Author: The ability to locate your computer keyboard is quickly becoming common knowledge. These are five pointers to keep your keyboard proficiency current.
Most, if not all, professions include working with computers and necessitate proficient typing abilities. Professionals in information technology, for instance, need to be proficient typers in order to develop computer and software programme code. Due to the possibility that a minor misspelling could cause a system-wide error, accuracy is just as crucial as speed.
Yet, many people turn to hunt-and-peck typing, or staring down at the keyboard to press the correct keys one at a time, because they lack the necessary instruction and experience. Hunt-and-peck techniques have become more prevalent as a result of mobile technology like tablets and smartphones.
Touch-typing, or using the keyboard without glancing at the screen, is the most popular typing technique. The hunt-and-peck approach is far less effective than this; the typical individual types at a rate of 40 words per minute, whereas someone who uses the touch-type method can reach speeds of over 75 words per minute, enabling them to do their work much more quickly and with fewer mistakes.
The following advice can help you become a better typer as you get ready to enter the workforce:
1. Start from the appropriate position.
It's crucial to adopt the right hand location when honing your typing technique. Keep your thumbs over the space bar and your fingers over the keys in the home row (left hand over the A, S, D, and F keys, and right hand over the J, K, L, and ; keys) to begin. You can nudge your fingers in this direction to access nearby keys. Always bring your hands back to this beginning position.
These conventions are there to make it easier for you to become used to the keyboard. You can experiment with many versions of this starting posture as you gain skill to determine the setting that feels most natural and at-ease for you.
2. Keep a straight back.
It will be simpler to type more quickly if you are seated upright. Try switching to a chair with a straight back or working at your desk if you are used to slouching in your seat or doing your job from the couch.
3. Place your hands in a relaxed position.
It can be uncomfortable to type for long stretches of time if your hands are not properly positioned. To avoid reading your screen or typing at an angle, position your body such that the space bar on your keyboard is centred with it. Keep your wrists slightly lifted while typing and rest your elbows on the table. Your wrists shouldn't ever be drastically bent or angled.
4. Avoid looking down at your hands.
Fix your gaze on your screen rather than your hands. This can be challenging at first, especially if you are still learning where the keys go exactly. Yet, by catching your typos as they happen while staring at the screen, you will be more accurate. As you practise, you'll start to memorise where the keys are, which will help you type faster.
5. Work on it and keep practice
Nothing can be mastered over night, thus daily practise is necessary to significantly increase your typing speed and accuracy. Several websites, including Learn To Type, Typing School, and TypingClub, provide free typing exams and practise. You should take your time when typing these. Rushing through them will initially only lead to further mistakes. Have faith that as you become more comfortable using the keyboard, your speed will naturally increase.
