December 2nd, 2023 – Helpful Tools For The Busy Scopist
These days everyone is looking for ways to be better, faster, more productive. We are in the age of the internet, and as such we have been blessed with a myriad of online tools and websites that can benefit our quest for greatness. I am a millennial, and I grew up with the internet- this to say I grew up at the same time the internet grew up, like old friends. Today, I want to share with you the tools and websites I as a scopist use (both free and paid) to aid me in my everyday work life!
Helpful Tools For Reference
Harvard Medical Dictionary and OpenMD
I have a lot of different dictionaries on my computer and on my bookshelf. They are an invaluable resource and helpful tool for finding spellings or even unknown words. This is especially true for medical terminology. As much as I try to stay current on medical jargon (as a scopist should), I’m no doctor. But I don’t have the time to go searching through a regular dictionary looking for a specific medical word.
Instead, I turn to the online medical dictionaries provided by Harvard, and OpenMD. These have become some of the most helpful tools in my arsenal. Harvard is good when you know the word but not the spelling. OpenMD is good for when you don’t totally know what the word is supposed to be, but you know what the first few syllables might sound like. You can look up words quickly and easily in both dictionaries, and OpenMD offers a comprehensive pronunciation guide to test the word against your steno.
Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary
And if you’re stumped on commonplace words and spellings, the Merriam-Webster dictionary is a fast and easy way to find a word while you’re working. I like using the thesaurus tool as well when I’m writing my own blogs, just in case I find I have become trigger-happy with one specific word. This is a helpful tool for finding ways to diversify a text.
Click here to access Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary
Helpful Tools For Improvement in Scopist Skills
Coursera
I have been using Coursera as one of my helpful tools for years now. When I moved to Korea, I was using it in conjunction with books to learn the Korean language. I use it now to learn about marketing, financial strategies, and even cryptography! These are skills I find have been useful when running a scopist business. Coursera is an excellent resource for learning at any stage in your life. You can search and filter by subject, skills, learning level, or duration.
If you’re just in it for the information, like me, you can continue with the free courses with no hassle. But Coursera also offers the option to pay at the end of the course and receive a certificate for the knowledge you gained. That option never suited my needs, but it could be a great resource for others.
Grammarly
Grammarly has been invaluable, an exceptionally helpful tool since the moment I installed the plugin on my web browser. I like the ease of use, getting corrections quickly, and suggestions for changes if I want. It’s free to use, but you can opt for the paid subscription as well if you write often and want a keen eye on your work consistently. The plugin is a quick download, and it works in all your browser pages.
Click here to access Grammarly
Typing Test
I use Typing Test pretty frequently. I need the ability to type quickly and accurately for my job as a scopist, writing blogs, and just general time management! Typing Test offers a lot of different resources and helpful tools, including a general typing test, courses, games, and even competitions.
In the typing test, you can see your original WPM (Words Per Minute), your accuracy percentage, and your overall WPM. You can choose a variety of time, difficulty, and length options to test your abilities. This is great if you want to challenge yourself, improve your skills, or just see your benchmark.
Click here to access Typing Test
Paid Resources
Dropbox
Dropbox is an online platform used to share and store files. Transcripts can be a tricky business, and they can be massive! It can be a hassle to zip and send files, but Dropbox is a great, helpful tool that offers a solution to send larger files without the fuss.
There are a few subscription options: Plus, Essentials, Business, and Business Plus. They offer a range of services for each package that vary depending on your plan including multiple users, file delivery between 2GB and 250 GB, and extended time to restore deleted files.
This is a good option and helpful tool if you want a user-friendly, reliable service.
Margie Holds Court
Margie Wakeman Wells is a big name in the industry, and for good reason. She has a plethora of knowledge to share and offers great insight. Being able to access her knowledge and database of information is a helpful tool for any scopist at any stage in their career.
On her website, you can gain access to courses on subjects like grammar, punctuation, and language rules. You can read her blog or buy her books on this website as well.
A lot of this content is paid subscription content, but it is great knowledge if you’re looking to learn from one of the best.
Click here to access Margie Wakeman Wells Blog
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There you have it, my go-to websites and tools. I hope you were able to find something useful! If you like this post, make sure to leave a comment down below and check back for new posts on the Next Step Scopist blog!
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