I just wanted to write down my preliminary impressions of my RPR 225 test that I've taken -- the second time using the online platform.
It was a full 1.5 months since the last time I took it, all of that time focused on making sure that I had the speed and clean writing, and I can say with absolute confidence that I had those skills in spades! Per my usual impressions, the RPR test was fairly easy: very well read, familiar content, good speed.
What really got me were the nerves! I'd done some visualization exercises as part of my preparation and told myself that I wouldn't so much as bat an eye if the nerves kicked in. I felt pretty calm at the start of my test, my mind was clear, and everything was going well. It's then that I noticed my heart was about pounding out of my chest. My hands were shaking very badly to the degree that they were fitfully dancing over the keys in a bad kind of way. The words kept coming, and I was registering them very clearly in my mind, but then I would remark silently to myself how my I thought I was going to have a heart attack. It was a very interesting disconnected feeling between the calm of my mind and my body, which was freaking out.
There were great stretches that were very clean throughout the test. Whole lines and lines of dialogue without even a misstroke, that's how clean my writing was! However, there was a line or two of just absolute hell, where I couldn't make heads or tails of what I was writing, and had to risk it with a very logically guess lined of gibberish.
I was down to a minute left before I had to upload my transcript, and I'm already a very fast editor, so how does it all fly be? It was just those parts of grueling over the "Is this what I meant to write? What was it supposed to say???" parts. In the end, I got a 93% which I am actually VERY happy with! And for several good reasons:
(1) My previous score was ultimately 89% which means well over 100 errors that time. Not sure how they grade or round up the errors, but this means I got around 79 errors this time. That's a good 30-point improvement!
(2) Speed and accuracy were the least of my problems!
(3) It was a great reminder of how enjoyable and fair and good the RPR tests are!
(4) I still managed to pass the RPR Lit even with the preliminary 93% score, so...if I can just somehow get those additional 22 points I need, I can reach 95%.
I can't even begin to guess right now how it will eventually go, but what matters more than anything is that I know in my heart of hearts that 225 ain't no thang.
I'll write again with what my final score is, hopefully in the next day or two.
Wednesday, December 16, 2015
Monday, November 30, 2015
Professional Software!!
Yay!!
About time I posted something other than test passes. You SHOULD be hearing about one mid-December should all go well. And ooooh it should go well!
Anyhoo! As of this morning, I've purchased my Eclipse professional software! I couldn't resist the Black Friday-Cyber Monday deal! A flat $1K off plus a little $100 student discount.
I have been thinking of getting the professional version ever since I started making my January plans in DC. I think it would be great to have that available just in case, plus I plan on being out there working soon, so the sooner I have the professional version to play around with, the better!
Here's to future transcripts with my own footer and no watermark! Yay!
About time I posted something other than test passes. You SHOULD be hearing about one mid-December should all go well. And ooooh it should go well!
Anyhoo! As of this morning, I've purchased my Eclipse professional software! I couldn't resist the Black Friday-Cyber Monday deal! A flat $1K off plus a little $100 student discount.
I have been thinking of getting the professional version ever since I started making my January plans in DC. I think it would be great to have that available just in case, plus I plan on being out there working soon, so the sooner I have the professional version to play around with, the better!
Here's to future transcripts with my own footer and no watermark! Yay!
Thursday, October 15, 2015
RPR Lit Passed!
Wow!! Just...wow!!
Great news today! I received confirmation that I actually passed my RPR 180 Lit at 95%!
I took it yesterday morning at 9:15 through the RealtimeCoach platform (first time doing it for realz,) and I'd received an estimated score of 93%. I had my fingers only half crossed for an actual, so I was FLOORED to receive the official pass today!
I won't share the content of the test, obviously, but rest assured the content was GENTLE! It was so much nicer than anything I've heard in school, but my only problem was that I...got...
THE SHAKES!!
It started as a tremoring in my heart, started pounding louder and louder in my head, and then the shakes started to snake down my arms to my fingers! Yikes!
I don't know how I got a hold of it in the end, but I recall two just abysmal paragraphs, with everything being so, so solid. So I guess it was a good enough balance. It's so odd. I was so prepared to receive the bad news, that I'm still sort of in half disbelief about this.
Today I tried the 225 QA, and wound up with only a 90% estimated score. Still better than I'd anticipated! And I learned a thing or two to watch out for next time, such as NOT scheduling it when the gardeners come by with their chainsaws (I mean, weed whackers.)
Hopefully you'll hear from me next time with some good news about the 225 QA!
