This question is kind of important , like should we be able to type at insane speeds to be productive or does typing more quickly engenders a better or more efficient outcome ?
Let's talk !
As a programmer , you're mostly bound to the keyboard , so for that reason , you should be aware of your typing ability , however , this skill isn't essentially bound to programmers , anyone who uses a computer can learn to type fast , but is it really a massive priority to learn fast typing ? The answer is , Not really , but if time allows , then yes , you must practice it , it doesn't matter whether you're a programmer or not , this skill is useful in all fields , if you're a writer , then you can write more by being time efficient , if you're a programmer , you write your code more quickly , you can also search things up faster , since you wouldn't be looking at each key individually , you'll feel one with the computer , your fingers will all be at work , while you stare at the screen doing what you're doing , and your 10 fingers will be handling all keyboard related tasks at a quick pace.
How to learn it ?
The process of enhancing your typing speed is extremely easy and basic , you can do it just by practicing 5 to 10 minutes per day , that doesn't sound too much , does it ?
First things first , start by integrating the habit of practicing it in your daily routine , it's easier when it's done for small portions of time like 5 or 10 minutes every day ,once the habit sticks , you should start seeing immediate results.
Secondly , start doing typing tests , these tests will allow you to put your fingers to work , and then you'll get a summary of your speed and accuracy at the end of each test , websites like https://monkeytype.com/ and https://10fastfingers.com/ offer different variations of typing tests , feel free to check them out.
Thirdly , don't over do it , these tests are sort of addicting because they're game-like , so don't get overly obsessed with them , just ensure you're practicing on daily basis for adequate amounts of time.
After a week of continuous practice , you should see drastic changes in your speed.
The average computer user has a typing speed of around 45 Words Per Minute or WPM for short , however , it's really easy to improve and reach speeds of 60WPM or 80WPM , these speeds are really optimal and you should be comfortable enough while typing by then.
A Tip To Further Improve
One thing you could start doing to strengthen your typing skills is to move away from using the mouse too much , start memorizing more keyboard shortcuts , so your hands start being more confident on the keyboard , instead of having to take your hand off every time you want to perform something that could be done using the keyboard , an example would be opening a new tab in the browser , instead of moving the mouse to click the new tab button , you can simply use Cmd + T on Mac , Ctrl + T on Windows , or navigating opened apps using Cmd + Tab || Ctrl + Tab.
Start using these shortcuts more and more , they'll help you be more productive and also hone your keyboard skills.
Top comments (1)
I wrote a small post on how to create a webpage page using js to measure the typing speed in wpm. Typing speed is one of the most important factors for a software developer imo, which is some disregarded in industry.