
why you began court reporting school in the first place. And you should. Keep
that goal in perspective because you will forget it. Write it down, and pin it
up before you inevitably start to think, "Nothing could possibly be worth
this excruciating pain."
You will get caught in soul-sucking debates. To brief or not
to brief? What kind of writer is best? Are some steno theories the subject of
conspiracy theories? Is your school worth the sky-high tuition it charges? How
does one know when to give up? How much guidance should you be getting from
your instructors? Should you homeschool yourself to save money? The atmosphere
in school may be so toxic that you may consider leaving just on account of
that. You may disagree with your school's theory or steno philosophy. You may
think of acquiring different textbooks to get a different perspective. You may
wonder if you can realistically continue practicing by yourself at home.
My advice is this: Do an unreasonably large amount of
research before you begin school. Heck, why not try teaching yourself from a
textbook before you start school to see if you have the talent. Not everybody makes
it, no matter how hard they practice. Read up on practice strategies and steno
theories before you buy your books. Find a theory that you agree and get along with.
After all, you might as well be marrying that theory since it is so hard to
change it once you're committed. Find a machine that suits you. You don't have
to settle for what your school tells you to buy. If you're going to buy student
stuff, buy it used. And while you're at it, keep your stuff in good condition
to allow for resale. That's a lot of money, you know?
You will be given advice from people in the field to never,
ever give up. You'll be told, "Don't worry. You got this;" "This
is the best career in the world," and such. Don't let them fool you.
Evaluate your own situation, and be realistic about it. Self-knowledge is
something only you can acquire. If you cannot pass a speed and it's been months
or years, you may want to reconsider the whole idea of court reporting. This is
harsh but true. I say it because I care. Don't waste your life -- and your
money -- in school.
I remember when a more advanced student once told me,
"Speedbuilding is like hitting your head against a brick wall every time
you pass a test." She was right. There is no satisfaction because there is
always a higher level. The learning never ends. And that is both the beauty and
curse of the paradox of stenography.
One does not simply walk into court reporting school as they
would any other program. This is a world where your best is not good enough and
every successful test is irrelevant compared to your next one. If you can get
out of court reporting school alive, you will be part of a minority that
struggled an uphill battle with themselves. And you will know without a doubt
that you deserve to feel proud of yourself.
