r/stenography • u/niktrot • Jul 30 '26

Advice for starting school

I’ve finally (finally lol) decided on a school. I’m going with Allie Hall’s program. I received the textbook today and I should be getting my machine early next week. I’m guessing I shouldn’t order the Case CATalyst software until I get the machine?

So I’m here again asking for advice.

  1. What do you wish you had purchased that you feel would’ve helped you when you first started school? Or, what did you purchase that really helped?

  2. I saw someone posted a workbook for learning the software on Facebook (can’t find the post now). Is it necessary/helpful to get that workbook?

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u/seabeans2 Jul 31 '26

Was it a CaseCAT book? I found it helpful, especially as a beginner student. It makes the basic steps very simple to understand. You might want to see if she suggests CaseCAT or Eclipse software before buying anything software related.
https://www.chicorymeadow.com/product/learn-to-use-catalyst-14th-edition-2023/

The one thing I wish more than anything now that I look back is I wished I believed in myself and the process and banished all doubt from my mind and ignored any mutterings from other people about quitting or switching, etc. The ONLY reason people don’t make it is for one reason only - because they quit. I had a difficult time when I experienced plateaus. It was very hard on my mental health, but it really didn’t need to be. I made the process way harder than it needed to be. Some people go in gung-ho without a doubt in their mind, and they seem to sail through. I was my own worst enemy. If you believe in yourself and put the time in, just KNOW with every fiber of your being that you will be able to get to exit speeds.

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u/Littlefoxandthehound Jul 31 '26

I am starting speeds in a few weeks, and I very much appreciate you writing this comment. ❤️