fadinhard

I am new to the computing world so please bear with me..I recently bought a Dell 4600 with Windows XP pro installed..I want to learn word,excel, power point and outlook..I dont want to buy Microsoft Office because of the price..Can I purchase and use the student edition even though I am not a student or teacher.This is for personal use only. If I can, are there any downsides?? Thanks so much for your help..