Have Confidence in Your Theory -- Raw Steno Notes

Never underestimate the tortoise.

There is always talk about in court reporting forums about how one steno theory is superior or inferior to the next and people blaming their lack of success on the theory they learned. It may be true that some are shorter than others, and some are rather stroke-intensive, but each has its merits and can be customized. But perhaps most importantly, each has graduated working reporters and CART/captioning providers. It all comes down to learning one's theory inside-out, backwards and frontwards, and anyone can succeed with any given theory.

This text is borrowed from Rutherford's Practical Shorthand, no longer under copyright. I've put it in both steno and English so you can see how I write each word and what a particular outline means, if you and I don't write it the same way.

Yep, I realize "The" needs to be capitalized, but I'm tired and am going to bed

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Reading Raw Steno Notes - Make Haste Slowly

  

Here is another excerpt from Practical Pointers for Shorthand Students continued from the last reading steno notes blog post. I also slightly modified it to apply to machine shorthand. Hopefully these installments will help us all reach our speed goals faster by getting better at reading our notes! The English translation appears at the bottom.

     The old Latin proverb, "Festina Lente" -- make haste slowly -- should be taken seriously to heart by the shorthand student.  Don't be overanxious or in too great a hurry, but "make haste slowly."

     The blues alluded to previously are generally caused by the fact that as soon as the average stenographic student touches fingers to machine in the study of shorthand, he makes a mistake.  He usually gets the fallacious idea that from the beginning his sole purpose should be to write rapidly.  Forget that there is such a thing as speed in shorthand, and typewriting until you can write and read fluently.  When you can do this, speed will come almost without effort.

     The better you can read your notes, the better and the more rapidly you will write in future.  It will take you fully three times as long to learn to read your shorthand notes with facility as it does to learn to write them.  Then think -- of what use of your shorthand notes if you can not read them!  Write accurately first, last, and all the time, and speed will surely follow.  Bear this in mind now and always -- "make haste slowly."

Reading Raw Steno Notes

Okay. As much as I talk about reading my steno notes, I really have not made it a habit since theory and early in speedbuilding. I'm going to practice what I preach in what hopefully is a different, fun way. Here's an excerpt from Practical Pointers for Shorthand Students first in steno, and then in plain English.

Don't Get Fits of the Blues

It is a mistake to think, in taking up the study of shorthand and typewriting that all will be smooth sailing.  Periods of depression are sure to come, when storms of discouragement will sweep down and clouds of disappointment will almost drive away all hope of success.  There may be times when you will think you are making no progress, but don't get these fits of the blues.  On those occasions, instead of giving way to your discouragement, spend the time in overcoming the difficulties that have beset you.  You will find the difficulties that seemed almost to overwhelm you have melted away like dim shadows.  Don't have fits of the blues!  Have confidence in your teacher, in your shorthand system, and in your own ability, for the difficulties you overcome add immeasurably to your strength and make the final only seem the more sweet.

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