ct/tc isn't all that common (0.26%), while that choice of fingering avoids cs/sc (0.11%).

Though perhaps not worth changing back now, in general I'd suspect it's easier to just leave the key labels as QWERTY and have other users switch the layout back. That would also leave you with QWERTY legends should you ever need them for some reason.

Good luck with your switch!

To hit the C key with the middle finger, I'd suggest the Angle ergo mod (preferably with an ISO keyboard).

Actually, I've personally found that in time the hand learns to use either the index or the middle finger for c to make depending on the bigraph. Statiscally speaking though, it's better to always press it with the middle finger than always pressing it with the index finger.

I've been looking at the type matrix keyboards recently. I tend to like the scissor key type keys for the dome type keyboards, the lower key travel(even though these tend to be easier to break than the other types.). Most of the full travel ones I've had have had problems with sticking keys after a year or two.

The grid style keyboards can be a bit hard to find on your usual US computer store website, they only have the Kinesis Advantage one on Newegg(of the grid type ones that aren't mini keyboards.), the site I usually buy electronic stuff off of.

I don't have any experience using the mechanical keyboards before, never owned/used one before.

Mech keyboards are so much better than normal keyboards, especially with typists. If you are skeptical, pls get a cheap one (less than 100USD). I suggest brown switch for a starter.

Well using the C with the index finger would matter when you switch to a grid style layout, it would force you to use you middle finger as the bottom row would be moved left half a key to align with the middle row, so you would be forced to relearn those keys.

There are some full words that I have learned to type out pretty well so far(Without really thinking about typing out the individual keys or word parts), but for a lot of the longer words I'm still a bit slow at, having to type them out parts at a time, I'm also a little slow at using the shift key properly.

For the key swap, it probably only matters if you ever have anyone else use your computer, and don't really feel like switching around the layouts in the OS when someone else wants to use it(Or just a little bit evil.). Pretty much the only time I glance down is to look for home keys hand placement when I'm initially placing my hands to type, even though I made my home index keys textured(Used some tape >.>) so I can feel them, it still can be hard to feel exactly where they are. Using stickers for mine might look a little weird as it's one of those illuminated keyboards.

Some people are mentioning non-staggered layouts, but in general, I would carefully consider whether or not any given layout seems an significant improvement to one's current typing habits. 

For example, on my current staggered layout I [presumably; I don't actually remember devising this] use the (Ring, Middle, Index) -> (Z, X, C) fingering because those keys are where my respective fingers land when I curl them and/or pull my arm back just a little.  I suspect that's why many people hit C with their index finger (the other two being uncommon enough it might not make a difference/be noticed).

In particular, my fingers don't seem to naturally go "straight down", but rather "slant left-downwards" in the case of my left hand, "slant right-downwards" in the case of my right.  Because of this, I doubt that a non-staggered layout would be an improvement for me - it could even make my situation worse, getting rid of the right-hand slant of the stagger and the left-hand slant of my alternative fingering - unless:

1. The keyboard is, or can be, angled in such slants (e.g. ergodox), and/or

2. The keyboard is wide enough to make my arms/wrists change their slant entirely (kinesis/maltron?).

The known cost of my nonstandard fingering is approximately 0.15% extra same-finger (unless you use DreymaR's Angle Mod, which preserves which fingers hit which key).  I think it's worth it, but opinions may vary.

DreymaR himself seems to arrive at a similar conclusion, though from a slightly different angle:

Disclaimers:

1. I'm not an expert in any sense.

2. None of this is advice, only my observations about my personal case.  Others will have to check for their own cases.

3. In particular, I think a grid layout may well be an improvement for the left-hand, standard touchtyping technique; it's mainly my left-hand alternative fingering that seems to work OK with the stagger.

Perhaps there is an issue of semantics. By "non-staggered keyboard" I meant one that doesn't conform to the usual staggered design. That would include designs that are basically in columns, be they in two halves or a single unit in a slightly angled V shape. Maybe "non-traditional" would have been a better description. But still, in the event I get such a keyboard, I would address my "incorrect" C technique at that point.

Regarding stickers, even if they are "not advised" I think for a non-touch typist learning Colemak, they may help a little. When I started learning I didn't want to see a qwerty keyboard in case it gave rise to some form of dissonance in my mind!

Davkol is right. If you're interested in the terminology, see this:

http://deskthority.net/wiki/Staggering

In theory, a 'non-staggered columnar' keyboard would be a matrix keyboard. But the terms aren't used like that in practice.

mid twenties in a month is pretty good going

as has been mentioned - the fact that you are learning to touch type at the same time makes it more than twice as difficult to learn colemak

i know - i was in exactly the same boat about a year or so ago, although i had a slight advantage in as much as i had spent the previous 6 months learning to touch type qwerty, in fact it was that 6 months that managed to convince me how useless qwerty was hence the switch to colemak

keep at it - i'm up to about the mid 60's now on a good day with an easy text..

the one tip i would give is to try and concentrate on accuracy rather than speed - i got it the other way round and it did me no favours at all

aim for an accuracy of 98% or more no matter how slow it makes you, perversely i believe this will make you quicker faster

(this is the reason why accuracies in typeracer above 98% come up green and anything below comes up red)

I think that I am starting to, or getting close to, hit the point where I'm going from having quick short term gains, to the slower long term gains. Currently at roughly 25-30 WPM. I've gained roughly 1-2 wpm/day since I started, but haven't really gained much of anything over the past couple days, maybe .5wpm/day.

I've also been trying to retrain myself to hit z,x,c with the proper fingers, with hitting c with my index finger made me quite inaccurate at hitting the v key, usually hit c or b instead. This change has made some words containing c and s in them a bit awkward to type, even more so if it also has a and r in it too, like the word sarcastic, or a ch digraph(Moving the c to my middle finger is also having the effect of me trying to hit the h key with my middle finger too, so quite often it comes out as cn or ce if I have a typo on that.).

I'm also using the review feature in the Amphetype, that can output some diabolical stuff as it gives you the words you mistyped or did the worst on.

As an old QWERTY user as well I found a few of these key combinations a bit awkward at the start too. I can only assure you that this will get easier over time. When I come up against them I fire up wordpad and just type them slowly out - ye ye ye ye ye ye ye ye ye.

This builds the muscle memory up and it will quickly become something you forgot was ever an issue in the first place.

I found it very useful to type out the home keys and then practice the keys above as well to get used to their new positions. Only thing to worry about at this point is accuracy. The speed will start to flow once your mind knows where everything is.

Keep up the good work!