What is the normal length of time to graduate for a court reporting degree?

I have been in school for SIX years and I am at 180-200 WPM.  Most websites say that stenography schooling is about 33 months.  I know that I am not the only one in my program who has been in the program for six years and still haven't reached the graduation point.  Is my school not doing something right or is there too high of a standard for becoming a court reporter?

Katie,

Kudos to you!  Talk about perserverance!  I do believe that there was a study a few years ago and, indeed, 33 months was the average nationwide.  That being said, I know people who graduated in 18 months (hated them lol) and there were people in my class who had been there 5 years, going on 6.  It's a totally individual thing, because everyone's brains are just wired differently.

I once heard some sage advice on the subject that I liked:  The length of your schooling does not equate to how good of a reporter you will be.  Actually, your perserverance is a huge advantage when it comes to the workplace, because it shows that you are a hard worker, you have goals and accomplish them, and you are able to follow through on a task on your own, because that's what it would take to be in your position.

It also depends on what type of school you're in -- online, part-time, full-time -- and the other factors in your life, such as being a working mom or if you have another job, etc.   I'm sure you've looked into different speed-building techniques.  Some work better than others for different people. 

Keep at it.  I really think it's worth it in the end, because there are fewer and fewer steno reporters, which will make a huge demand for them.  Good luck!  We're pulling for you!

Katie,

I absolutely agree with the previous answer by L. Hagman, there are many variables that go into how long it takes one to finish court reporting school, so there is no gold standard.  That being said, the one thing you have absolute control over is PRACTICE.

I can't say enough what a difference it made for me when I put my nose to the grindstone and consistently practiced outside of school.  What a lot of students don't realize is that even watching television and writing to it, is practice.  Also just writing in your head when you're having a conversation, listening to a conversation or watching television helps.

I also found it helpful to vary the type of practice I did.  I bought practice material from NCRA & Stenograph.  I also recorded classes at school and practiced to them at home and sometimes I just set my machine up in front of the TV and started writing.  Although I will say that the best practice on TV is going to be news program or news talk show.  Try writing Nancy Grace's or Anderson Cooper's shows, they are challenging.

Good luck and stick with it - you will make it!

Amy

Totally agree with answers so far.  At our school, the average is 4-5 years, but there are several students who have taken 6 or 7 and graduated.  We've had a couple that took upwards of ten years.  Talk about dedication!  Some people take longer because they take time off.  Some people only go part-time.  Some have kids, some work, etc.  

Even if none of those are applicable, this is a very tough field to master.  You should not be ashamed of how long it takes you.  Once you graduate, it will all be worth it.  You've got to keep on trucking as you are very close.  From what I have seen most people get stuck at 180 or 200 for anywhere from 6 months to several years, and then one day, everything just clicks.  You suddenly pass that test, and you just can't believe it.  It will happen.  

The one thing I can suggest is the great advice of the master, Mark Kislingbury.  Do most or all of your practice at 25-40 percent above your goal speed.  If you are 180, do 210 and 225, maybe even a little 240.  If you are 200, do 225 and 240, even a little 260 for a minute or two for a real push.   This is what I did in the upper speeds, and I advanced pretty quickly.  Don't worry about having perfect notes.  Just strive to get every word.

Thank you all for your advice and encouragement.  I understand that court reporting has no specific length of time, but I feel like six years is a lot.  I have never taken a quarter off.  I have always been full-time.  I have never missed a day of school on-campus or when I switched to online, which is where I am now.  Not once have I not submitted a homework assignment.  I live at home with my parents and do not have a family to raise. 

With that being said, it is frustrating to see how much dedication and work I have put into my schooling and I have no degree.  It is also frustrating when Financial Aid won't cover school anymore because I have taken "too long" in this program.  Working a part-time job isn't going to pay for a year's worth of tuition plus other bills that I have. 

So if schools are only graduating one to two students a year, don't you think the standards are too high or something is amiss?  I know reporters who went to school 30 years ago and graduated in two years.  I know technology is a huge part of schooling now, but why would that add on an extra three to four years?

It is discouraging when you think you are close to being done and then you realize you have 40 WPM more to go.  I am at my wits' end.

Hi, Katie.  It's a bit hard for me to compare schooling that I went through recently with schooling 30 years ago, but I have heard that the graduation times have gone up, that 2-3 years was the norm before, and now, at many schools, it's 4 to 5...that 18 months wasn't unheard of at all, and now it kind of is, etc.  I do think teaching realtime has something to do with that.  

Theories 20 and 30 years ago did not differentiate conflicts.  You just wrote what you heard and figured it out later.  You can tell by, buy, and bye from context.  So there was a lot less to learn in theory, and it took less time.  When you got into speed, I am guessing there was a lot less hesitation because you wrote purely by sound and didn't worry about spelling or differentiating words.  Now, there is a lot more to worry about. 

But that's just the way it is.  Learning a realtime theory is definitely a huge help and will increase your employement opportunities, pay, etc.  In the future, it's the only thing ensuring our survival against the faceless menace of ER (electronic recording).  We must keep improving.

Now, what state are you in, and what are your requirements for graduating? 200, 225?  The school should not be requiring you to be at a higher speed than the RPR or your state CSR or whatever certification test you are going for.  They should simply qualify you at the same speed/s as the test, then you have a chance to go take it.  

At my school, you have to pass all categories at 200, including a 10-minute 4-V, which is just like the CA CSR exam.  I barely passed it on my last chance to qualify for the exam I took, right before the deadline, and I only passed by a couple of errors.  But when I took the CA CSR a month later, I passed on the first attempt with flying colors.  If they are requiring you to do more than what the certification test would require, that's wrong.