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I've read through some things dealing with typing skills on this forum and have seen many people say typing skills/speed are crucial for law school success. Would it be a good idea to take a typing class or buy a typing program over the summer before my 1L year? Or, are typing skills not as important as I've seen some people claim? (I'm a pointer finger only kind of guy and have gotten somewhat quick at it, but nowhere near the speed I would have typing correctly)

I just don't want to waste time and/or money over my last summer before long days in the library 1L year if it isn't truly important. Thanks.

http://www.shockwave.com/gamelanding/typershark.jsp

Don't let the sharks eat you!!!

haha pretty fun game but I'd like to first figure out how to actually type still.. i know it's pretty sad that I don't know how to but for exams and papers in undergrad there's never really a time crunch similar to a law school exam so I never took the time to learn

but.. if you know of a different site where there's some sort of free typing lesson that is useful that would be awesome.. but also would like to know if the skills will even be needed to begin with or if there's someone out there who has had no problem taking LS exams with bad typing skills

I'm just a 1L so haven't experienced the time crunch of a true exam yet. But in regard to practice exams and some note-taking, I just don't know how I would survive if I didn't type as well as I do.

How old is OP? I was 12 or 13 when AIM was all the rage. I feel like I've been communicating via keyboard my whole life.

To piggyback off of the previous response, facebook's typing maniac friggin rules.

BlueDiamond wrote:haha pretty fun game but I'd like to first figure out how to actually type still.. i know it's pretty sad that I don't know how to but for exams and papers in undergrad there's never really a time crunch similar to a law school exam so I never took the time to learn

but.. if you know of a different site where there's some sort of free typing lesson that is useful that would be awesome.. but also would like to know if the skills will even be needed to begin with or if there's someone out there who has had no problem taking LS exams with bad typing skills

How long did it take you to type this post? I still have a hard time believing someone in the internet age is completely inept at typing.

People use computers in law school? I figured it was all like the LSAT.

Lieut Kaffee wrote:

BlueDiamond wrote:haha pretty fun game but I'd like to first figure out how to actually type still.. i know it's pretty sad that I don't know how to but for exams and papers in undergrad there's never really a time crunch similar to a law school exam so I never took the time to learn

but.. if you know of a different site where there's some sort of free typing lesson that is useful that would be awesome.. but also would like to know if the skills will even be needed to begin with or if there's someone out there who has had no problem taking LS exams with bad typing skills

How long did it take you to type this post? I still have a hard time believing someone in the internet age is completely inept at typing.

I didn't really time myself. This post came about because of a recent internship I had at my local DA's office. I was at a computer typing something with my pointer finger only approach and she sat down and rattled off 5 pages before I even knew what happened. For using only two fingers I happen to think I'm pretty fast, but she put me to shame.

Then, I looked into it and saw that law school exams are usually typed and figured people with faster typing speeds obviously have an advantage. As the exam is the only grade I'd also like this advantage if it really is one. I guess that was my whole point. I'm not totally inept, just seeing if it is worth the time to learn or if there's someone who has had no problem without knowing how to type properly.

And, thanks for the reply am588. I'll look at the site later this weekend after my post-LSAT activities wear off.

BlueDiamond wrote:I'm not totally inept, just seeing if it is worth the time to learn or if there's someone who has had no problem without knowing how to type properly.

I would say that knowing how to type at a decent rate (say, 30+ wpm) is just part of being a functional adult these days. Like being able to change a tire, sew on a button and boil pasta.

Personally, I wrote a terrible novel in my spare time in UG, and my typing went from ~40wpm to 70+. The novel should be burned (deleted, rather, and the hard drives on which it resides dipped in acid and crushed in a trash compactor), but cranking out 100,000 words did some good anyway. There's really nothing like practice.

rinkrat19 wrote:I would say that knowing how to type at a decent rate (say, 30+ wpm) is just part of being a functional adult these days. Like being able to change a tire, sew on a button and boil pasta.

Learning to type is probably the single best use of your time between now and law school. You don't have to be obsessive about speed, but if you should be able to legitimately type 25-30 wpm without cheating, or the rest of your life is going to suck. Typing is mostly what lawyers do.

CGI Fridays wrote:

rinkrat19 wrote:I would say that knowing how to type at a decent rate (say, 30+ wpm) is just part of being a functional adult these days. Like being able to change a tire, sew on a button and boil pasta.

I'm baffled by the number of people I know who can't change a tire. It pains me.

On the other hand, I get mocked because I suck at pumping my own gas. (I can DO it, I'm just...slow. And I read the directions on the pump.) In Oregon, we have people to do that for us.

