Hurdler's Race to be Mortgage-Free

Hurdler

gallygirl wrote: »

Well done, great progress :T

Thank you x

sweetdaisy

Congratulations Hurdler :j.

Hurdler

Wish I had been here more - and it is going to be a pain to try and sort out my little excel house.
Well the good news is that I passed Court Reporting with an A.
The bad news is that I have fallen MASSIVELY behind in the articles I need to do for the day job, because I have been juggling those with revision, intensive shorthand with the Full time students any morning I can manage, and trying to finish my portfolio.

And today we ran through a shorthand mock of what it will be like for the last attempt next Thursday.
We did 100 wpm (which is a 2 min passage, a 1 min passage and then you have to pick out the quote, word for word, in another minute.

Then she read out the 80wpm paper... which is 2 lots of 2 mins with a gap in between.
I wasn't surprised not to get all the 100wpm down as I am still coming in at about 20 errors (you can only have 9).
But I was shocked, stunned and absolutely gutted to have 14 errors (7 in each passage) for the 80. That was my fall back for next Thursday. I can only have 8 errors in total.
and I couldn't even pass that.

I have spent most of the day in tears as I have worked so damned hard, relentlessly.
I walked out on 2 jobs, and I am struggling to produce stuff that gains approval at the moment... and if I can't achieve the final core exam, then what the hell have I done all this for?

I have savings to fall back on, and am seriously just wondering if I should jack this all in and go back to a stressful job but job security nonetheless.

I had a chance to take over someone's credentials for Wimbledon but was refused by the AELTC because I wasn't a professional journo, but I'm worried that if I don't get the gold standard diploma (i.e. with Shorthand) then I won't be able to apply for a press card and will struggle to have any credibility - I was actually refused a press-pass to cover an IT event because I couldn't prove I was a paid/professional journo.

I can't help wondering if I have made such a terrible mistake.

gallygirl

........ and breathe.........

OK, let's stop worrying and look at the hard facts:

• What happens if you fail shorthand? Do you fail EVERYTHING or do you get a 'non-gold standard' diploma?
• What do you/don't you need the qualification for?
• What CAN you do with the skills you have already? You are already writing for a living. Can you do more of that? Would that be enough for you, financially and creatively?
• How else can you prove you are a journo? You're writing for a living - does that not offer you a way in?
• What do you mean "I'm worried that if I don't get the gold standard diploma (i.e. with Shorthand) then I won't be able to apply for a press card" - is that a FACT or are you 'just' worried about it?
• What contacts do you have - are ALL the journos you know qualified? If not, how did they get started?
• Are there any other diplomas etc which don't have the same shorthand requirements?

Have a think and answer these, then we'll see what we can come up with.



Don't despair and have a dodgy hug :grouphug:



gg x

Tilly_MFW_in_6_YRS

Hi Hurdler, I would have said something similar to GG. Stop and think where you are, where you were just a few months ago and the journey you have travelled. Your life has changed immeasurably over the last few months.

Establish what is the minimum acceptable level of shorthand. If that is the magic 80/100 wpm, then slow down for a while. Do some practice tests at a lower speed, check your accuracy, recognise that you can do it and relax. Shorthand (many years ago I did normal and medical shorthand) is a language. When you relax into it, it starts to flow. The more you panic the harder it becomes.

If you don't pass the test right now, what is the 'so what?'. Can you do it in another month, 3 months, will you be forced out of your job? I doubt it. You bring a wealth of business experience as well as your love of journalism which is a compelling combination.

You have a lot of us on line to support you and whilst I lurk, I often stop by to see how you are getting on and am always willing to lend a hand if I can help.

Best wishes Tilly x

Hurdler

gallygirl wrote: »

........ and breathe.........

OK, let's stop worrying and look at the hard facts:

• What happens if you fail shorthand? Do you fail EVERYTHING or do you get a 'non-gold standard' diploma? You are not NCTJ Qualified. It is just any old Diploma in Journalism without the entry level you need to kick on.
• What do you/don't you need the qualification for? Found that even for covering events that might have been useful for the IT writing, because I can't prove I am a professional journalist (with a recognised qualification)
• What CAN you do with the skills you have already? You are already writing for a living. Can you do more of that? Would that be enough for you, financially and creatively? Well I have had a bit of a bad run of articles not passing muster (written in the midst of law revision, feature writing, portolio, and the godamn relentless shorthand) So I need to snap into writing what works to keep money coming in which obviously isn't happening right now.
• How else can you prove you are a journo? You're writing for a living - does that not offer you a way in? I would have thought so... but when I tried to apply for a sports accreditation for a US editor I wrote for over Wimbledon, I am (a) not a professional journo and (b) not enough of a body of work as a trainee to count. To go into Print journalism would mean living on half of what I get now - it's unachievable. And I can't get into Print without my NCTJ and 100wpm. It's like a vicious circle.
• What do you mean "I'm worried that if I don't get the gold standard diploma (i.e. with Shorthand) then I won't be able to apply for a press card" - is that a FACT or are you 'just' worried about it? It is proving very hard to show you have the credentials to be seen as a professional journalist to even get in to the field...
• What contacts do you have - are ALL the journos you know qualified? If not, how did they get started? Local press and then kicked on. With ... guess what... NCTJ/100wpm
• Are there any other diplomas etc which don't have the same shorthand requirements? Yeah - some backstreet jobs that I looked at and saw in forums don't touch with a barge pole as they are not official

Have a think and answer these, then we'll see what we can come up with.



Don't despair and have a dodgy hug :grouphug:



gg x

I put my responses in the list and the stoopid system told me my message was too short.
I have lost all impetus to even put in any effort into my portfolio that has to be handed in now.

Hurdler

i just feel I have taken a big risk and now it's gone horribly wrong.
I am not doing well in any quarter at the moment and that's pretty awful

QB_Wolf

Bet it took you ages to type that.....

Sorry couldn't resist!!!

Seriously good luck with it all I really admire you for pursuing your dream.

Hurdler

Tilly_MFW_in_6_YRS wrote: »

Hi Hurdler, I would have said something similar to GG. Stop and think where you are, where you were just a few months ago and the journey you have travelled. Your life has changed immeasurably over the last few months.

Establish what is the minimum acceptable level of shorthand. If that is the magic 80/100 wpm, then slow down for a while. Do some practice tests at a lower speed, check your accuracy, recognise that you can do it and relax. Shorthand (many years ago I did normal and medical shorthand) is a language. When you relax into it, it starts to flow. The more you panic the harder it becomes.

If you don't pass the test right now, what is the 'so what?'. Can you do it in another month, 3 months, will you be forced out of your job? I doubt it. You bring a wealth of business experience as well as your love of journalism which is a compelling combination.

You have a lot of us on line to support you and whilst I lurk, I often stop by to see how you are getting on and am always willing to lend a hand if I can help.

Best wishes Tilly x

This is the last attempt until September but by that time I will have finished the course. The last actual day for us was when we had our Court Reporting and they gave us 2 weeks extra for portfolio.
I wouldn't be able to come into school for shorthand classes
If I am not getting it after a month or so of 3 hours a day, then no classes and having to do it myself ... and they say that no-one has EVER come back and got it. If you are not getting it by the time the last exam comes, you are not going to get it.

Hurdler

QB_Wolf wrote: »

Bet it took you ages to type that.....

Sorry couldn't resist!!!

Seriously good luck with it all I really admire you for pursuing your dream.

well it's obviously come to an abrupt halt but thanks anyway.