I would suggest since you are a newbie, is to go down to your local bike shop with your seat post, better yet with the bike, different bikes use different diameter posts so if you buy a new one it has to fit, and you have to get the right setback.
HOWEVER, the clamping style that Mr Beanz is talking about is this:

notice the nut, take the nut off and next part next to the nut is this semi round clamp, those just come off leaving you with the part that has the groove, the seat post attaches to that but it does take some hand force (do not use a tool) to spread the rails on the saddle far enough to snap over the grooved part, just put one rail into the one of the grooves then use the hand force to get the rail to spread over and snap into position. Replace the semi round part and nut of course and your done.
If you still can't get the seat on, then you need to bend the C clamp in just a tad then try putting the seat on again.
You can do all of this without leaving the clamp device on the post, when you get the saddle connected then put the clamp device with the seat now attached and slip it over the seat post and tighten. It may be a bit tough to put the clamp over the seat post if you had to bend to C clamp a tad but you can worm it back on. This whole process will require some physical labor because sometimes it can be quite a chore but it will work.
I use to have kids bikes I had to replace saddles with, and they all had this crappy clamping system but any seat will fit on it.
Getting a new seat post is the way to go ideally but if you want to save money you don't have to.