One good thing to do is to somehow cover your keyboard(like with a piece of stiff fabric or cardboard) so that you can fit your hands underneath to type but cannot see the keys. One of the biggest things you have to learn when learning to type correctly is to type without looking at your hands or the keyboard.

rinkrat19 wrote:

CGI Fridays wrote:

rinkrat19 wrote:I would say that knowing how to type at a decent rate (say, 30+ wpm) is just part of being a functional adult these days. Like being able to change a tire, sew on a button and boil pasta.

I'm baffled by the number of people I know who can't change a tire. It pains me.

On the other hand, I get mocked because I suck at pumping my own gas. (I can DO it, I'm just...slow. And I read the directions on the pump.) In Oregon, we have people to do that for us.

But do you know 1. where is the proper place to jack up your car, and 2. how to properly tighten the lug nuts.

Renzo wrote: you should be able to legitimately type 25-30 wpm without cheating, or the rest of your life is going to suck. .

If you can't hit at least 60wpm, you're doing it wrong.

Also: http://app.typrx.com

beach_terror wrote:

Renzo wrote: you should be able to legitimately type 25-30 wpm without cheating, or the rest of your life is going to suck. .

If you can't hit at least 60wpm, you're doing it wrong.

Also: http://app.typrx.com

go fuck yourself, beach.

seespotrun wrote:

beach_terror wrote:

Renzo wrote: you should be able to legitimately type 25-30 wpm without cheating, or the rest of your life is going to suck. .

If you can't hit at least 60wpm, you're doing it wrong.

Also: http://app.typrx.com

go fuck yourself, beach.

LOLUMAD?

r6_philly wrote:

rinkrat19 wrote:

CGI Fridays wrote:

rinkrat19 wrote:I would say that knowing how to type at a decent rate (say, 30+ wpm) is just part of being a functional adult these days. Like being able to change a tire, sew on a button and boil pasta.

I'm baffled by the number of people I know who can't change a tire. It pains me.

On the other hand, I get mocked because I suck at pumping my own gas. (I can DO it, I'm just...slow. And I read the directions on the pump.) In Oregon, we have people to do that for us.

But do you know 1. where is the proper place to jack up your car, and 2. how to properly tighten the lug nuts.

1. On the little piece of the frame (dunno what it's called) that is widened and strengthened for the jack, and 2. In a star pattern.

rinkrat19 wrote: 1. On the little piece of the frame (dunno what it's called) that is widened and strengthened for the jack, and 2. In a star pattern.

Well you are well ahead of the curve on this one. The factory jack points are not the best places to jack, but they are the easiest to get to.

Extra credit, do you know why a star pattern?

(sorry, I guess I'm just bored at this point )

Edit, I see you are a girl. I have mad respect for you.

BTW I don't know how people can type 120 WPM. I thought I could type fast but that just blew my mind.

I think being a lawyer requires a lot of typing, so knowing how to type at a decent speed may be a good skill to have.

r6_philly wrote:

rinkrat19 wrote: 1. On the little piece of the frame (dunno what it's called) that is widened and strengthened for the jack, and 2. In a star pattern.

Well sir you are well ahead of the curve on this one. The factory jack points are not the best places to jack, but they are the easiest to get to.

Extra credit, do you know why a star pattern?

(sorry, I guess I'm just bored at this point )

That would be ma'am (or miss, I guess), actually.

Tighten in a star pattern so the wheel is tightened flat against the...whatever the flat round thing on the ends of the axle is called (despite having changed my own brake pads, I don't actually know cars), and doesn't get jammed on crooked only to come loose when the car starts rolling.

Thanks for the links guys. Typing is something I need to learn badly before law school also.

Ragged wrote:Thanks for the links guys. Typing is something I need to learn badly before law school also.

you have 1788 posts on this forum and can't type? I'd say you have mad skillz bro.

beach_terror wrote:

Renzo wrote: you should be able to legitimately type 25-30 wpm without cheating, or the rest of your life is going to suck. .

If you can't hit at least 60wpm, you're doing it wrong.

Also: http://app.typrx.com

That's what I thought, but here's my fun little anecdote...
My first job out of college was as a legal secretary at a V10 firm. Before the interview, I had to pass a typing test. My dad is an attorney (smallish city prosecutor), and I knew his secretaries typed at least 80 wpm. I practiced frantically to get my zero-error speed up to 85 wpm. As the HR assistant reviewed my results (1 or 2 errors, 80ish wpm) she said, "typically they like to see you can type at least 40 wpm with good accuracy".

Of course, the highest accurate speed you can achieve can only benefit you in your law school exams.

Learn how to type properly. THE END.

Exams are usually a time crunch and the faster you type, the more relevant information you can put down.