Importance of Typing Speed? Forum

[goosey]

If you are decently fast as it does, does it make a difference if you get to the 100 wpm + range? I mean, in order for the speed to help you, you will have to know the material REALLY well---well enough to be able to throw info out of your brain as fast as you can type.

Secondly: how does examsoft work? We haven't downloaded the software onto our computers yet and I am wondering if its something we type into? or do we use word and the software just blocks other programs out?

[blerg]

1L also, but they showed us stats from our school that grades are distributed fairly evenly between handwritten and typed exams.

I don't think most people even write 20wpm so you should be OK wherever you are.

[skoobily doobily]

1. yes typing speed will help when you're in a 3.5 hour exam that you could easily write 8000+ words for

2. the average typing speed is waaaaaay over 20wpm

3. having decent (not incredible) typing speed won't hold you back from good grades though, it's an advantage but not a necessity.

[Big Shrimpin]

typing speed is dispositive of exam performance, and thereby sets the curve

hth

[goosey]

1. yes typing speed will help when you're in a 3.5 hour exam that you could easily write 8000+ words for

2. the average typing speed is waaaaaay over 20wpm

3. having decent (not incredible) typing speed won't hold you back from good grades though, it's an advantage but not a necessity.

..yeah I was going to say...20 wpm is REALLY slow. my mom can probably type faster than that. I did typeracer and I am between 64 and 75 wpm....wondering if I need to devote 15 minutes a day to typing practice

[blerg]

I didn't mean 20 wpm is an average typing speed, but that it's probably a fast writing speed, and if grades are distributed evenly . . .

[Blindmelon]

If you are decently fast as it does, does it make a difference if you get to the 100 wpm + range? I mean, in order for the speed to help you, you will have to know the material REALLY well---well enough to be able to throw info out of your brain as fast as you can type.

Secondly: how does examsoft work? We haven't downloaded the software onto our computers yet and I am wondering if its something we type into? or do we use word and the software just blocks other programs out?

Typing speed doesn't mean anything. Those who set the curve often have a short exam relative to others. This has been my experience at least - my highest grade was an exam where I only typed in the last hour from my outline. Lowest grade I wrote a ton.

[skoobily doobily]

If you are decently fast as it does, does it make a difference if you get to the 100 wpm + range? I mean, in order for the speed to help you, you will have to know the material REALLY well---well enough to be able to throw info out of your brain as fast as you can type.

Secondly: how does examsoft work? We haven't downloaded the software onto our computers yet and I am wondering if its something we type into? or do we use word and the software just blocks other programs out?

Typing speed doesn't mean anything. Those who set the curve often have a short exam relative to others. This has been my experience at least - my highest grade was an exam where I only typed in the last hour from my outline. Lowest grade I wrote a ton.

shoot, i've heard anecdotal evidence otherwise. How do we reconcile this????

[DeSimone]

Average writing speed is at around 30 WPM. There are various average typing speeds out there, depending on the source, but none of them are meaningful imo as they are not specific to law students. My guess would be in the range of 55-60.

[Renzo]

1. yes typing speed will help when you're in a 3.5 hour exam that you could easily write 8000+ words for

2. the average typing speed is waaaaaay over 20wpm

3. having decent (not incredible) typing speed won't hold you back from good grades though, it's an advantage but not a necessity.

..yeah I was going to say...20 wpm is REALLY slow. my mom can probably type faster than that. I did typeracer and I am between 64 and 75 wpm....wondering if I need to devote 15 minutes a day to typing practice

You're fine. It's not that typing speed matters per se, but rather that not being able to type at a baseline acceptable speed is a handicap in some situations, because you won't get to everything you want. Anyone who can type 40 wmp will be fine.

[Adjudicator]

I'm hoping that my 100+ WPM typing will give me an advantage.

If so, then I can thank text-based RPGs in the 7th and 8th grade.

[joobacca]

the way i see it is the bottleneck is reading, figuring out what the issues are, and then figuring out what to write/going through my outline/whatever is in my head. i don't produce enough information fast enough where typing is the issue/bottleneck

[zeth006]

I'm hoping that my 100+ WPM typing will give me an advantage.

If so, then I can thank text-based RPGs in the 7th and 8th grade.

That and AIM when it was the the shit.

[JG Hall]

Typing speed is going to help you for the rest of your life. If you can't touch-type, LEARN. There is no down side.

Also, I sit behind some guy who types with only his two index fingers, and it's insanely annoying.

[ToTransferOrNot]

Anyone who doesn't think that typing speed matters on these things (up to a point, anyway) is fooling themselves. These exams are designed to be time-pressured. Anything you can do to get more relevant information on the page in the allotted time is going to result in more points/a higher grade.

[jdubb990]

It seems typing speed is only going to help if your organization and planning is fast also. If you plan and organize slow, this will logically counter any benefit you derive from excellent typing skills.

[ToTransferOrNot]

It seems typing speed is only going to help if your organization and planning is fast also. If you plan and organize slow, this will logically counter any benefit you derive from excellent typing skills.

No, no, it won't, because the typing speed will help you make up for some of the time you lose in other places.

[zeth006]

It seems typing speed is only going to help if your organization and planning is fast also. If you plan and organize slow, this will logically counter any benefit you derive from excellent typing skills.

No, no, it won't, because the typing speed will help you make up for some of the time you lose in other places.

That's why prior experience in taking practice exams also will count for much on top of typing speed. I don't expect my typing speed to change by much, but I have yet to master the art of dividing up elements by paragraphs.

[OperaSoprano]

Typing speed can be the icing on the cake, if, as others have said, you organize quickly and you know what you are doing. It cannot make up for failure to apply law to facts. Two of the most successful law students I know can type at speeds approaching triple mine, and I think that is telling. However, a short but well written exam can still get you far. I top out at 45-50 WPM and was lucky to reach my 1L goals in most of my classes. (Legal writing was rough, but that didn't require any timed typing!) Typing at a moderate speed will not kill you, and I would spend your time memorizing your outline and taking practice exams.

[entrechatsix]

To answer the other question, you type into examsoft

[Cupidity]

Don't sweat it. I don't think you can think to an A+ level much faster than 40wpm