Improving My Typing Skills

Once I learned to type, I never thought very much about my typing skills. I had to pass a few typing speed tests in high school, and I managed to do this pretty well. Even so, I never completely learned to touch type. I had to look at the keyboard from time to time, and sometimes I even had to hunt and peck a little bit. Nevertheless, all through college I managed to type fast enough to accomplish my projects. I could type basically as fast as I could formulate really well written sentences – fast enough, or so I thought.

When my boss complained to me a few months ago about my productivity, I was pretty surprised. I did not suspect that anything was wrong before he mentioned it, and I certainly didn't think that my typing skills needed any improvement. In his opinion, however, it was one thing I needed to look into. I took a typing speed test, and was surprised when I scored in the bottom quarter of the office staff. Apparently, my typing skills had declined quite a bit since I took typing training in high school. Reluctantly, I agreed to work on it.

I assumed that the only way to improve my typing skills would be to take a class, and was not looking forward to it. I did not have a lot of free time as it was, and taking a typing skills class was about the last thing I wanted to do. When I found out that I could use typing tutor programs, I was practically overjoyed. Spending half an hour a night working on my typing was a lot better than having to drive to the community college and take a typing class several times a week. It was barely an inconvenience at all.

I didn't really like practicing my typing skills, but I was impressed by how quickly they got better. I had thought that improving typing would be a long arduous task, but I found out that I was consistently a few words per minute faster every time I took a typing speed test. It wasn't long before I was up to snuff. I decided to keep working on it, and soon I was typing faster than 70 words per minute. Of course, when I have to type out a business letter or something that requires a little bit of thought, my typing rate decreases a bit, but even so it is more than adequate for my job.

The long and short of tying neckties for every occasion and neck!

Some men, who almost always wear a necktie, are practiced in this fashion art. The wearing of neckties today is becoming a less frequent activity. Lots of men no longer need to wear a tie to the office. The young man in high school may need some help in massaging that necktie into place before going to a job interview or the senior prom. Yet other men, previously tie-less, need to learn this art for a new job in sales or marketing. I don't know if there are many women out there today who, like Lauren Bacall in the 1940s movies, can perform a mean tie-tying with sophistication and flourish, all the while gazing with adoration at the man in the tie.

I certainly can't, but I attribute that to a certain form of visual dyslexia. Looking at a diagrammed lesson in tying neckties forces you to reverse your position, and poor me becomes completely confused. Besides, I don't have the need or desire to become accomplished at this male fashion artistry. However unfortunate it may be, you guys do, on occasion, need to engage in tying neckties.

There are five major necktie styles. You've got the Windsor, Half Windsor, Four in Hand, Pratt, a.k.a. Shelby, and finally, the Bow tie. Why are there so many ways to tie neckties?

The material of which the necktie is made plays a big hand in your choice of style in tying neckties, as does your neck – long, short or regular – and the occasion of the necktie wearing. For example, the Windsor knot is wide, offering an optical illusion which shortens a long neck. The fact that this knot is large makes it say, 'confident and formidable', useful in boardroom presentations and courtrooms.

The Half Windsor, by contrast, is more kicked backed, lending itself well to a wide tie of a light to medium weight fabric. The Four in Hand is the standard for button-down shirts and wide, heavy ties and a good choice for the man with a shorter neck. The Four in Hand creates an optical illusion which makes the neck appear longer. The Pratt, or Shelby knot is good with any style of dress shirt, best suited to wider ties and lighter weight fabrics. The art of tying neckties is not accomplished until you've mastered tying a Bow tie, from scratch! You all know when you need to wear a Bow tie!

Each of these classic knots involves between six and eight distinct steps. If you're a novice at tying neckties, plan on investing a little time, until you've got it down. When you've mastered a knot, you can make a macho impression on your unsuspecting girlfriend. Arrive for your date, necktie draped around your neck. Saunter over to a mirror in view and work your magic. Your girl will be impressed.

As for a necktie wardrobe, shop online for a fantastic assortment with which to practice tying neckties.

Learn to type without taking a formal class: self taught typing works!

Knowing how to type by touch is almost an essential skill. There are some people who still use the 'hunt and peck' method, but you'll never attain the speed you need with this method. When I was in high school, I took the required typing class, but whether out of stubbornness or what, I found it absolutely impossible to type without looking. I marveled at the other kids who skillfully and quickly whizzed along that keyboard with nary a mistake. The end of the course found me accurately typing about 50 words per minute, and that was the end of my typing education. I still type about the same speed. Let me tell you, this isn't the way to go. If you don't know how to type by touch, take the time to learn the right way. Self taught typing works.

There are a couple of approaches you can take with a self taught typing program. There's plenty of software typing programs available, which guide you through your keyboard lessons and automatically monitors your progress. Do not try to proceed to the next lesson until you've mastered the previous lesson. These lessons are constructed in a way that builds your skills in a sequential manner.

If you choose not to use software, or just want an additional learning technique, there's that old standard, the Gregg Typing manual. Just take it page by page, mastering each before proceeding. Unlike the software typing programs, you'll need to correct your own work. The Gregg Typing manual is not quite so interesting in its lesson plans, and you may get quite tired of typing, “The quick brown fox ...”, over ad nauseum, but the Gregg method, used as a self taught typing program, turns out an excellent typist nonetheless.

Being such a typing failure myself, I urged my home schooled daughter to employ both methods. She did, and within a few months, attained an accurate typing speed of 80 words per minute! Amazing, but true.

Self taught typing programs give you have an advantage over formal class training, in that you can schedule your own practice time, you can take as long as you like to complete a lesson and a master typing teacher is not looking over your shoulder, one factor I found to be quite intimidating back in the day.

Along with the wonderful benefits of computer generated papers, it's important to recognize that you absolutely need to know touch typing. I'd say there's no better program than self taught typing to achieve that goal.

Nowadays, more and more people are opting for laptop computers over desktops. Although desktops computers have been traditionally favored because you can get more bang for your buck, laptops are coming more and more into vogue. They have come down in price, and now you can still get a substantial amount of power for a reasonable rate. In the face of this climate, many people ask why they should buy a desktop computer at all? After all, aren't laptops more convenient with their portability and their small footprint?

As a matter of fact, desktop computers still hold a number of advantages over laptop computers. For one thing, the desktop computer is much more durable. Laptops can overheat, can be damaged by little knocks and jolts while they are carried around, and can just wear out on their own much more easily. When something goes wrong on a laptop computer, servicing it can cost a lot of money. Desktop computer repair, by contrast, is quite affordable. Often, if a part goes bad on your desktop pc, You can replace it yourself. Not having to hire a desktop repair guy can save you a lot of money!

Another great thing about the desktop computer is that you can modify it and upgrade it with ease. As I mentioned before, desktop computers tend to be more affordable in the first place. As they get out of date, however, you don't have to replace them. You can buy more memory when you need it, a new hard drive when you need more storage, and even a faster processor. I have several friends who have used the same computer desktops for years, replacing one part and then another whenever they felt the need.

Of course, for high end gaming, a desktop computer is ideal. If you have the money of course, you can buy a top-of-the-line laptop, but most people can't really afford this. If you need a lot of power, you will save tremendous amounts of money by buying a desktop instead. You can even build a your own desktop if you want to, choosing the custom parts that best fit your needs. There are many hobbyists out there who do this for fun or profit, and more people are getting into it every day. Although having a portable laptop is great for doing work on the go, for serious computing, a desktop computer is the only way to go.