When a point shapefile is highlighted in the Layers window, either double-clicking its title or clicking the Symbols button in the right panel brings up a dialog for specifying how it is displayed on screen and how its records are selected for editing or review. These settings will be preserved in the project file.
You can experiment with the controls that affect map display by making changes, then clicking the Apply button to see their effect on the map view. Some controls that may need explanation are as follows:
Opacity - If less than 100%, the layer will have some degree of transparency, allowing layers below it in the Layers window to show through.
Line Width and Total Size - The units are screen pixels.
Use Markers and Use Labels - When a box has a bold check mark, the Toggle marker display or Toggle label display button on the program's toolbar will be functional for this shapefile depending on the layer's scale range settings. A gray check mark causes display to be controlled only by the scale range settings. An empty check box disables display, regardless of settings elsewhere. Initially, when a point shapefile is added to the project, markers will be enabled (initialized to a randomly-colored, square symbol) and label display will be disabled. So you'll need to use this dialog to set up point labeling.
Text Field for Labels - Here you can choose from the list of attribute fields a suitable one for labeling points. The label will also be used elsewhere to identify records, such as in the left panel of the Selected Points window. The list will not include memo fields. (Although the program can export a shapefile containing only memo fields, the program will refuse to open it.)
Default Fields for Text Searches - These are the attribute fields examined when you perform a text search via the lower-left Find box in the Selected Points window. They are also the search fields used to initialize the Text Search Operations dialog. (Within that dialog you can make changes that only affect searches done from there while the project is open.) Upon layer addition the program makes searchable only the first non-memo attribute field, although memos are also searchable. The Selectable by Text Search box is also initially checked. If you uncheck it, the layer won't be examined in a text search regardless of the search field settings.