I’m 45. I hunt&peck okay, but boy do I envy those youngsters who make the keyboard hum with their clackityclackclacks.
At my age how hard would it be for my calcified brain and arthritic fingers to master the art of touch typing?
Comments from anyone else over 30 who’s tried to learn to type would be most especially welcome. Did you succeed? How good are you? Was it hard? Was it worth the trouble? What “system” would you recommend?
[I saw there was a thread in GQ about learning to play an instrument late in life. Guess I should check it out since I imagine there are strong similarities, yes?]
Don’t be discouraged. I know someone who learned how to use a computer and Word Perfect when he was 71. He just decided he wanted to learn, so he did it by taking courses at a local community college. Good for him.
Your mileage may vary.
It’s entirely up to you and how much you want to learn.
I learned back in high school. Years prior to that I was amazed to see my older cousin typing away so quickly and not even needing to look at the keys. After I finished taking the course in school, it was easy.
Practice, practice, practice. Are there any schools near where you live where you can sign up for adult classes in typing?
Adult classes, definitely. I’m sure your local community college has some classes. Heck, call your local high school. The computer tech teacher maybe be willing to tutor you.
If you want to learn on your own, go to your local software store and get Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing. This is a good, self-paced typing instruction program with exercises to help you learn the finger postions and get practice at your own speed.
stuyguy. I bet if you didn’t look at the keyboard you could probably peck with over 50% accuracy. You’d be amazed how well you already know your keyboard.
and I second fat bald guy’s suggestion about Mavis Beacon Teaching Typing.
also don’t be discuraged if you don’t type “correctly” I type with about 6 fingers and I type plenty fast.
I “third” Mavis. But I have to admit the backspace key gets the biggest workout, mainly because I am sloppy and computers do not make typing mistakes painful to correct.