Great news today! I received confirmation that I actually passed my RPR 180 Lit at 95%!
I took it yesterday morning at 9:15 through the RealtimeCoach platform (first time doing it for realz,) and I'd received an estimated score of 93%. I had my fingers only half crossed for an actual, so I was FLOORED to receive the official pass today!
I won't share the content of the test, obviously, but rest assured the content was GENTLE! It was so much nicer than anything I've heard in school, but my only problem was that I...got...
THE SHAKES!!
It started as a tremoring in my heart, started pounding louder and louder in my head, and then the shakes started to snake down my arms to my fingers! Yikes!
I don't know how I got a hold of it in the end, but I recall two just abysmal paragraphs, with everything being so, so solid. So I guess it was a good enough balance. It's so odd. I was so prepared to receive the bad news, that I'm still sort of in half disbelief about this.
Today I tried the 225 QA, and wound up with only a 90% estimated score. Still better than I'd anticipated! And I learned a thing or two to watch out for next time, such as NOT scheduling it when the gardeners come by with their chainsaws (I mean, weed whackers.)
Hopefully you'll hear from me next time with some good news about the 225 QA!
Saturday, September 26, 2015
Teaching the Dictionary Building Class
 |
| "Hello, all you Eclipse Users!" |
I'd mentioned some posts back that I was asked to help teach the Thursday night CAT class with a focus on Realtime and Dictionary Building. Naturally, because I am quite well versed in Eclipse, I was asked to handle that half of the class. The class size of Eclipse users is roughly 15 students in class and another 5-6 who attend remotely.
Even though the position is called "assistant instructor," I've really grabbed this opportunity by the horns and am giving it my all! I've prepared an assortment of Eclipse features and topics that loosely play off the syllabus and have been using lesson plans to teach every week. The teaching format consists of my introducing a topic while showing it on a projector for the class and also sharing my screen for those attending remotely.
Additionally, because I have a tendency to speak like a speed-demon, I create videos on Youtube that summarize the topics discussed in class. A little thanks to Screencast-o-Matic for being a such a great, easy, and free tool!
If you'd like to see my videos, check out my YouTube channel!
It's only been a few weeks, but I just love teaching the class, and I think that some students are getting some real value out of it! At least one student told me that she was actually incorporating my system when it comes to utilizing the preview word glossaries and job dictionaries. That so touched my heart~~
I really have to thank all the other amazing Eclipse users out there for my "power user" status with the program. Steve Kosmata, Jenny Griffin, and of course everyone behind the annual Eclipse convention. That one really is my favorite of all the conventions to attend, and I always learn so much whenever I go.
I believe that utilizing our software to work for us can really save us time, trouble, and money! So here's to exploring the big, beautiful world of Eclipse (or whatever your software may be)!!
180 4-V Passed and...On to Qualifiers!
Oh. My. God.
I can't believe I get to say this, but I am now officially in...
Qualifiers!!!!
I am overjoyed to share that I passed my 180 4-V on September 24, 2015, at a whopping 98.8%!
It was a wonderful test about someone stealing the tortillas! While I was taking it down, there was a moment where I just smiled and thought, "This is the one." Stamina wasn't an issue, the readers were pretty solid -- even with one blooper -- and I didn't let those little words screw me up (thank you, slower dictation practice)! It was sorta surreal, magical, blissful. "Blissful"? Can I really use that word when talking about a test? Yes. Yes, I can.
I was teaching the CAT class that night, too, so I dove right into editing what was a surprisingly clean script to be begin with. I really had to watch out for my KWRAFRPBLGTS strokes because they're supposed to translate to "A: Yes, ma'am," but I guess I haven't defined enough sloppy strokes so it was only coming out as "A: Yes." That was something I had to go over very carefully.
I sent off the PDF to my instructor without even checking it over, and then corrected it myself that same night. I came out of the room in a state of semi-numbness when I reached my final error count.
The official sign-off from my instructor came the next day; and, needless to say, we celebrated with sushi that night. ^_____^
There are now only three weeks before the cut-off date for registering for the November CSR. I would DIE to be able to qualify in time for it, but I know that it's tight. I also believe, however, that the Mock will be much easier than the 180 4-V. It's been just over a year between pass the 160 4-V and the 180 4-V, but now that I have the formatting down of interchange and 10-minute lengths, the Mock is just a hop, skip, and a jump away.
