The pros and cons of going paperless as a student

I recently upgraded my student writer and made the plunge into the world of paperless. I admit, my initial excitement has officially burned off and now I’m wondering if I made the right decision. I think it is fair to say that the transition has not been as smooth as I had hoped or thought it would be. As a student, there is much to learn and we rely a great deal on the wisdom of those who have gone before us. The problem with that is you can talk to five different reporters and get five different opinions. Sorting through these varying opinions to determine what is right for you can be a bit challenging, and at the end of the day you just have to make a decision and go with it. I do think there is a slight bit of a disadvantage in regards to the opinion pool as many of the reporters went through school with paper machines. With paperless being a relatively new phenomenon, especially in the realm of student-writers, sometimes it is hard not to wonder how much of their thinking is just (dare I say) “old school”. I know, I know. I’m probably not supposed to say that out loud, but you know you, too, have had that very thought. There are also those who seem to almost embrace every advancing technology almost a bit too eagerly and snub the idea of a paper machine as nothing more than a mere relic. In light of all this, I’ve decided to share a few of my own personal pros and cons of going paperless as a student. Now, please note. These are merely my own opinion based on my own experiences. You can take it or leave it as it makes no difference to me.

1. After using a manual writer for so long, I sometimes get irritated with how smooth and light the touch of the paperless is. I know…even as I write that I think that must sound totally crazy. It’s just that it is so drastically different from the manual that I feel like I often press keys I’m not intending to merely because the touch is so extremely gentle. If writing on my paper machine, I doubt I would get even a hint of a shadow. I wonder if I had learned on a paperless from the get-go if this would even be an issue. I think not.

2. On the flip side, I find my hands and fingers don’t get tired nearly as fast as they used to with my paper writer. I’m sure this is due to the fact that the touch is so extremely light that keystrokes are practically effortless. This is definitely not to be undervalued as it is beyond important to be actively taking care of our body. After all, our hands are quite literally our bread and butter.

3. Due to the ultra-light touch, I have trouble with stacking and being able to determine what I was intending to right. Often words transcribe in reverse. So for instance, I might write the words “the car” (T/ KAR). I will write it quickly and correctly, yet it will pop up as a mistranslate stroked reversed and appear on one line as KART. Maybe not the best example, but you get the idea. Sometimes it is easy to figure out, sometimes it isn’t. With a paper it seems to be a bit easier to decipher shadows and stacking.

4. I do miss the convenience of having good old-fashioned steno notes to stash away in my purse for those spare moments that pop up here and there where I can read back on the go. If I want to do that, I now have to print out my notes. I must admit, this is a total pain. I find I rarely do that and as a result I don’t read my notes back as often as I probably should. Shame on me for reading back is an essential form of practice.

5. With paperless there is no ink cartridges to deal with or steno pads to order which is actually quite heavenly. I think I had a stack of paper notes in corner of my office that seemed to grow like a bad weed. Plus, my new-found paperless-ness is stylishly green.

Overall, my opinion is paperless is still definitely where you want to end up, but when and how you get there seems to be a choice that is as personal as whether you prefer 2% or skim milk with your latte. Like most everything in life, you will find someone to agree with you and someone to disagree. I think in hindsight, I may have chosen to wait until I completed school before going paperless…maybe even until a year or so after starting work. But then again, there’s nothing like taking the bull by the horns. So whether it was bravery or insanity that overtook me, I’m currently in the wrestling phase and one way or the other I will come out on top. Watch me.

Failure will never overtake me...

if my determination to succeed is strong enough.
Og Mandino

I have finally crawled out of the deep dark hole of self-pity that I have been wallowing in for the past week, and I am finally ready to announce (ever so sadly, I might add) that there was no good news regarding my latest attempt at the RPR. I’ve wallowed, made my emotional “shoe” purchase to combat my depression, and now I’m ready to pick myself up off the floor and move forward…again! I must admit, this was the first time I actually felt plagued with a bit of self-doubt. Enough so, that for the first time I seriously started to question whether or not I could actually do this. Thankfully, a divine intervention of sorts arrived at this precise moment. When I forgot to send my usual Friday morning email to my favorite CR firm about my weekly intern hours, they contacted me to schedule a depo. Although that is a little unusual, I was secretly relieved. Interning is great for a motivation boost. With elements ranging from strippers to hit and runs, this week's deposition certainly did not disappoint. It felt a bit more like an episode from a bad soap than a depo. As entertaining as it was, it was also a great reminder of why I really love and want to do this. The same day I also received a call, out of the blue, from a CR friend who gave me a healthy dose of encouragement and mini-pep talk. I definitely needed it. So, I am now ready to turn the page, move forward, and pick myself up off the floor for the 18,746th time and will try, try again.

