Envious of your friends who can type as fast as the speed of light? Need to learn how to type faster so you can take down more precise lecture notes or ace your Examplify exam? Look no further – here are seven speedy keyboard hacks that you can learn to boost your everyday productivity.
For Taking Notes in Zoom Lectures
1. Delete Entire Words or Sentences
Source: Github.com
If you’ve made a typo or want to change your sentence, use this hack to quickly delete entire words or sentences so you won’t lag behind in lecture.
Mac → Delete words: Option + Backspace Delete sentences: Command + Backspace Windows → Delete words: Option + Backspace Delete sentences: Command + Backspace
2. Paste and Match Style
If you prefer making your own notes on Google docs instead of simply annotating on the lecturer’s given slides, then you will understand the pains of having to format the document when you use the copy and paste (command + v) function. Using this hack, you can rest at ease as the style of text you are using will be immediately copied over.
Mac → Command + Option + Shift + V Windows → Ctrl + Alt + Shift + V, then select "Unformatted text"
3. Undo
Source: Memebase
Be it when you’re typing notes and want to undo your previous action or even if you’ve accidentally deleted an email while scrolling through your NUS Webmail, the undo button is a lifesaver.
Mac → Control + Z Windows → Control + Z
4. Split your Screen
Useful for when you want to type down notes during Zoom conferences, simply split your screen so you can pull up your document right beside it.
Mac → Control + Command + F Windows → Windows Key + Left/Right arrow
For Writing Reports
1. Open a New Tab
Want to quickly open up a new tab to surf the web? These buttons bring you to a new page.
Mac → Open new tab: Command + T Close new tab: Command + W Windows → Open new tab: Control + T Close new tab: Control + W
Alternatively, you can also use command + spacebar on Mac to search for a document on your computer, or information on the internet.
2. Move Cursor to a Specific Location in a Document
Source: MyOfficeTricks
When writing long-form content, it may be a chore to have to scroll all the way up to re-read your work. Luckily, there’s a way that we can skip right to the top or bottom of our document.
Mac → Move to beginning of doc: Command + Up arrow Move to end of doc: Command + Down arrow Windows → Move to beginning of doc: Control + Page Up Move to end of doc: Control + Page Down
3. Use the “Esc” Key
Source: Pinterest
The function of the Esc key cancels a previous command. This is handy in many situations: say you’re taking a screenshot, only to discover that it’s the wrong part – tap Esc and you won’t need to worry about it.
It may take a little getting used to, but these hacks are sure to save you time and effort in the long run. Do try these out on your keyboard and adopt the methods that work for you in your daily life! Meanwhile, if you have any interesting stories you would like to feature on our blog, contact us on our Instagram page @nusresidentiallife.
