WK8_A2 OverviewAssignment 2 Excelling with ExcelDue Week 8 an.docx

WK8_A2 Overview
Assignment 2: Excelling with Excel
Due Week 8 and worth 175 points
Overview
Microsoft Excel is a great tool for presenting, organizing, and
calculating data. It can be used to create budgets, track your
weekly spending, or create detailed plans. This assignment will
give you an opportunity to crunch the numbers on your most
recent school supply purchases.
Assignment Requirement:
To successfully complete this assignment, submit this (1)
Microsoft Excel sheet that includes the following information
and formatting.
Steps:
1. Complete the steps listed in the "WK8_A2_Instructions"
sheet.
2. Save your document with the following name –
CIS105_Assignment2_FirstName_Last Name.xlsx
3. Submit your assignment in Week 8.
Recommended TestOut Desktop Pro Skills Labs to review prior
to completing this assignment are:
3.2.4 Skills Lab: Create and Manage Workbooks
3.3.5 Skills Lab: Organize and Enter Data
3.5.6 Skills Lab: Format Cells
3.6.4 Skills Lab: Enter Simple Formulas
3.8.4 Skills Lab: Analyze Data in Charts
Recommended Lynda.com Videos to Watch
Microsoft Excel 2013

Lynda.com Video: Excel 2013 Essential Training
URL: https://www.lynda.com/Excel-tutorials/Excel-2013-
Essential-Training/116478-2.html
Microsoft Excel 2016
Lynda.com Video: Excel 2016 Essential Training
URL: https://www.lynda.com/Excel-tutorials/Excel-2016-
Excel for Mac 2011
Lynda.com Video: Excel for Mac 2011 Essential Training
URL: https://www.lynda.com/Excel-2011-for-mac-
tutorials/essential-training/71210-2.html
Excel for Mac 2016
Lynda.com Video: Excel for Mac 2016 Essential Training
URL: https://www.lynda.com/Excel-tutorials/Excel-Mac-2016-
WK8_A2_Instructions
Instructions for Saving a File
You will be using this file to complete this assignment, so
remember to save your changes as you go along.
Hint: When saving this workbook for the first time, Microsoft
Excel saves the document in a default location. To save the
document in a different location, click another folder or
location in the Save As dialog box.
1. Click File, and then click Save As.
2. Save using the file name -
CIS105_Assignment2_FirstName_Last Name_Date.xlsx.
3. Click Save.
Instructions to Complete Week 8 Assignment 2
Use this workbook to write down and calculate the costs of the
school materials you purchased for this quarter. Consider the

following materials you needed for your course work (i.e., use
the stated amounts below regardless of the actual items / costs
you may have purchased / paid):
information.
example: CIS105111)
e of the assignment in cell B4. (The title is
“Excelling with Excel”)
Gothic.
er such as Mozilla Firefox or Google
Chrome.
Office Depot, Staples, or some other store.
supplies that you purchased.
You can include textbooks, lab code fees, and paper supplies
such as notepads, planners, pens, pencils, highlighters, etc.
supplies.
For example: “School Supply Costs”
or “My School Purchases.”)
(Headings), the font size is 20-point, and the font color is one
of your choosing.
ell A2: School Supplies

school supplies that you purchased. (If you didn't buy 10
supplies, list what you would have purchased or will purchase
next term.)
name of each supply item name.
-point
Calibri Light (Headings) and the font color is orange.
For example, will you need four (4) notebooks?
s 16-point
Calibri Light (Headings) and the font color is brown.
example, a single notebook costs $5.
so the font is Arial, the
font size is 14-point, and the font color is dark blue.
cost for each item.
rough D12 to calculate the total cost of
the other supplies.
and the font size is 14-point, and the font color is dark blue.
e School Supplies worksheet, select the range
“School Supplies” and “Total Costs.”

