Computing Basics: Office Software

Keyboard Shortcuts

Across all three of these office applications, you can reliably use the following shortcuts to accomplish each task rather than searching for it through the different file menus.  The term keyboard shortcut means that if you simultaneously hold down the listed keys on your keyboard, the listed action will occur. Each operating system will use different shortcuts.  You can look at the table below to see the actions, and the corresponding keyboard shortcut used to implement them.

How to Print in Microsoft Word (and other Office programs)

How to Use Word for Writing Papers

When it comes to writing APA or MLA papers, we've got you've covered.  Here are two guides for writing your paper in Microsoft Word.

We use office applications almost every day.  Office application bundles typically include:

• the word processor program you might use to write a paper, such as Word or Google Docs
• spreadsheet software for budgeting and calculations, such as Excel or Google Sheets
• presentation software to share stories with your audience, such as PowerPoint or Google Slides
• and database software to enter, access, and analyze large sets of data, such as Access.

Microsoft Office

While all Microsoft Office applications are the same, they may call the bundle different names.

Microsoft Office 365 is what TCCD students, faculty, and staff can download for personal use.  It includes Word, PowerPoint, Access, and Excel. This is technically a subscription service that TCCD pays for, which means that after you graduate, your subscription will eventually be set to expire. As a subscription service, this means that you will always be using the newest version of any Microsoft Office application.

Microsoft Office 2019 is the newest update and is a one-time purchase of the software.  This is what we have installed on campus computers. This will not automatically update to the next version, but is a single one-time cost that will not expire.

Regardless of which one you are using, the functionality will be the same.

TCCD provides students with FREE access to two office application bundles: Microsoft Office and Google Drive. You can follow the links below to download or access either bundle. You may also consider LibreOffice, a free open source office application bundle.