Exploring better ways to type after years of doing it all wrong.

As a college student,  you might think typing should be intuitive. It’s likely not something you think about much, seeing as you’ve probably been doing it for so long. You may not even have noticed that some people type differently from others, or that there are actually recommended techniques for typing.

Or maybe you do — in which case, you’re probably better than I am. Until last month, if you’d asked me, I would have told you I was the greatest typist of all time. I spend most of my time typing, writing and editing articles, coding and debugging, and applying for internships (though Google has yet to give me a chance). I spend more than half of my day typing.

And yet, I still struggle with it. I am currently typing this article like a duck, wobbling my fingers and trying to remember the YouTube tutorial I watched earlier that showed me the proper finger placement when typing.

A while ago, I started experiencing discomfort in my finger joints when I typed or wrote. It felt as though they were exhausted from being used too much. At first, I thought this was a medical issue and was about to start writing my eulogy for when I was gone until I stopped to consider, What if I am typing wrong?

In this world, there are different kinds of typists. And as a hybrid typer, let’s just say I could be more efficient. I use two fingers to type, my right ring finger and my left index finger. They carry the weight, finding all the letters, and pressing on the keys.

Hybrid typing is a common approach that combines various typing techniques. People who use this style tend to focus on the screen but occasionally have to glance down to find the key positions. While it works for many, it is not always the most ergonomic or efficient method.

One of the disadvantages of hybrid typing is the tendency for frequent typos. The problem with using just two fingers, or hybrid typing, is that while you can learn to type fast, it puts a lot of strain on your fingers. When the workload is balanced among all 10 fingers, you’re less likely to experience pain or develop repetitive strain injuries such as carpal tunnel syndrome.

Typing using all 10 fingers is known as touch typing. Using this method, typists keep their wrists relaxed and rested down, rather than lifting them while typing, which helps prevent carpal tunnel syndrome. Touch typing also reduces the likelihood of making spelling errors, since each keystroke is made by the finger closest to the desired key. As a result, typists can type faster and more accurately.

However, transitioning from hybrid typing to touch typing can be challenging. As someone who has used the hybrid technique all my life, it’s been tough reminding myself to use the proper finger placement and to correct myself when I slip back into using just two fingers.

I had to do some research on touch typing and how to practice it. I used websites like Typing.com to learn the correct hand placement and keystrokes. They also offer typing exercises, which improve your typing speed. Another great site is TypingClub. It groups letters together in different sections so you can focus on the letters that have been the most difficult for you.

Overall, this process has been a valuable lesson. It reminds me that learning never stops and that there are always more efficient ways to do things. It’s important to keep an open mind and learn new strategies that are easier and faster.

If you’ve been experiencing pain while typing or having trouble writing,  it might be time to evaluate your typing style. Is it comfortable? Are any of your fingers being strained too hard? If so, you might want to switch to a different method, like touch typing. However, the issue could be something else entirely, so be sure to consult your physician first.