Q. I'm taking a computer class at school and so far I've learned a lot - although I learn just as much listening to you. In fact, sometimes I'll bring up things you've said and even impress the teacher! There's one kid in the class that uses the keyboard for some things instead of moving the mouse and clicking icons. It seems to be much faster. I'd really like it if you could tell me how that works. Thank you!
-Heather from Los Angeles, CA, listens to my national radio show on KABC 790 AM  

A. I'm glad to hear that you're finding the information I give you so useful, Heather! It's the reason I'm in this business, after all. And I'd love to help you learn this cool computer trick.

That other kid in your class is using what are called keyboard shortcuts. To perform a keyboard shortcut, you press two, three or sometimes four keyboard keys at the same time.

With just a few quick key presses, you can perform many common computer tasks that would require several mouse movements and clicks. Talk about a time-saver!

While there are hundreds of keyboard shortcuts you can use, there are 5 that I use nearly every day. In fact, every computer user should know these ones.