What does a typical practice session look like? Do you keep excel spreadsheets, notes to make sure you don't forget any briefs or phrases?

I’m a RVT student and I feel like we’re not as structured as some other programs which is alright because I do like working at my own pace. But I was curious what was your study routines? Right now, I take some time practicing grammar, and then practicing dictations but I would love to hear other routines. I know some people are practicing all day vs an hour or two.

Hello everyone, hoping to find a voice steno based in Texas/DFW that is willing to be open about earnings when they first started off. Is it true that people will start contacting you to work straight out of school or how hard was it to find work?

Can anyone chime in about the perks and cons of freelance vs working for a courtroom?

Other states are welcome to share info as well, I'll be starting off in Texas and was wanting real info from real people in the field.

TIA 🙏

In the bay and work a remote, low hour job that would allow me to jump all in on court reporting school. Obviously I‘m looking for the most cost effective + efficient option that actually works. I don’t mind self paced as I’m motivated and in fact prefer it. Any RVT grads working currently in California? Trying to see if that would be a good fit with their specific state laws. Also will take any advice or other recs. Trying to pick the best path!

An opportunity to get all kinds of mask colors just like machines are offered

https://printpals3d.us/?fbclid=IwdGRjcAUKah5wZG9mBWZkaWQWUN7sVJkBMkpEIwz_teQU6wuyXBmEXWV4dG4DYWVtAjExAHNydGMGYXBwX2lkCjY2Mjg1NjgzNzkAAR5_kpovAlMm8zeJhU_k9MTRAVaP8tmNa10RiZ2YswgmdT8SuDkJnfzM67lZOw_aem_Ihy9YGR5QCW5ei7jDkTqmQ

Hi everyone! I'm currently a machine student in speeds looking to switch over to an online voice reporting program! I am leaning towards RVT but I had a few questions for anyone who are licensed court reporters that went to RVT or people who are currently students there.

Does Realtime Voice Training prepare you for the CSR test or just the CVR? If it doesn't, how did you study for the CSR?

Did you guys feel as though RVT really prepared you to start working after certifying? Such as producing transcripts, scoping, etc...Were you confident in your abilities when you started working?

I read that students at RVT have to really reach out and find mentors and reporters to shadow on their own after graduating from the program... what was that process like?

I know this is an annoying question, but how long did it take to start working from the time you started the program?

Thanks so much in advance! I've read so many good things about RVT but I just wanted chat with people who experienced the program firsthand:)

Good morning

I read on a post here that for the Texas CSR, as a voice writer, using Eclipse and Speechmatics, that you do not need to purchase the Boost Box as you are allowed to take the test “online.”

I will call Monday to confirm but can anyone confirm again please?

Hope yall have a good weekend.

Hi everyone! Just like many others who have stumbled across this field recently, I’ve gone down the rabbit holes of court reporting for a few months now, and am strongly considering it as a career for myself. Specifically voice writing. My only hesitation is as someone who frequently uses tiktok, and has been a career researcher, Ive witnessed more than a few times certain professions or industries getting completely flipped on its head and facing oversaturation due to popularity from that very app alone and I’m worried court reporting could fall victim to that.

Now I will admit, the only thing that gives me any hope that it won’t be the case (absolutely no disrespect to the creators who post about it) is the likes and engagement usually tend to be on the smaller end, but I just would like to know from current reporters, if you think with what seems like growing interest lately, will oversaturation within the next few years be a real concern? I’m in NC, so I would love to hear any insight about that market.👀

I’m also considering just doing transcription starting out as I have small children and understand I would have to secure childcare if I really want to persue CR, but I guess my question is can I afford to wait a few years before becoming an official, or do I need to get in sooner rather than later incase it does lead to a path of oversaturation and the barriers to entry become even harder?

SN: those who do outsource their transcriptions are you only looking for certain certifications, experience, would you ever be open to someone brand new, and what would be the best way to go about getting work from you?

TIA!! And sorry for the lengthy post! 😅😅

I am starting down the voice writer path, I know I’ll need a pretty good laptop but I’m clueless on where to begin or what I should be sure to have for this job.

is someone willing to share some custom words they’ve created along the way? I’m a new voice reporter, and I’ve been working for about 8 months, and I want to start using more custom words when I am dictating!! any suggestions/ideas welcomed! :)

Hi all- Just beginning to use code phrases, and keek and kak is the 'standard' for Q & A- I just find myself mixing them up a lot and then questioning if I used the correct one, which makes me drop words.
Do any voice reporters have other codes they use for Q & A that might be a little easier to use when jumping back and forth so much?

I'm into week 3 of school and I'm feeling confident about theory and shorthand (that'll change when we work on speed)

Every week we have a new guest speaker talk about their career & what types of work they do, and I'm totally lost. This field is much more diverse than I thought it would be, which I'm grateful for, but I have no real context or understanding of how any of this works.

Any recommendations: podcasts, books, creators on youtube who help unpack the court reporting and legal field in general? (not so much theory).

