As a writer, my primary use of the computer is as a word processor. The best thing I’ve ever done for myself is learning Microsoft Word.

When learning Microsoft Word I simply dove right in and began using the program, learning Microsoft Word by doing. For me, that involved a brief period of trial and error, during which I had the user’s guide open at my desk and thumbed through the pages repeatedly.

Today, you can get a free online computer class for learning computer basics in just about any software program you choose. Or you can buy a computer video training program from one of a number of companies that produce and sell such computer video training lessons.

The biggest benefit of a free online computer class is that it is free. But, both free online computer classes and computer video training programs make it easy and fun to get involved in learning computer basics. And there’s nothing more basic than learning Microsoft Word.

One great reason for learning Microsoft Word is that it is so versatile and can be used for many different projects. It is the most widely used word processing software on the market for a reason.

Some of the things you can learn to create by learning Microsoft Word through a free online computer class or computer video training program include:

  • Letterhead
  • Letters, documents and manuscripts
  • A watermark that identifies the document as Draft, Confidential, Sample or anything else
  • Flyers, brochures and other handouts
  • Greeting cards and calendars
  • Documents with tables and columns

When learning Microsoft Word you’ll find the Template gallery especially helpful. It includes samples of letters, labels and forms. Consult the Template gallery anytime you forget the steps you learned in the free online computer class or computer video training program.

Templates come in handy for creating documents in Microsoft Word. When learning Microsoft Word, the Calendar template is a great place to start. Use it to keep track of all your family activities. For each month, the calendar has sufficient space in each day cell to type in scheduled activities, appointments, etc. Your free online computer class or computer video training program should teach you how to insert photos or graphics to illustrate your calendar and make really important events grab your attention.

After learning Microsoft Word, you might decide to volunteer to do the newsletter for your social club. Word has a template for that, and your free online computer class or computer video training program should prepare you to effectively use that template.

Your free online computer class or computer video training program should also cover the Mail Merge feature. If you’re serious about learning Microsoft Word, you’ll want to know how to use this feature to send the same letter to many different people without having to address each one individually. All you have to do is write the form letter and then create a list of names and addresses in a table.

Word has its own Table feature. After learning Microsoft Word, you may choose to learn Microsoft Excel® to create the table. But, if having too many choices confuses you, stick with learning Microsoft Word. In addition to having each recipient’s name and address printed on individual letters, the Mail Merge feature can be used to address envelopes or even print out labels.

One way to make Word even easier to use is to master the shortcuts, such as Ctrl+C to cut and Ctrl+V to paste. Be sure to choose a free online computer class or computer video training program that teaches these shortcuts.

As you continue learning Microsoft Word, you’ll learn features such as creating headers and footers, styles and formatting, and creating a table of contents. It might be tough to find a free online computer class to cover these advanced features, but you can definitely order a computer video training program.

Whatever you need to do on the computer, chances are you can do it by learning Microsoft Word. If you’re buying a new computer, it’ll probably already be loaded with Microsoft Word. All you have to do is sign up for a free online computer class or purchase a computer video training program and you’re on your way to learning computer basics!