need help to work the calculator!

Well, first of all, that will result in 3^0 which is just   '  1  '

BUT    enter  '3'  the   the x^y button then the open paren (   then 1-1  then the )   then =

so how would i put in 3^2-1?

input = 3^(1-1)

OR you want 3^(2-1)

Parentheses indicate priority, so put () around whatever you want the calculator to calculate first. Remember that multiplication and division take priority over addition and subtraction by default.