Level 1Unit A · Session 3
3

Unit A · Using a computer

Getting around

What we are making: speed. By the end of this session you will do several everyday things without reaching for the mouse at all.

The idea

The mouse is easy to learn and slow to use. The keyboard is the opposite. Everybody who works on a computer all day uses the keyboard for the things they do most often, and it is worth about an hour a week for the rest of your life.

You do not need to learn the whole keyboard. You need about eight keys.

EscF1F2F3F4F5F6F7F8F9F10F11F12`1234567890-=BackspaceTabQWERTYUIOP[]CapsASDFGHJKL;EnterShiftZXCVBNM,./ShiftCtrlAltSpaceAltCtrlCtrlhold it down while you press another keyShifthold it for capitals, and to select thingsEnterconfirm, or start a new lineBackspacedelete the character before the cursorTabjump to the next box on a form
The five keys that do the work. The letters you already know.
New words
ShortcutTwo keys pressed together that do a job instantly.
CursorThe blinking line showing where your typing will go.
SelectHighlighting something so the next thing you do happens to it.
ClipboardAn invisible place holding the last thing you copied.

The six worth memorising

Say each one out loud as you do it. That is genuinely how they stick.

KeysWhat it doesWhen you will want it
Ctrl + SSave Every few minutes. Every single time. This one is the most important.
Ctrl + ZUndo the last thing The moment something goes wrong. Works many times over.
Ctrl + CCopy what is selected When you want it in two places.
Ctrl + VPaste what you copied Straight after a copy.
Ctrl + ASelect everything When you want to move or delete the lot.
Alt + TabSwap to the other window Constantly, once you have two things open.
💡 Tip
Ctrl + Z is the safety net. It undoes almost anything. If you ever do something on a computer and think 'oh no', press it before you do anything else.

Do it — the no-mouse challenge

Push the mouse to the far side of the desk. You may not touch it for the next ten minutes.

  1. Open your my-plan file from last session.
  2. Select everything with Ctrl + A, then copy it with Ctrl + C.
  3. Press Enter twice to get to a new line, then paste with Ctrl + V. Now you have two copies.
  4. Undo it with Ctrl + Z. Watch it disappear.
  5. Do it again, four times, and undo four times.
  6. Save with Ctrl + S. Nothing visible happens. That is what success looks like.
⚠ Careful
Notice that Ctrl + S gives you no feedback at all when it works. That is normal, and it is why people forget to do it. Get in the habit anyway — the session you lose an hour's work will teach you the hard way otherwise.

Try it — typing without looking

Ten minutes, and then a few minutes at the start of every session from now on.

  1. Put your left index finger on F and your right on J. Feel the small bump on each.
  2. Those bumps are there so you can find home without looking. Every typist in the world uses them.
  3. Type the alphabet slowly, eyes on the screen, not the keys. You will be bad at it. Everybody is.
  4. Type your name ten times, still not looking.
💡 Tip
Speed comes from not looking down, not from moving your fingers faster. Looking down is the thing that limits you, and it takes about three weeks to stop.

What you learned

  • Ctrl held down turns a letter into a command.
  • Six shortcuts cover most of what you do: S, Z, C, V, A, and Alt+Tab.
  • Ctrl + Z undoes almost anything.
  • Ctrl + S looks like it does nothing. Do it anyway.
  • F and J have bumps so your hands can find home.
Challenge optional — only if you finish early
  • Time yourself typing your full name ten times. Write down the seconds.
  • Learn one shortcut nobody in your class knows, and teach it to them.
2. Files and folders