Even though I've been hearing and attempting Mocks for a while now, I've never had to take them seriously, so I need to seriously overhaul that. Oh! I just realize now that even if I don't qualify for the Nov CSR, so long as I pass a Mock, I can at least start focusing on taking the CSR's WKT (written knowledge test,) and I would be very happy to get that part out of the way!
It's all about the positive thinking!! Here's to passing a Mock in three weeks! That's one, two, three...six chances left!
I can't believe I get to say this, but I am now officially in...
Qualifiers!!!!
I am overjoyed to share that I passed my 180 4-V on September 24, 2015, at a whopping 98.8%!
It was a wonderful test about someone stealing the tortillas! While I was taking it down, there was a moment where I just smiled and thought, "This is the one." Stamina wasn't an issue, the readers were pretty solid -- even with one blooper -- and I didn't let those little words screw me up (thank you, slower dictation practice)! It was sorta surreal, magical, blissful. "Blissful"? Can I really use that word when talking about a test? Yes. Yes, I can.
I was teaching the CAT class that night, too, so I dove right into editing what was a surprisingly clean script to be begin with. I really had to watch out for my KWRAFRPBLGTS strokes because they're supposed to translate to "A: Yes, ma'am," but I guess I haven't defined enough sloppy strokes so it was only coming out as "A: Yes." That was something I had to go over very carefully.
I sent off the PDF to my instructor without even checking it over, and then corrected it myself that same night. I came out of the room in a state of semi-numbness when I reached my final error count.
The official sign-off from my instructor came the next day; and, needless to say, we celebrated with sushi that night. ^_____^
There are now only three weeks before the cut-off date for registering for the November CSR. I would DIE to be able to qualify in time for it, but I know that it's tight. I also believe, however, that the Mock will be much easier than the 180 4-V. It's been just over a year between pass the 160 4-V and the 180 4-V, but now that I have the formatting down of interchange and 10-minute lengths, the Mock is just a hop, skip, and a jump away.
Even though I've been hearing and attempting Mocks for a while now, I've never had to take them seriously, so I need to seriously overhaul that. Oh! I just realize now that even if I don't qualify for the Nov CSR, so long as I pass a Mock, I can at least start focusing on taking the CSR's WKT (written knowledge test,) and I would be very happy to get that part out of the way!
It's all about the positive thinking!! Here's to passing a Mock in three weeks! That's one, two, three...six chances left!
Friday, August 28, 2015
At a Crossroads
The title of this post is a phrase that I've been using quite frequently to summarize to people where I am in my steno journey (aka, on the road to certification.)
You see, there are five ways to qualify in order to take the California's CSR exam
(1) Through a school
(2) Be RPR-Certified
(3) Have already worked a year as a reporter
(4) Be a Hearing Reporter
(5) Hold an equivalent state's CSR certification
Those first two are bolded because they're BOTH equally at the same distance away from allowing me to qualify!
(1) Through a school
--> At present, I have only the 180 4-V at 98% to pass and then have to pass the MOCK 200 4-V at 97.5%!
(2) Be RPR-Certified
--> Having passed the 200 JC earlier this year and the WKT last year, that just leaves two more legs: 180 Lit and 225 QA.
That's two tests down either path!! I'm freakin' out!!!!!
I'm really vacillating between which will be the final winner, but with all the Ev360 practice I've been doing at the 180 Lit and 225 QA level, I want to think that the RPR may happen first.
Then again, by that same logic, that has to mean that I'm really pretty gosh darned comfortable at the 180 4-V level. I'll probably have a better grasp of my chances once the school semester starts up again and I hear how the 4-V tests are being read.
One of the big reasons why the RPR feels like a more obvious choice is because those tests are given p-e-r-f-e-c-t-l-y. No stumbling, no messing up, no false interruptions, no people forgetting their lines, etc.
I swear, if our 180 4-V tests were delivered with the quality that the RPRs are, I KNOW I would've passed it months ago.
I'd like to take a minute to just sort of reflect on my progress. I mean, wow! These are the exit speeds we're talking about! I get to say that! "Exit speed." Back in the day, I had only an inkling of what that meant, what it felt like.
There's a stack of plastic trays in that lab from which you can select cover sheets to attach to your transcript submissions. They start on the left side with the Theory, Bridge, 80, 100, 120 and 140 speeds. Then on the right-hand side column is the 160, 180, 200, and MOCK sheets. I was standing, looking at them with a friend over a year ago and I said, "Someday, we'll reach that tray. Isn't that something?"
And it's happened. It's actually happened for a while as I've been drawing from the 200 shelf since the spring semester or so, but the Mocks...Oh, I just can't wait. I've always wanted to tell that story and I thought that now was an appropriate time.
