A secret weapon in the Finder arsenal is the Go > Go to Folder feature. Choose that menu item (or type Command-Shift-G) and you can leap around the macOS filesystem without having to navigate folders. This is frequently useful when you’re working with low-level settings files or items hidden away in the user or system Library folder.
Apple made a significant change between macOS 11 Big Sur and 12 Monterey in how it helps you find folders: Monterey offers a squishier set of matching options, making it more likely you’ll find a folder that you don’t know the precise name of, or if you type fewer characters to make a match.