Practical Pointers for Shorthand Students

Front matter

PRACTICAL POINTERS

for

STUDENTS

Part 1

CAN I LEARN SHORTHAND?

Do you think I am too old to learn it? Am I too young to master it? These questions are frequently asked by prospective shorthand students. The question of age has nothing to do with it. It is a matter of application and determination, of which the oldest and youngest students are capable. Anyone with an average brain can learn the principles of shorthand and typewriting, but it requires earnest study and practice to make a success of it, and the student who puts forth his best effort, and works intelligently, will master it and ultimately be successful.

WHICH SYSTEM OF SHORTHAND?

The author's opinion in regard to shorthand systems is well known. For twenty years he wrote and taught the Pitman system, and afterwards adopted Gregg Shorthand—reluctantly at first, but with increasing enthusiasm as he gained a deeper knowl- edge of its remarkable merits and resources. The lapse of time has in no wise diminished his faith in the system or in its future. As the first teacher of Gregg Shorthand in America, it has been a source of pride and satisfaction to him to watch its wonderful strides in popular favor, until today it is unquestionably more widely taught in this country than any other system. Its success, and the results accomplished by it, have vindicated the claims we made on its behalf when it was struggling for a footing, and this has naturally been a great gratification to us.

Its ease of acquirement, its common-sense basic principles, its rapidity, and its great legibility, are all factors which should not, and must not be overlooked. It is based on longhand principles, having the uniform slope and freedom of movement to which the hand is accustomed. But one position—on the line—is used and the characters are all light. It offers no difficulties that cannot be easily surmounted by the student of ordinary ability, and it has been proved by the test of years to be equal to all emergencies. It answers every requirement of a shorthand system without one-tenth of the difficulty which the older methods offer. Gregg Shorthand is modern and up-to-date.

Oftentimes students are discouraged because someone who writes a different system tells them that they have made a mistake. Now, it must be clear to anyone of ordinary intelligence that the opinions of those who know but one system are absolutely worthless regarding the merits of other systems of which they know nothing. Upon investigation, it will be found that practical writers, reporters and teachers of all other systems have changed to the Gregg, and it is the only system of which this can be said. On the other hand, we have never known, in all our experience, any practical writer of the Gregg to change to another system. This, in itself, should be conclusive evidence that Gregg Shorthand possesses an inherent strength that makes it superior to all others.

ADVANTAGES OF SHORTHAND TO A YOUNG ΜΑΝ.

In these days of keen commercial competition when men are struggling for supremacy, a young man starting out in life is very prone to ask: "What will I get out of shorthand?" Shorthand as an educational factor cannot be overestimated. It stimulates thought, creates mental alertness, and the requirements for facility of execution give a training almost unattainable in any other way. To catch the fleeting word, to record its shorthand symbol, and, then, with almost equal rapidity, to print its alphabetic equivalent on the typewriter, call for mental activity and harmony of thought and action required by hardly any other study.

The study of shorthand will increase the student's knowledge of the English language, it will enlarge his vocabulary, and altogether give him a better education than he could obtain in the same length of time through almost any other channel. Shorthand brings the young man in close contact with the principal of the business in which he is engaged. It gives him the close, personal acquaintance in this way that no other employment enjoys. Thus, if a young man possesses ability, such a position proves a stepping stone to better things.

Further, it will bring the beginner in business more money, and, in many cases, shorter business hours than any other clerical position.

"Once a bookkeeper—always a bookkeeper" is an old saying, but a wide future stretches out before the young man stenographer, limited only by his own ability and ambition. The shorthand writer is a specialist, and as such deserves and obtains the reward which should be his.

ADVANTAGES OF SHORTHAND TO A YOUNG WOMAN.

"What shall we do with our girls?" is a question that has appealed to, and will face in the future, many an anxious parent. Shorthand and typewriting offer a comparatively easy way of answering this question. Thousands of young women are today earning, not only a living, comfortable for themselves, but at the same time laying the foundation for future competence by the means of shorthand. Women stenographers, it may safely be said, are writing two-thirds of the correspondence of the United States, and from all reports the number of women stenographers is increasing rapidly in European cities. Every year adds to the huge army. Shorthand and typewriting do for the young woman all they do for the young man, and more they make her independent. In thousands of offices the woman stenographer is counted as absolutely indispensable. Her ready brain easily assimilates shorthand and her nimble fingers fly over the keys of the typewriter with unrivaled rapidity. Her presence has raised the tone of many an office and her salary has often proved for the family at home "real help in time of trouble." The woman stenographer has come to stay.

