forgive me , but do you have a manual for the camera? I'm fairly new myself and i have trouble loading film.(so i've turned into more of a collector than a shooter) but one manual can teach you many basics that carry over to most other manual film cameras. something useful perhaps:
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How to Use Almost Any 35mm Film Camera: 12 steps (with pictures)
on my k1000 i lift the outer ring and spin to select film speed. i turn the ring without lifting to select the shutter speed. so if i read your post correctly...you have a problem