Oh! In related news, I'm honored to have been asked by one of our instructors to help run the Thursday night Dictionary Building CAT class. Eclipse is my love and my passion, so I am very excited about being in a position to help my fellow students.
That's about all I wanted to share for now on the subject of my progress.
As with my previous post, I'll probably next write after a particularly engaging seminar/convention or test pass. Until then!
You see, there are five ways to qualify in order to take the California's CSR exam
(1) Through a school
(2) Be RPR-Certified
(3) Have already worked a year as a reporter
(4) Be a Hearing Reporter
(5) Hold an equivalent state's CSR certification
Those first two are bolded because they're BOTH equally at the same distance away from allowing me to qualify!
(1) Through a school
--> At present, I have only the 180 4-V at 98% to pass and then have to pass the MOCK 200 4-V at 97.5%!
(2) Be RPR-Certified
--> Having passed the 200 JC earlier this year and the WKT last year, that just leaves two more legs: 180 Lit and 225 QA.
That's two tests down either path!! I'm freakin' out!!!!!
I'm really vacillating between which will be the final winner, but with all the Ev360 practice I've been doing at the 180 Lit and 225 QA level, I want to think that the RPR may happen first.
Then again, by that same logic, that has to mean that I'm really pretty gosh darned comfortable at the 180 4-V level. I'll probably have a better grasp of my chances once the school semester starts up again and I hear how the 4-V tests are being read.
One of the big reasons why the RPR feels like a more obvious choice is because those tests are given p-e-r-f-e-c-t-l-y. No stumbling, no messing up, no false interruptions, no people forgetting their lines, etc.
I swear, if our 180 4-V tests were delivered with the quality that the RPRs are, I KNOW I would've passed it months ago.
I'd like to take a minute to just sort of reflect on my progress. I mean, wow! These are the exit speeds we're talking about! I get to say that! "Exit speed." Back in the day, I had only an inkling of what that meant, what it felt like.
There's a stack of plastic trays in that lab from which you can select cover sheets to attach to your transcript submissions. They start on the left side with the Theory, Bridge, 80, 100, 120 and 140 speeds. Then on the right-hand side column is the 160, 180, 200, and MOCK sheets. I was standing, looking at them with a friend over a year ago and I said, "Someday, we'll reach that tray. Isn't that something?"
And it's happened. It's actually happened for a while as I've been drawing from the 200 shelf since the spring semester or so, but the Mocks...Oh, I just can't wait. I've always wanted to tell that story and I thought that now was an appropriate time.
Oh! In related news, I'm honored to have been asked by one of our instructors to help run the Thursday night Dictionary Building CAT class. Eclipse is my love and my passion, so I am very excited about being in a position to help my fellow students.
That's about all I wanted to share for now on the subject of my progress.
As with my previous post, I'll probably next write after a particularly engaging seminar/convention or test pass. Until then!
Changes with the Fall 2015 Semester~
Oooh, I like just writing the word "fall"! After the scorching and unrelenting heat of the European trip and this constant heat wave we've here up here in NorCal, I'm really looking forward to some cozy, cool weather...
Before I go further into that, let me first say that the NCRA Convention in NYC was even BETTER than the year before!! If you didn't think that was possible, but, yes, it was possible! Undoubtedly the highlight for me was getting to meet revered members of the Planet Depos team -- Kathy DiLorenzo, Lisa DiMonte, and Lisa Feissner!
These three women have been my contacts over the past two years or so since starting my steno journey, and I was overjoyed just getting to meet them face to face for the first time ever. Even thinking about it now gets my heart rate accelerating just a bit.
My speaking with them solidified and grounded my dream of working in Japanese as a deposition reporter, and it was the first time I felt like I had a real cement plan in place in order to make this goal come true. So far it's been all vigor and enthusiasm, but now my "dream" can officially be called a "SMART goal."
It's all very exciting, and it's helped me to better shape my future; and, needless to say, it involves TRAVEL! I won't get into it now for fear that I'll somehow taint it, but once things come together, I'll be sure to write about it.
Oh! And my wonderful husband greeted me after the convention with this lovely gift:
At long last, a "real" study space to call my own! I haven't really had one at home since that little rinky-dink set-up from my first months in study. Oooh. The memories~
I know do all of my practicing here and a good thing too because of the following reasons:
(1) Prior to this, I was studying super inefficiently at the kitchen table which was too high, too tight, and too much in the center of activities so I was at the mercy of whoever was passing by to engage in conversation and indulge in some wine (shhh!)