The NVRA is hosting two sessions on September 13 and September 20 at 6 PM EDT

Link and details in the comments

I have been reporting for a year and half. I still feel like i’m messing up read backs and I hate the feeling of being not good enough. Has anyone transitioned into a related field? I cannot stand feeling so incompetent anymore. I have great days but I also have days where I feel so embarrassed and I’m not sure how to handle this.

currently a student and i’m noticing i feel the need to crack my wrists a lot. i’ve always cracked my wrists and i’ve had some injuries (via a car accident/sports) over the years. i wanted to ask if it’ll be beneficial to start wearing a guard or wrist support when practicing? or if there’s a way to make them stronger? any advice appreciated!

Hey r/courtreporting! I'm helping my partner shop for laptops for the RVT courses right now. I have a technical background so the laptop shopping isn't daunting, nor is software setup, but I'm finding the information to be a bit scattered and unclear. I want to get a laptop that will also serve as a daily driver for professional use too, not just for student work.

On [RVT's supply list] (https://realtimevoicetraining.com/supply-list/) I see that they also require students get the [Boost Box](https://eclipsecat.com/product/BoostBoxG4) prior to class 5 and for state testing (since you can't be connected to the internet during testing).

My questions:

1. Is the Boost Box is truly required, both for RVT courses and later for profession work?
2. If you have a sufficiently powerful laptop do you still need the Boost Box? It seems like the Boost Box aims solves two problems: help weaker laptops, and software installation.
3. From what I read running Eclipse and Speechmatics locally requires setting up docker containers, so I'm wondering: is the Boost Box is just Advantage's (and RVT's) way of easing that local software setup for people/students?
4. Are there clear instructions for what the docker setup is if you don't get the Boost Box?
5. If I don't get a Boost Box do I need a laptop with a dedicated GPU? I'm getting mixed information about this.
6. With respect to hardware, anything you know now that wasn't obvious at the start?
7. What did you end up getting for the RVT course work, and did you upgrade/change gear for professional use?

Thanks a ton!

edit: formatting

I have lost 2/3 of these rubber tips that fit onto the ends of the tripod feet of my steno writer.
I called Stenograph and asked about buying replacements and was told that they don’t sell just the rubber bits. I would need to purchase a whole new tripod! That’s laughable. I have since emailed Stenograph with another plea and am waiting on a response.
I have also scoured the internet for a solution. The tripod ends are very specifically shaped, I haven’t seen anything that looks like it would fit in there very well.

Has anyone dealt with this issue/ have any ideas for a solution?

I (27F) would love to connect with court reporters in the greater Seattle area, Washington state, and/or anyone who has attended Green River Community College!
I’m currently enrolled in the NCRA A to Z program and would love to hear about how court reporting is like in my own area.

For those who attended GRCC, when did you attend? I’ve been hearing mixed opinions about the program from a couple years ago and would like to know if it’s running smoother recently. This is my #1 option for schooling since it’s the only accredited school in WA and I want to take advantage of in-state tuition!

I have more questions but I want to keep it short for now.

I went to the court to attend the hearing to reopen my case but they informed me that that the hearing was scheduled by mistake; this an example how the justice system works in the UK 🇬🇧 Administrative error saying they’d re open my case. I didn’t receive the original summons re speeding in the post. Vow, UK justice for you. I think it was immoral because the court gives you the option, hope, opportunity to defend yourself and then they take this hope away, it’s deeply morally wrong 😑
Only human must bear the consequences of the decisions and mistakes of the system , is that what the justice supposed to look like in the UK today?

Hi everyone! I’m starting the A to Z program Thursday and I brought out the machine yesterday and learned each letter on the keyboard. Initially I was very overwhelmed but by the evening my brain had memorized each letter and where they go. I noticed that my finger would press another key when I wasn’t intending on this. Is this a machine setting or is this something I am just going to have to learn overtime? I’m super excited to start class on Thursday.

I've been reviewing the NVRA.org site as I research voice writing and noticed this statement regarding testing:

"Statement:

Voice writers work as CART providers and Captioners nationwide. Voice writing court reporters can practice in state court systems in the following states and the District of Columbia: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona (with VR system), Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada, New Hampshire, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Washington, DC. In addition, voice writing court reporters work in the Federal Judicial System nationwide, the Military Court System internationally, and the U.S. Congress."

Can anyone explain what they mean when they say "with VR system" for Arizona?

Page for reference: https://www.nvra.org/test-schedule-and-registration

It's the only state that has that caveat, and as someone from Arizona, I'm just concerned there's something I'm missing regarding the requirements.

Voice writing programs are very expensive, so before committing, I'm just trying to make sure I understand what I'm getting into. It has been a bit difficult and confusing to find information about Arizona specifically since so many people usually talk about other states like California, Texas, etc. I've never even seen another voice writer mention that they're working in Arizona, which gives me pause.

Please go easy on me! I'm very new to all this and still researching the field. :)

Edit: Also, I realize I made a typo in the title of this thread. Unfortunately, it won't let me fix it!

I just started the MSU West Plains course for digital reporting… is there anything else I need to know about? Basically, I could use any advice I can get.