Keyboard shortcuts
What are keyboard shortcuts? Don't know how to use them? Keyboard shortcuts are key combinations that allow us to perform actions quickly. That is, we can, for example, open a new browser tab simply by pressing two keys or refresh the page with just one. Try it out; press the F5 key (you will find it in the top row) and you will see how this page reloads.
As you may have seen if you executed the previous shortcut, it is extremely simple to perform certain tasks without having to use the mouse.
What are the advantages of using keyboard shortcuts?
We will gain speed. It allows us to use the mouse with one hand and execute different actions with the other, or simply not have to move our hands from the keyboard. Once you learn certain shortcuts, you will see that it is much faster to do it this way, without having to touch the mouse at all.
For example, if we are writing a text and need to do a search within the page, we would have to go to the menu with the mouse, expand it, and click on search. This requires us to take one of our hands off the keyboard to grab the mouse, and then return to the keyboard to type again. If we use keyboard shortcuts, it will be enough to press, for example (in Chrome), the keys CTRL + F to display the search box and type the term to search for.
What keyboard shortcuts exist?
There are countless shortcuts. It would be almost impossible to list them all. However, there are some that are more or less "standard", we name some of them here:
- Search: CTRL + F
- Open: CTRL + O
- Undo changes: CTRL + Z
- Copy: CTRL + C
- Paste: CTRL + V
- Close window: ALT + F4
- Refresh page: F5
- Open new tab in browser: CTRL + T
- New window or document: CTRL + N
- Print: CTRL + P
In any case, we leave you with a series of Chrome and Word shortcuts in the following links:
If you need shortcuts for any other program, with a simple Google search for "keyboard shortcuts" followed by the name of the program, you will find plenty of websites with information.
Why learn them?
In our experience, keyboard shortcuts are essential for day-to-day life. They help us be more productive and maintain flow when working in front of the computer.
When we conduct our in-person typing courses for children, they are amazed to be able to perform actions with the keyboard. They see it as an opportunity to be faster than their friends, and ultimately, it helps them be more productive.
Obviously, shortcuts require some dexterity with the keyboard. It is of no use knowing shortcuts if we do not know how to quickly identify by touch where each key is. If you want, you can start our typing course with no commitment and from home.
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