For school, our speed is determined in three catagories. Literary, being general, things like speeches, readings from books, congretional, etc. QA/Testimony, which is almost exclusively legal depositions, and Jury Charge, which is when the judge addresses the jury at the beginning or end of a trial.
For the last few months, I have been in a pit. I didn't care much about class, it was just a chore, I hated doing it. That was all until I stepped foot in a courtroom for the second ever time in my life (the first time being jury duty). I was shadowing a courtroom clerk, a position I had been offered at work, and so I sat next to her while she worked and I just watched. It was the most exciting moment since I moved about eight months ago. I just really picked up after that.
So, I'm hopefully going to become a courtroom clerk. Sure, it's not reporter, but I yearn for the courtroom. The inspiration I felt in that moment, it has impacted me for weeks. Now, I have just passed my 140 WPM tests for Literary and JC, and I have one more for QA that I need to take right now. If I pass that? Oh baby.
But fuck, I shout! I am so fucking scared! Reaching 160 means I am an advanced student. I took all my academic classes up to this point, but now I am entering my advanced academic (recently I have had only my speed building class). I have to take a couple classes that are actually about court reporting. I have to do an externship, I have to have like 50 hours or something !! What the hell am I going to do ?! How do I schedule an externship with a full time job? The good news, at least, is there are court reporters in the building, right?
In the end, I'll figure it out. I am beyond excited to move forward after feeling stuck and hopeless.

- 8/27/2025

p.s. I really need to fix the website. I know it's ugly as hell