You can be one of the number if you will have patience and perseverance to study, but be not content to be a stenographer of mediocre ability; be above the average if you want your ability to be recognized and rewarded.

THE GREATEST HEIGHTS NOT REACHED BY EASY FLIGHT.

During the initiatory period of shorthand, the average student is very apt to take an exaggerated view of what his future position should be. He pictures himself, after a few months of study, taking down with facility the lecture of the professor, the speeches of the senator or political aspirant, or the Sunday sermons of the minister. Let him at once disabuse his mind of these illusions. This phase of shorthand existence is reached only after years of patient study and hard work. Be ambitious, if you will, but remember that you have limitations. No matter how high your aims are, there are always greater heights to attain; but they cannot be attained if the slow steps of progress that lead to them are scorned. The reporter's chair is well to bear in mind as a goal to work for, but it is not reached by the mere study of shorthand. There are hundreds of good stenographers to one shorthand reporter. The two branches—of court reporting and commercial stenography—although allied. are far apart. The shorthand reporter has been with us for years; the office stenographer is a creation of recent times. There are many phases of office and commercial life which call for great speed in shorthand, and these, in turn, lead to boundless opportunities for advancement. Qualify yourself first for office duties; be a good amanuensis by learning to write shorthand well and read it with facility. Learn to operate a typewriter accurately and rapidly. When you have attained this height, continue to study and practice shorthand until you are master of it in every detail; improve your general education by wide and intelligent reading, and in due course you may be qualified to become a court reporter.

IS THERE AN OVER-SUPPLY OF STENOGRAPHERS?

Stenographers are of every grade. It is an unfortunate fact that many of them possess only a limited knowledge of shorthand and typewriting, and an indifferent command of English, and in many cases show a lamentable ignorance of even the simplest details. The student should be taught that a knowledge of shorthand and typewriting is not the only essential. There are more stenographers employed today than ever before in the history of the world. Possibly, too, there are more out of employment than ever before. The reason is plain. The business man of today wants a stenographer who is familiar with business forms in general, and who will acquaint himself thoroughly with the technicalities of the business in which he is engaged—one who can conduct his employer's correspondence intelligently. He wants a stenographer who is ambitious and who will make his employer's interests his own.

To succeed as a stenographer you must be thorough in your study and in your work. You must write shorthand swiftly, and transcribe it on the typewriter with speed and accuracy. For those who can do this there are always positions to be had. But for the ill-prepared, immature stenographer, who cannot take dictation and cannot transcribe his notes, there is no room and never-will be. Through lack of ability and energy, such stenographers fail to hold a position for more than a few days. There never has been such a demand for good, all-round stenographers as there is today. The standard is high and it requires work to reach it.

HOW TO LEARN SHORTHAND AND TYPEWRITING.

The most satisfactory, economical, and quickest way to learn shorthand and typewriting is to attend some well-equipped commercial school, or to employ the services of a competent teacher. By the first plan, the best teaching, combined with the benefits of the experience of years of instruction, is secured at a moderate cost. The majority of business schools are equipped with typewriting machines of standard make, and the prospective student should ascertain before entering a school its facilities for giving good typewriting instruction. While it is advisable for the student to train himself to become expert as possible on one make of machine, he should also have a working knowledge of others. Further, each business school has many opportunities of placing its qualified students in remunerative positions. So in every way it is preferable for the embryo stenographer to have the benefit of the thorough training a business school affords.

Another way is to take lessons from a reputable teacher or correspondence school. Learning shorthand by correspondence is necessarily a slow process. and it is not so thorough nor so rapid as personal instruction. By this plan it is necessary for the stu- dent to purchase or rent a typewriter upon which to transcribe his shorthand notes at home. He must also have someone dictate to him in order that he may attain speed in shorthand. If possible, after receiving mail instruction, the student should have the benefit of some personal instruction to finish and thoroughly equip him for his career.

The third plan is the cheapest. It is to purchase a shorthand text-book, rent or buy a typewriter, and study at home, without the aid of a teacher. Many have done this and succeeded, but it is uphill, discouraging work, and is only to be commended for its economy. The assistance of a good school is by far to be preferred.

