Every edition of this blog that I write currently seems to contain the words “I can’t believe”; but really, I can’t believe that I’m 11 weeks in. I can’t believe I’m writing shorthand at 110wpm. (Although John keeps challenging me and pushing onto 120!) I can’t believe that I have exams in 3 weeks. And I can’t believe that in 9 weeks time I’ll have finished this course. (But can’t is different to don’t, so no, I’m not Victor Meldrew!)
Last week I had a taste of the real thing – my first official crack at the shorthand 100wpm exam. I think it went ok, despite getting a serious attack of the shakes about 30 words in and thinking I was going to collapse completely. A beer at 11am has never tasted as good; PA afterwards wasn’t much fun though.
I’m pretty sure it’s a pass and I’m just sat waiting now for the slowest markers in the worlds, The NCTJ, to post the results.
Bored has been the word for this week – ‘teacher with the spanners’ making us sit through the shorthand classes when most of us think we’ve passed, and then wondering why we’re talking and doing bugger all? Most of us have far more important things to be getting on with….features, CVs, Law, PA , Reporting or, more crucially, Twitter football name contests!!
It’s coming to something when we have to rely on a Chuckle-Brother-Esque collapsing desk to bring a bit of hilarity to the classroom. “That’s coming out of your wages” was comic timing.
Plus, the amount of money that this course costs, you’d think they’d buy furniture that was a bit more sturdy wouldn’t you?
Tuesday the pressure was intense as we were entered into a competition aimed at improving our accuracy. After getting every conceivable jabberwocky spelling right I was let down in the final against Marcus by one word – treatment. About the one English word we’d had and it went.
Wednesday brought even more pressure (for some) – the mock reporting exam. Two and a half hours of our best Duddleston Town efforts! Hopefully most of us will be taking this exam early too – it’s going to be a big week that first week of December. Better to do it before Christmas then spend the festive season drinking the memories away!
Of course, if I don’t make it as a journalist then a secondary career as a political activist could well be on the cards; slacker extraordinaire Chris Parlour left a comment on my Facebook wall which summed it up: “If you spend as much time……”
I wonder if there are any jobs going at the Socialist Worker? I’m sure when the revolution comes I’ll be right up there at the front, somewhere behind DT though I would imagine!
Friday again tomorrow – placement day. Things are still going well at The Dewsbury Reporter and they’re giving me plenty to do. Have an invite to the Christmas party too. Note to self: remember not to become a disgraceful drunk in front of colleagues!
The one downside, is that I have to reign in my political letter writing however, for the next 9 weeks at least!
I’ve had 3 articles published in the paper now; John Cooper was the biggest real-life test of my shorthand that I’ve faced. But at least he was less daunting than the kids I was talking to last week. Give me a 3 stone slimmer any day!
Now, I’m off to nctj.com to press refresh for the thousandth time just in case the results are now up…!
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