(2) Starting soon, I will be attending close remotely via our school's "Synchronous" program
Wha-whaaaat? you must be asking yourselves. Yes, it' true.
Ever since the end of spring semester and throughout summer, I started toying with the idea of attending class remotely in favor of face-to-face. There are also several reasons for this (can you tell that I like lists?):
(1) The high-speed classes don't have evening classes. Whereas before I could stay on campus from 9am-9pm and get in some serious study time in, it's pretty much over after class at 3pm or so.
(2) The lab hours themselves are shorter. Even without evening classes, I could really dive into practice sessions uninterrupted late into the evening, but the new school rules prohibit unmonitored students from staying in class. This has put more of a damper on my study time than I even realized initially.
(3) Ev360. Now that I'm making decent money on the side, I feel like I can afford the full $50/month deal of taking advantage of their live dictation classes, Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday.
If all goes well, my schedule should look a little something like this:
7am-10am: Ev360
12:30-3:30pm(?): WVM Synchronous
4pm-7pm: Ev360
That's, like, 9 SOLID HOURS of dictation practice every day! And it's all so well structured and focused!
Don't get me wrong, I LOOOOVED bicycling to work, and I will miss it, but I just see how much more sense it makes for me to stay home to take advantage of all the online classes without time spent on the preparation, commute, possible tire pops, showering, changing, etc...
I am attending the first week of the semester this way, which starts next week, and then may attend a few more weeks in person before the start of October.
I have nothing but high hopes for this semester! I'll write a quick separate entry about where I stand in my progress.
See you then!
Before I go further into that, let me first say that the NCRA Convention in NYC was even BETTER than the year before!! If you didn't think that was possible, but, yes, it was possible! Undoubtedly the highlight for me was getting to meet revered members of the Planet Depos team -- Kathy DiLorenzo, Lisa DiMonte, and Lisa Feissner!
These three women have been my contacts over the past two years or so since starting my steno journey, and I was overjoyed just getting to meet them face to face for the first time ever. Even thinking about it now gets my heart rate accelerating just a bit.
My speaking with them solidified and grounded my dream of working in Japanese as a deposition reporter, and it was the first time I felt like I had a real cement plan in place in order to make this goal come true. So far it's been all vigor and enthusiasm, but now my "dream" can officially be called a "SMART goal."
It's all very exciting, and it's helped me to better shape my future; and, needless to say, it involves TRAVEL! I won't get into it now for fear that I'll somehow taint it, but once things come together, I'll be sure to write about it.
Oh! And my wonderful husband greeted me after the convention with this lovely gift:
 |
| And that desk was free on the side o' the road!! |
I know do all of my practicing here and a good thing too because of the following reasons:
(1) Prior to this, I was studying super inefficiently at the kitchen table which was too high, too tight, and too much in the center of activities so I was at the mercy of whoever was passing by to engage in conversation and indulge in some wine (shhh!)
(2) Starting soon, I will be attending close remotely via our school's "Synchronous" program
Wha-whaaaat? you must be asking yourselves. Yes, it' true.
Ever since the end of spring semester and throughout summer, I started toying with the idea of attending class remotely in favor of face-to-face. There are also several reasons for this (can you tell that I like lists?):
(1) The high-speed classes don't have evening classes. Whereas before I could stay on campus from 9am-9pm and get in some serious study time in, it's pretty much over after class at 3pm or so.
(2) The lab hours themselves are shorter. Even without evening classes, I could really dive into practice sessions uninterrupted late into the evening, but the new school rules prohibit unmonitored students from staying in class. This has put more of a damper on my study time than I even realized initially.
(3) Ev360. Now that I'm making decent money on the side, I feel like I can afford the full $50/month deal of taking advantage of their live dictation classes, Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday.
If all goes well, my schedule should look a little something like this:
7am-10am: Ev360
12:30-3:30pm(?): WVM Synchronous
4pm-7pm: Ev360
That's, like, 9 SOLID HOURS of dictation practice every day! And it's all so well structured and focused!
Don't get me wrong, I LOOOOVED bicycling to work, and I will miss it, but I just see how much more sense it makes for me to stay home to take advantage of all the online classes without time spent on the preparation, commute, possible tire pops, showering, changing, etc...
I am attending the first week of the semester this way, which starts next week, and then may attend a few more weeks in person before the start of October.
I have nothing but high hopes for this semester! I'll write a quick separate entry about where I stand in my progress.
See you then!
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