THE ADVANTAGE OF HAVING AN INSTRUCTOR.

While there is no royal road to success in shorthand, the advantages of having personal instruction are obvious.

We quote the following from an old shorthand book: "The assistance of a teacher, when it can be obtained, is of great advantage in the study of this art. Men differ in their genius and perceptions, and every pupil has his own peculiar views and ideas. Difficulties present themselves to some minds which never occur to others, and which no writer on the subject can anticipate. It is impossible, in a public treatise, to lay down rules and explanations adapted to the several capacities, and satisfactory to the un- derstanding of all who may endeavor to learn by it. A teacher, however, has it in his power to give such minute and personal instructions as cannot fail to produce a beneficial result. He can at once explain to the student whatever seems obscure and ambiguous; can solve his difficulties, correct his mistakes, assist his invention, encourage him in his progress, and lead him on to practical proficiency."

By the aid of a teacher, the difficulties which beset the path of the student are overcome, and the student is skillfully guided over the rough places. To have a teacher to point out errors of form and outline, mistakes in typewriting, faults in spelling, and lapses in punctuation, is an almost indispensable aid. An encouraging word, an appropriate suggestion, which the conscientious teacher gives, strips shorthand of many of its difficulties. Then, when the trials of study are over, and the pupil is ready to embark in business, the teacher is able and willing to assist him to a good position. Get a good teacher, then, by all means, and you will find your study lightened.

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.

MAKE HASTE SLOWLY.

The old Latin proverb, "Festine Lente"—make haste slowly—should be taken seriously to heart by the shorthand student. Don't be over-anxious, 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 pen or pencil to paper, in the study of shorthand, or finger to typewriter, in learning typewriting, 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 are your shorthand notes if you cannot 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."

NOTE-BOOK AND PAPER.

One of the greatest advantages of stenography is its ready adaptability to emergencies. All that is required to bring it immediately into service is paper of good quality, preferably in the shape of a note-book opening at the ends, and a pencil or pen. Because of the fact that Gregg Shorthand is written with characters all of one thickness, the best paper for note-books is that with a fairly smooth texture. This offers less resistance to the pen or pencil, is therefore easier to use, and avoids all danger of the pen point catching in the paper, as it often does in the rough paper note-books. While it is not absolutely necessary that the paper should be ruled for use with Gregg Shorthand, ruled paper is more convenient. Note-books ruled in blue are less fatiguing to the eyes than those ruled in red. A good plan is to have a perpendicular line down the middle from top to bottom of each page. The student should first fill up the space on the left of the perpendicular line, and then the space on the right. This will insure small shorthand characters, the value of which is alluded to in another chapter.

Write on the side of the paper nearest you when the book is open. When the book is filled on one side, turn it and fill it on the other side.

THE CORRECT POSITION IN WRITING.

In learning shorthand and writing it rapidly, one must have a comfortable position. Sit well in front of the table—erect as in writing longhand. Let the left arm rest on the table, and spread the fingers of the left hand on the lower left side of the note-book, to hold the paper in position. Don't lean your chest on the desk. Hold the pen or pencil naturally as in penmanship, and let your right arm be as free as possible, resting lightly on the table. The little finger of the right hand should glide over the paper. Use the combined forearm and finger movement. Put as little pressure on the pen or pencil as possible. The lighter your touch, the faster you will write. Don't rest your head on your left hand, because that hand will be kept busy in turning the leaves of your note-book. Don't lounge in your seat when taking dictation, or during lulls in the dictation; it looks lazy and is not conducive to speed.

Be alert, ready for emergencies and rapid spurts of the dictator at all times. One never knows when a burst of speed is coming. It is a good plan to have a stiff-covered note-book and practice taking notes with the book resting on your knees occasionally. It is what the stenographer has to do sometimes, and a little practice will fit him for such an emergency. When writing on your knee, the left hand must be spread on the note-book with the first finger ready to turn the leaf.

PEN OR PENCIL?

