Not feeling great? A little under the weather? Now’s the perfect time to pass your court reporting tests! I’ve seen it happen time and time again. A student walks into a classroom, steno machine under one arm, a box of tissues under the other. “I’m really out of it today – but I wanted to come to class.” The student sits in the back of the room in a zombie-like state and writes, taking time out to cough, wipe the nose and let out the occasional groan. When test time rolls around – “I’m gonna stay for the court reporting tests, but then I’m going home and getting into bed.” The next day they’re presented with their PASS!!!
And it makes perfect sense. Since so much of writing hinges on your nerves and brain activity, the involuntary shutdown of some of those actions is a big help. When you’re sick, you don’t have the energy to tighten all your muscles. You don’t have the brain resources to agonize over each error you make. You’re just a writer in a pure form, which is how you do well on court reporting tests.
You CAN write everything you hear right now – no matter where you are in your speedbuilding program. Some things come instantly, while others take a few seconds, but you CAN write everything you hear, given enough time. That’s because the information you need is stored in your brain – just like folders on a computer. The delay happens when you hear something and there’s a delay finding that information – like when you do a search on your hard drive – some things will be found quickly and others will take minutes. How long it takes to access that information is in direct relation to how many other brain activities are taking place at the same time (and accrued muscle memory).
Each thought process you have going on is a roadblock on the path to that information you need – the proper strokes you need to pass your court reporting tests. But when you’re really sick, you basically always have one thought process taking place, “Ahhh…I’m sick!” And the rest of the brain is up for anything – in this case, writing. Those roadblocks/hesitation just aren’t there because you don’t have the energy to put them there.
Share Your Court Reporting Tests – Not Your Steno Germs!
Now, I’m NOT suggesting going to class when you’re contagious! I don’t need 50 emails from irate teachers and students. But consider the process and how it works – maybe you can make it work for you.
