How to become computer proficient

[FinancialWorld]

Hellooooo everyone.

I was wondering how I can become more proficient and capable with computers. I've had my own computer for about 2 1/2 years now and I've had to reformat once (educating to say the least ). My ability doesn't go much past general internet usage and using Word and a few other programs on my computer. I haven't really needed to do much more recently, but I want to start preparing and improving (planning ahead).

I'm planning on getting into brokering or trading as a career. Well, you need pretty good computer skills. Mine aren't great, and I'm also not sure what I need to get better or how to improve them.

Here are some things that I'm sure I'd like to learn or at least need to become really good at:
Microsoft Word (need to be expert at this)
Microsoft Excel (and this too)
Microsoft PowerPoint (yup, and this too)
Computer language (probably need to learn one, but not sure which one)
Programming (to create trading programs)
And any other things that might help me

Your ideas and help would be deeply appreciated.

Thanks,
FinancialWorld

[Maniac Craniac]

I became very well versed in the MS office suite simply by opening up the programs and poking around. Whenever I wanted to do something to a document, I looked for the function or searched the help feature until I found it. There really isn't much to it. Word might look complicated, but it is really a basic word processor that just so happens to have a large amount of bells and whistles.

I found Excel to be pretty intuitive as well. Rather than learning how to use it, I just went ahead and opened it and learned its functions through the process of figuring out how to create the spreadsheets that I needed. From that, I learned the ins and outs of formatting, functions, macros and databases.

It wasn't but a few years ago that I had never made a Powerpoint presentation, but like everything else, I just opened it and started creating right off the bat. The feedback I received from more experienced users was that my presentations were professional level and well-polished.

In short, you likely will not need any training program or course to learn how to do MS Office, all you need is an eye for detail and a little patience mile:

[bricabrac]

Hi FW,

I have been an exec asst for years and have to operate at an advanced level with many programs. I agree with MC to a point, its best to get in there and play around. Remember there is an undo button and even a restore if you really get into trouble. Do not be afraid to experiment. Unfortunately, there is so much more than the basics especially in excel, powerpoint, and access with its if and commands. In finance you will definitely need to master pivot tables and formulas -- and have the ability to link the spreadsheets or databases back into your word or powerpoint docs. The great thing is you want to advance your skills at a time when the programs have become extremely user friendly! Below I've listed some information. Hopefully it will be of use to you.

One of the first courses I took at TESC was computer concepts and applications. I like to take these courses because things change so quickly. Its an overview of computer hardware and software. Below are the textbooks and links to the companion websites for Discovering Computers and MS Office 2007. There is a ton of information and games you can play to help you get accustomed.

• Discovering Computers 2009(Complete), Gary B. Shelly and Misty E. Vermaat, Shelly Cashman Series (Boston: Course Technology, Cengage Learning, 2008; ISBN-10: 1-4239-1198-9. Book Companion Site
  
• Microsoft Office 2007: Essential Concepts and Techniques,by Gary B. Shelly, Thomas J. Cashman, and Misty E. Vermaat, Shelly Cashman Series (Boston: Thomson Course Technology, 2008; ISBN-10: 1-4188-4374-1). http://oc.course.com/sc/off2007/index.cfm?action=home

Also take advantage of MS Office free training: Training - Microsoft Office
Training on 2003, 2007 and 2010 are all available

I also use Total Training. Its not cheap but down the line it may be worth it.

If interested:

The introduction to programming course (COS-101) which included entry level coding below are the course textbooks, a companion site and the link to get the free software that the students used in the course.

Textbooks:
· Tomorrow's Technology and You, 9th ed. (Introductory), by George Beekman and Ben Beekman (Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Pearson Prentice Hall, 2009; ISBN-10: 0-13-504510-X). http://wps.prenhall.com/bp_beekman_tomtech_8/
· An Introduction to Programming Using Visual Basic 2010, 8th ed., by David I. Schneider (Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Pearson Prentice Hall, 2011; ISBN-10: 0-13-212856-X), packaged with Visual Studio Express Edition DVD.

Software: Visual Basic 2010

Note: Visual Basic 2010 comes in different editions. For this course we recommend Visual Basic 2010 Express Edition, which comes packaged with the text An Introduction to Programming Using Visual Basic 2010 when purchased from the textbook supplier. All of the book's examples, however, run with both Visual Basic 2010 Express Edition and other editions of Visual Basic 2010. You may download Visual Basic 2010 Express Edition for free directly from Microsoft.



Have fun!!

[Ruddigore]

Your ideas and help would be deeply appreciated.

Allow me to be sarcastic and post this guide.

I know some people who swear by the advanced features of Microsoft Word & Excel; others prefer OpenOffice. (I'm in the latter group.) There are classes out there, otherwise, MC's advice is probably your best bet.

Programming makes my head hurt. The nerds I know just seemed to have picked it up - like English - but I'm sure they had to read up on it at one time.

And PowerPoint... banghead

[burbuja0512]

I bought the Windows for Dummies book years ago to learn Excel, Word, and Outlook.

PowerPoint is pretty intuitive, so I just kind of figured it out. The biggest mistake IMHO about PowerPoint that people make is to try to stick too much info on a slide. I'm in sales and use PPT all the time. Yes you can do cool tricks with PPT like graphics and imbedded video, but I find this to be distracting. I follow the "six by six" rule. Don't write more than six words per line and six bullet points per slide. YOU should be the focal point, not PPT. Your presentation is just a visual to aid your audience. It should not be so in-depth that people can read the entire deck and know exactly what you're going to say. If that's the case, just email them the presentation and save everyone's time. lol.

[CLEP101]

I like to keep it simple. When ever I'm given a task involving MS Office at work and I don't know how to do it, Google and Youtube are always there for me. I've learned to take computers apart, put them back together, upgrade them, change things out etc... just by using google and youtube. Just put "How to" in front of what you need to learn.
If i needed to learn the formulas for making spread sheets on Excel, google was right there for me, and of course sometimes the computer whiz soldier that works for me. hilarious
One of the best ways to learn, which is already posted, is hands on. Open up the programs and start punching some keys, figure out what everything does, and have google handy. I can crank out all kinds of reports now. That's how I learned anyways...

[jmichelle79]

One website I like is Free Computer Help - Worldstart.com


You can sign up for the news letter to receive computer tips and tricks. I'm not sure about specific office programs, however it is a very useful site.

[OE800_85]

Lynda.com the leading video-based training company for anything computer related. You can find copies of their videos online, if you're into the whole piracy thing

[BrandeX]

Try some of these:
Free Beginners Computer Tutorials and Lessons

I tried the programming ones, the basic computing is hopefully as useful.
(all free)

[dcan]

Books: "Teach Yourself ______ In 24 Hours", "______ for Dummies", etc.

Those are good for PC maintenance, Windows, and the Microsoft Office suite. No substitute for practice though, but they give you the basics you need to be able to actually practice on your own without being lost.

For programming... not so much. While an intro to VB.NET can give you the basics, there's so much more to programming than individual technique, just as teaching you how to dip a brush into paint and drag it across a canvas doesn't make you a painter. You still have to paint. But sometimes the paint doesn't cooperate, and you begin stabbing holes into it and have to throw the canvas out the window. banghead

This metaphor really broke down, sorry :willynilly:

Peter Norvig explains it far better than I can in his fabulous essay Teach Yourself Programming in Ten Years. Don't worry, he gives great resources to start learning "real" programming.

That said, a book like "Teach Yourself VB.NET in 24 Hours" can be a good intro to the language and framework. Just remember you will have to learn far more than that to actually build things more complex and useful than what you build in the book. But learning those things is what makes it fun.