It is an open and much debated question, which is best for shorthand writing—pen or pencil. Both instruments have their strong advocates. The fountain pen is to be preferred, provided you have a good one and good ink. The ever-ready pencil, sharpened at both ends, has its advantages, however, and thousands of reports and other shorthand data are daily taken by its use. If the pencil point breaks, the other end can be brought into service and a reserve pencil will place two other points at your instant disposal. In using the pencil, however, be sure to keep it sharp; never write with a blunt point. Further, be sure to get a pencil of good quality, and not one with a harsh and gritty lead.

The notes you write with a pen are clearer, neater and easier to read than pencil notes. Further, there is less danger of their becoming obliterated when written with pen and ink. The fountain pen, on the other hand, has its drawbacks. It may refuse to flow just at the exact moment you desire to use it. A good shaking will sometimes remedy this, but not always. Again, you may have forgotten to fill it, and the pen runs dry—a contingency which must be guarded against by filling it regularly every morning. The ink may clog from various causes. With a moderate amount of care and attention, however, the fountain pen will be found to be almost indispensable to the shorthand writer. Use a fountain pen if you can, but be sure that it is a good one, suited to your hand. A fine point is generally to be preferred.

SIZE OF NOTES.

When alluding to note-books under a previous caption, we wrote of the perpendicular line in the middle of each page of the note-book. It has been found that note-books ruled in this manner tend to decrease the size of notes. The average stenographer writes his shorthand characters too large and this tendency is increased when he writes rapidly. Write as small as you reasonably can and let the characters be as close together as possible. Try to find your "stride," and stick to it. The shorter the distance the hand has to travel, the more quickly, of course, the distance can be overcome. So, large notes, by causing more frequent transition from line to line and from page to page, hinder speed. Don't flourish the pencil in the air, making invisible characters before beginning to write, but strike the paper with the first movement. The large straggling notes usually prove unintelligible.

The talented author of Gregg Shorthand wrote the following excellent advice on this subject:

"Avoid a sprawling style of writing. It looks unsightly and shows a lack of artistic taste. But there are practical considerations in favor of neat, compact shorthand writing. With small outlines there is less traveling of the hand across a page, less effort and flurry, less time lost in passing from line to line and page to page. What a difference there is in the work of an expert and a beginner at the reporter's table. The expert seems to write mechanically—the pen glides smoothly across the paper, drops from line to line without apparent effort, and the page turns easily without a rustle. It all appears so simple that one is apt to imagine that the speaker is going at a very moderate pace; but this idea is quickly dispelled by a glance at the beginner. See the wild flourishes, the frantic jump from line to line, and the excited jerk with which the page is turned—what a contrast! Try to cultivate a neat, compact, artistic style of writing, and you will feel repaid by the increased speed and print-like legibility that will result."

PUNCTUALITY AND REGULARITY IN ATTENDANCE.

Too much cannot be said in favor of punctuality and regularity in attendance at school. Many stu- dents when attending a business school think that they can come at any time, (if allowed to do so), and that absence of a day or more will make no difference. This is the wrong idea. Students of shorthand are no longer school children. They are men and women who have entered upon the business of life where "time is money," and habits of punctuality and regularity should be rigidly enforced. Rigid adherence to business hours is demanded by employers, and habits of life are formed in student days; therefore, let them be good ones. Throw all your energies into the business of learning shorthand and typewriting while you are at school and accustom yourself to habits of punctuality and a strict adherence to the business at hand.

HAVE CONFIDENCE IN YOUR SYSTEM.

If, in the course of your studies, your progress is not as satisfactory as you think it should be, do not blame the system of shorthand for it. Have confidence in your system, and having once taken up the study, let no fear of future results interfere with present duty. Remember that hundreds and thousands of young people have studied the same method before you and have succeeded—why shouldn't you? You may be slow in acquiring it. but what of that? "The race is not always to the swift," and the plodder is as certain to reach the goal as the student who learns rapidly—sometimes more sure. Don't give up to discouragement. Success in any calling is but the natural outcome of sure and accurate knowledge. Gregg Shorthand is so simple and rational that it commends itself to everyone, and you can surely learn it. Have confidence that you can do what others have done and you will do it successfully.

TRANSCRIBE YOUR NOTES.

Several years ago we made an attempt to study one of the early English methods of stenography without the aid of a teacher. We progressed finely, could take rapid notes, and every Sunday endeavored to report our minister's sermon. We "followed" him some way behind, but we got it down somehow. After church, however, came the ordeal—to transcribe it. Only a word here and there could be read and the rest was unintelligible. There was nothing to do but to begin the study of shorthand again, and with another system, for being young and foolish, we conceived the idea that it was the system that was at fault. The next time we had a teacher who insisted upon our reading every shorthand character we wrote, and then all difficulties of reading vanished. Take warning by our experience.

