![\"blog-typing.jpg\"](\"https:\/\/chekyang.com\/musings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/04\/blog-typing.jpg\")
I remember a funny occasions during one of very first few days teaching 13 years ago. I was typing something on the keyboard when a colleague leaned over and said, \u201cWow – are you the new secretary?\u201d She didn\u2019t know who I was at that juncture, and when I explained that I was the new lecturer in the department, she asked how I learnt to type so fast.<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s the thing; my dad had an old 1950s typewriter at our family home in Lentor that I loved practicing on. E.g. when I was taking my \u2018O\u2019 and \u2018A\u2019 levels in 1987 and 1989 respectively, I\u2019d type all my lecture notes out and distribute them around the class. They were quite a hit, since this was way before the time when lecture notes were word processed or even distributed by teachers to students. OK, playing the piano helps in touch typing since muscle memory plays a similar role.<\/p>\n
Funnily, I\u2019ve never thought I\u2019m a fast typist. I just think I\u2019m so-so, but one colleague at work recently remarked during a department meeting at my typing speed. So, I saw that there was a typing speed program on Facebook<\/a>, and I gave it a go. My results at the first try were: 473 keys\/minute, which (very) roughly works out to 94 words\/minute.<\/p>\n Wow; I actually feel relieved, because according to Wikipedia\u2019s entry on speed typing<\/a>, I\u2019d meet the minimum qualification for professional typing positions. That means that if I ever don\u2019t want to teach anymore, apart from being a bus driver (which I announced I intended to become during my graduation speech in 1995 in front of the subdean, and her face turned into one of horror), I can become a typist too!<\/p>\n If you\u2019re not on Facebook, there\u2019s a similar application here<\/a>. And me, I\u2019m going back to improve my score.:)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" I remember a funny occasions during one of very first few days teaching 13 years ago. I was typing something on the keyboard when a colleague leaned over and said, \u201cWow – are you the new secretary?\u201d She didn\u2019t know<\/p>\n