1. Copy and paste text
The first time-saving tip is the obvious one: copy and paste text. Keeping track of the different versions of your work can be a tedious task, but it's worth it if you have to hand in several drafts in class.
2. Cut off unnecessary spaces
Sometimes cutting off unnecessary spaces before and after punctuation will save you time when editing text with Microsoft Word or TextEdit, especially when working on stories or poems with multiple passages with varying lengths. Remembering to do this for all shared documents will ensure your group edits are consistent!
3. Use a keyboard shortcut
Using a keyboard shortcut is always going to be faster than doing something manually. Everyone knows that some of the most common keyboard shortcuts are Cmd + C (to copy) and Cmd + V (to paste). This post on TheMacObserver has a more comprehensive list, but I want to draw attention to the number one time-saving tip. Using the shortcut Shift + Escape will cancel basically anything you're doing in any graphical interface on a Mac, including typing. The only downside is it takes two hands, so if you need to cancel while holding the mouse down, you're out of luck!
4. Work in tabs
When working on a document in more than one application such as Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel or TextEdit, it can be easy to forget about the tab you're currently in. Choosing which application to work with can be an annoyance, but using tabs will keep you from ever leaving a document. Being able to switch applications without worrying about losing content is really really useful!
5. Learn which keyboard shortcuts speed up your everyday life
I have saved the most time this college year by learning new keyboard shortcuts: Cmd + T (to pull up Spotlight search) and Cmd + Click (to open the Trash). Most of the default shortcuts on a Mac take two hands, so learning some single-handed shortcuts will help you get through your everyday routine faster.
6. Get Time Machine
I think this is an appropriate tip because I really only learned how essential backups are after my computer crashed a few months ago and I lost all of my work. Don't let it happen to you! (This is the Mac version of BackBlaze)