Learn how to type!

With the end of 2021 just around the corner, I took the time to reflect about some of the things I’ve deliberately practiced in the last couple of years and one of them definitely stands out: Learning how to touch type properly.

Although I’ve played around with computers pretty much my entire life, my typing skills were not really great (about 40 WPM at best) back in 2019.

It was during a Computer Architecture class where I observed a colleague with really great typing skills and asked him about it. He mentioned that he practiced using a website called TypingClub and by looking at him typing the results really showed.

I’ve realized that without a targeted effort it would never get better and so I’ve decided to give TypingClub a shot.

From there onward I’ve began training using their website - which I really recommend :D - and slowly but surely saw my speed increase and my typos rate decrease.

It wasn’t too long before I saw my speed get to 80WPM and then close to 100 WPM, which is what I’m currently capable.

The benefits might not seem obvious but I’ve definitely started to feel them after a while.

As a programmer I most likely won’t be smashing code at 100+ WPM since it usually requires careful thinking but being able to type without too many mistakes really helps you stay in the zone and reduce the mental strain. It is also handy for taking notes, where having the typing speed really shines :D

In today’s economy, most jobs involve some computer usage and being able to type effortlessly helps you a lot. So even if you’re not a programmer, I think learning how to touch type is a really great investment.

So if you’re looking to improve yourself in 2022, definitely consider learning how to touch type ;)

Happy new year!