When Transcription Gets Boring... Finding the Fun in Transcription and Overcoming Challenges

 

Funny story: I have not been transcribing for very long, so for this topic I looked up some other websites that may have better tips for finding the fun in transcribing when it gets stressful or boring... and nothing came up! I guess they don't know either, ha-ha. So, although I am not completely sure myself how to make transcription fun, I will give some ideas I want to try when I work.

I will be honest; I do not enjoy transcribing. It's slow, tedious, time consuming, and difficult at times. But I'm sure there's a way to make it fun! Here are some ideas to make it fun and ideas on how to overcome challenges.

Idea #1: Set a 30-minute timer and treat yourself.

My mom has this thing that she does when she works, she has a piece of candy for each task she needs to get done, when she finishes that task, she can have one treat. I like that idea, personally. So, what I may do is take a fun break every 30 minutes to either treat myself or do something I enjoy doing for about 10 to 15 minutes then work for another 30 minutes. Maybe have a candy jar for your accomplishments! 

Idea #2: Race yourself.

My thought is to set a stopwatch and see how fast you can transcribe 5 to 10 minutes of audio and see how fast you can do it. After that many minutes, write down your time and try to beat that time for the next 5 to 10 minutes. It's productive and competitive fun. 

 Idea #3: When you can't make out the words in the audio, re-listen three times and move on.

I have come across many points in audio where no matter how many times I listened to the same word or sentence; I just can't make out what they are saying. Don't waste your time on this. If you can't make it out, put [indiscernible] and come back to it later.

I may come back to this topic again later when I have more experience and have tried these ideas, but until then, there are some ideas to try!