If you wish to be successful with shorthand, read all your notes, or better still, transcribe them on the typewriter. You will learn more by transcribing shorthand than by writing it. Once the shorthand outlines are photographed upon the brain, as they are in transcribing, they will be instantly recalled whenever the word is heard. You will then write them without hesitation, and when you can write shorthand without hesitation you will have the longed-for speed.

Do not think this time spent in properly learning the principles of shorthand and typewriting is wasted. It is nothing of the kind—it is time saved. Just realize for one moment what your position will be when you take your first step into the business world. Your employer will dictate to you a number of letters, perhaps four, and maybe forty. You take them down as best you can. Occasionally an unfamiliar word will disturb, or perhaps completely disconcert you. You make a supreme effort at an outline, and struggle along, wishing you had your teacher at your elbow to refer to. At length he finishes and curtly says, "The machine is in the corner; the paper's in the drawer; just get those letters out for me by the time I return."

Then you are left alone to work out your own salvation as a stenographer. This is the crucial test, where you will prove whether you have studied properly. You go to the machine and set about your work. Your employer returns in due course and asks for his letters. Suppose you haven't been able to read your notes. The letters will never catch that night's mail and your employer will probably look for another stenographer who is competent to take his dictation. And would he not be justified in discharging you? Inability to transcribe their notes is the great failing of the majority of stenographers. Don't be one of that class. Transcribe every line of shorthand you write during your study of shorthand, and you will not go through such an experience as that outlined above.

IMPORTANCE OF READING SHORTHAND.

The reading of shorthand should not be confined wholly to one's own notes. It is well to read nicely engraved or printed shorthand notes. For this purpose the "Gregg Writer" and other shorthand publications and books are invaluable and should be used wherever possible. The more reading of shorthand the pupil gets, the more familiar the characters become, the more readily also they are recalled and when again heard, the more rapidly they are written. For years the author of Gregg Shorthand and the writer of these lines have corresponded in shorthand, written on unruled paper, and every word has been as plain and legible as print. Evidence taken in court, and at hearings has been transcribed readily by both.

Gregg Shorthand by its invariability of outline, by its one way of writing each word in the English language, is especially adapted for interchange in reading. Subscribe for the shorthand magazine of your system and provide yourself with all the shorthand literature of the system. Practice it and read it until it becomes part of your being. You will thus lay the solid foundation without which success cannot be attained.

MASTER EACH LESSON.

We found by years of experience in teaching that many pupils are anxious to study lessons ahead.. They imagine they know a lesson when the principles seem clear to them, forgetting that there is a wide difference between theory and practice. It is a mistake to start a new lesson until the preceding one is mastered. Omit nothing and do not confuse your knowledge by perfunctory study of what is too advanced for you. Learn each principle in each lesson thoroughly and let your teacher be judge of whether you are ready for new lessons. Each principle is a stone on which will rest the structure of your shorthand knowledge, and if a stone is lacking in the foundation the structure cannot stand firmly.

DON'T SACRIFICE LEGIBILITY FOR SPEED.

Those who know little or nothing about shorthand frequently ask the stenographer, "How fast do you write?" and the shorthand writer may carelessly reply, "Oh! about 150 to 200 words per minute." Whenever you hear anyone talk like that, just put your hand in your pocket, take out all the spare cash you have, lay it on the table and say: "All this and more shall be yours if you will kindly sit down and write in shorthand what I shall dictate, at the rate you state, 150 words per minute, and then give me an accurate transcript of what you have written." Then you will see the rapid one hide his diminished head and vanish within his shell, as he faintly replies, "Well, I am sorry, but I can't possibly stop just now to give you a test, as I have a previous engagement, but I used to write at that speed when I went to school."

Never boast of your speed! Aim for accuracy and legibility first and speed will follow. Speed as applied to shorthand is a comparative term. Everything depends on the matter dictated. Words of one syllable, it is true, may be written at great speed, or great speed may be attained by practicing the same matter over and over again, but such tests do not represent resent the actual, regular, normal rate at which the student can write.