The Difference Between Court Reporting Students And Regular College Students

Court .... reporting? Like, typing? Often overlooked, court reporting is a very rewarding career that can provide flexible hours and great earning potential, but schooling for this career is not your typical college education. Let's take a look at what some students refer to as "Steno Hell".

Test taking for regular college students:

It's easy to be confident during a test when you're a regular college student. Multiple choice questions and an essay? I can fudge my way through this.

Test taking for court reporting students:

Tests are entirely different for court reporting students.

"We're going to dictate this material to you for five minutes at 200 words per minute." Oh, okay. *starts writing on steno machine*

"This is good. I'm keeping up with the speakers, and I haven't missed a -- oh, crap! Who forgets how to write 'foreperson'? It's okay. Just keep going. You can still save this." *dictation ends*

Spring and summer breaks for regular college students:

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No classes, no assignments, no responsibilities. Looks like fun!

Breaks for court reporting students:

CCR Staff

We only get one week off at a time, but it's not like we can just stop practicing.

"Have a good break! Ev360 will be open 24/7 for you to practice and submit tests! Try to maintain your speed!"

What regular college students carry to class:

A few books and your basic pens, pencils, and notebooks. Everything fits nicely in your backpack/hipster messenger bag.

What court reporting students carry to class:

CCR Staff

Steno machine and the carry-on size bag it's kept in, laptop, steno paper, notebooks, reference books, and all the cables and chargers required to keep your machine and computer alive during class. It's not easy lugging all of this to and from class. Try rolling that bag through the snow; every day is like hiking.

When regular college students get 90% or better on a test:

93% on a test?? I am a perfect student. I am a genius. Let's celebrate tonight.

When court reporting students get a 90% or better on a test:

93% on a test? Lol, failure. You need to write at 225 words per minute with 95% accuracy. Nice try, though!

Reading assignments for regular college students:

Lol. Who actually does reading assignments in college?

"Reading" assignments for court reporting students:

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Reading and editing a 50-page transcript is not an "optional" assignment. Transcripts are a court reporter's livelihood, so a court reporting student will spend hours proofreading and editing a transcript assignment. HOURS. It's exhausting. We love it.

Homework and studying for a regular college student:

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The final is tomorrow? Looks like we're going to have to stay up til 4 a.m. and cram a semester's worth of knowledge into our brains.

Homework and studying for court reporting students:

CCR Staff

You can't really study for a test in the typical sense when you're a court reporting student. A diligent practice routine will lead to a steady increase in your speed and accuracy. Don't think you can cram speedbuilding in the night before finals and pass a test. You'll be like the 93% student up there crying and drowning your sorrows in wine.

Regular college students buying textbooks:

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$1200 for used textbooks? That's pretty steep...

Court reporting students buying equipment:

created by CCR Staff

Just the student shorthand machine is $1,595. Then you need software and other accessories. You also still have to purchase books each semester.

$1200 for books doesn't seem so bad now, huh?

How regular college students feel about proofreading their work:

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Questionable grammar and spelling on a paper? Eh, it'll all work out.

How court reporting students feel about proofreading:

Grammarly / Via Facebook: grammarly

Correct grammar and proper punctuation are everything when it comes to transcribing tests and creating transcripts as professionals. So when we see the wrong usage of you're/your, we start to get a little crazy.

Job opportunities for regular college students:

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Students with a bachelor's degree or higher can spend months trying to find a job in their career field after they graduate.

Job opportunities for court reporting students:

darrahbrustein.com / Via google.com

Court reporting graduates have several job opportunities to choose from, and all of the career fields are in need of reporters. It's always easy to find employers willing to train newbies in this field. Many students have jobs lined up before they have even graduated!

Court reporting students don't have it easy, but we love it anyway.

CCR Staff

Court reporting students may be a little crazy, but we love this profession and will gladly suffer through school to achieve our goal of becoming professional reporters.

WAOE LUFB STEN/O