Celebrate

June, the most celebrated month of the year (arguably, of course) has finally arrived. Let the celebrating commence! You may not know it, but only the best have been born in this fine month (enter me). Okay, maybe that's a bit of a stretch, but in all seriousness, for some reason, my calendar is always really full during this month. More birthdays, weddings, and other celebratory events seem to crop up this time of year. I'm pretty sure Hallmark doesn't mind though as it has forced me to become a frequent customer.
Well, it is during this fine month that I will mark the end of my 30th year. It certainly zoomed by. I had such grandiose ideas for all the exciting things I planned to do. Some I did, others I just simply never got around to. Either way, I’m still celebrating because I've had a pretty good year. It definitely involved a LOT of change, but all in all, I think my 30s are definitely off to a great start. More importantly, I’ve learned the importance of celebrating and appreciating those in my life that I love. People are always going to be more important than things, jobs, schedules...It doesn’t matter how busy you get, at the end of the day, it is your relationships that matter most, and sometimes you need to make sure they know how much you appreciate them. This past year has certainly been a monumental transition year for me, but these are a few of the favorites in my life that have made it super great. So this post is for my peeps. Today, I celebrate you (or at least a few of you specifically, but ALL of you in spirit).

My hero, Kiki - "This is E at the front desk..." Man, I miss doing that! :) I celebrate you for daring to make a change (and also for being the willing sucker who would pick me up and drive me to work in nasty snow storms even though I have mad-crazy passenger tendencies which are only amplified in bad weather). You totally rock! You have that special gift of lighting up a room when you walk in the door. I miss the easy way you can bring a quick smile to my face and the many laughs we've shared. You were and are so good for my soul. Know that it takes guts to pack up, walk the other direction, and embrace change. You are a stronger than you know and I'm certain the best is yet to come.

M - My unlikely friend. I remember thinking when we first met that we had absolutely nothing in common. We probably still don’t, but as opposite as we are, you became a forever friend. You have been everything from my shopping buddy, fellow pool bum, and road-tripping sister, to my courtroom support system and my family when there was none nearby. We've helped move each other more times than I care to recall, we've taken vacations and spent holidays together, and some of life's most private and poignant moments have been shared between you and I (and often a small table at Palamino's). We have quite literally walked with each other to hell and back, and I celebrate a bond with you that is unbreakable.

My dear, sweet grumpa – I celebrate your long life and the big, beautiful family you have left behind. I am blessed to have had such a great grandpa in my life for 30 years and you are sorely missed. You will remain forever in my heart (and forever the “king” of the to-do list).

To my other two musketeers here in AZ ...I celebrate the rekindling of old friendships. My transition back to the desert was made a million times easier with your friendships. You've helped to reestablish my faith in God and in his perfect timing. It doesn't hurt, either, that my two beautiful fashionistas keep me looking good, my head screwed on straight, and my my body happy with a little regular yoga-friend time.

To my boys (my bud in Pell City (Exit 2) and the bearded one in the Big Apple) You guys are pretty much awesome! Hands down the best listeners! Mostly because you let me ramble endlessly and it doesn't seem to bother you. I'm so lucky that you are both only a short text or phone call away. You always seem to know just what to say (or more importantly NOT say) when I start rambling on like a blubbering fool. How you both are still single, I honestly do not know. And to the bearded one...anyone who willingly uses their vacation time to help pack me up and move cross country is either A) crazy or B) crazy. Thanks a million! Love you guys!

To the couple who kindly pays the rent…yes, you know who you are. I celebrate the fact that we have not yet killed one another, a true feat indeed. Words are not able to express the amount of accolades you deserve for putting up with my monstrously crazy self. You probably deserve your own holiday, but we wouldn’t want to get carried away…

To my fellow CR’s – I celebrate you for all the times you have painfully pushed me, commiserated with me, talked with me, and most importantly dreamed with me. There is no other group of people filled with more grit and determination than you. So I celebrate the dreamer that resides in you all.

Mark Twain once said, “Really great people make you feel that you, too, can become great. So today I celebrate these, and all the other really great people I’m blessed to have in my life. Cheers to you!

RPR Limbo

Fair warning to all my blog-following, internet-land junkies: I am still currently in RPR limbo as I anxiously await my test results. Because I am a firm believer in “having a plan”, here is mine as I may suddenly "disappear" and you will no doubt wonder where I went. Since my current outlook, in regards to my RPR results, is doom and gloom, I am of course, leaning my plan in the negative direction. (I know! I know! This goes against EVERY last shred of positive thinking we were ever taught to practice, but it is what it is.)
Assuming my results are less than desirable, please note I will likely be found crying in the corner of a nearby Nordstrom’s shoe department. I'm sure to be near a pair of those delicious stilettos I’ve been eyeing but will be unable to purchase thanks to my ill-timed, self-imposed 30-day shopping detox. If you by chance see me here, it is best to abandon any hopes of a shopping intervention, and instead join me in my moping. (Please note: You will not be allowed to speak any words of encouragement as I will promptly kick you out of my pity party. Actually, I might just kick you out if you speak any words at all. Clearly, the only solution here is to just go ahead and purchase that pair of killer shoes for me.)
Now that we have that all squared away, I better get back to my super busy schedule of waiting...and waiting...and waiting some more for that little envelope to arrive in the mail.
As you can see patience is one of my most glamorous virtues.