and the total cost for each item.
for each item.
dd a title to your chart so the title is above the chart
(can be found in “Chart Formatting”).
price for each item.
column A, column B, and column C.
Note: Delete the WK8_A2_Overview and
WK8_A2_Instructions sheet before you submit this assignment
for grading. (Left click on each sheet to delete.)
http://www.staples.com
Title PageName:Course Section:Professor Name:Title of the
Assignment:
Sheet 3
1
LEARN
MAKING EXCEL WORK FOR YOU
There’s an old adage that information is power. When it comes
to massive data sets, what makes them powerful is the ability
for readers to understand, trust, and interpret them. These same
key ideas apply to how you design and manage your data in a
spreadsheet. This week we’ll have a chance to spend more time
with Microsoft Excel. You might find that Excel has a steeper
learning curve than Microsoft Word. In other words, it might
take
a little longer to get comfortable with the terminology and the
interface, because there are fewer obvious parallels to paper and

pen. However, now that you have a handle on the terminology
and
have had some practice with Excel’s workbooks and
worksheets,
we can begin to think about how to use Excel’s feature to
design
your spreadsheets to help your data tell its story.
DESIGNING YOUR DATA
For any tool to be really useful, it’s not enough to know how it
works. you also have to know what to do with it, and in
particular
you have to know what you want to do with it. It’s the same
with
Excel. Half the challenge of creating an effective spreadsheet
is thinking critically about what you need it to do. What are
your
rows? What are your columns? What information do they need
to
2
contain, and how do they intersect? Basically, what is the story
you need your data to tell? Is it a calendar that needs to track
deadlines? Is it a spreadsheet that someone like Deidre Jeffries
would use to track buyers, pricing and orders? Before we go
into
specific formatting options, here are a few tips and key ideas to
think about before you begin creating your spreadsheet.
What is your spreadsheet documenting? In other words, what
is it for? What are you trying to measure: Dates? Time? Money?
Knowing this will help you make some key formatting decisions
and create formulas early on so you don’t have to repeat them

cell
by cell.
How will it be used? Understanding the purpose of your
spreadsheet will help you determine what data to include. Do
you need to check the sheet daily to see moment-by-moment
reporting or is it there to give you a high-level overview? Think
of
a calendar - it can be organized by year, month, week, day, or
even
down to the hour. You choose which format to use depending
on what you need to do. For example, if you are tracking major
holidays, an annual calendar is fine. If you are tracking daily
appointments, you need to focus in on each day. You have to
apply the same kind of thinking when designing a spreadsheet.
Who will be using it? This can help you prioritize data. If a
spreadsheet is for a clothing buyer, they will want to see
pricing,
shipping and delivery information. If it is for a clothing seller,
they
may need the same information, but might be more interested in
the number of pieces sold and if/when payment was received.
FORMATTING
Here is one of the places your experience with Word will pay
off.
Many features in Excel operate in the same way as they do in
Word, including:
• Typeface
• Font
• Font size

3
• Color
• Copy
• Paste
• Alignment
Now let’s explore a few features specific to Microsoft Excel.
Excel
offers tons of ways to customize workbooks and worksheets
to suit your needs, which makes it a versatile personal and
professional tool.
Formatting columns and rows: The width of columns and the
height of rows have a default size. You can adjust the width and
height of cells to fit your data. When you enter data that is
longer
than the width of the column, three things could happen:
1) If there is no text in the cells to the right of the active
cell, the text will spill into those cells.
2) If there is existing text in the cells to the right, some of
the text in the active cell will not be displayed. However,
the content will still be in the cell (and visible in the
formula bar), even if all of it is not visible in the active
cell.
3) If the data in the cell is all numbers, pound signs (###)
will display in the cell. The data will still be in the cell,
but will not be visible except in the formula bar.

Don’t be alarmed if this happens. You can make adjustments to
fit
your data.
To adjust the size of columns, you have a few options:
1) Click and drag the right column border to make it wider
or narrower.
4
2) Change the measurement of the column using the
Format tool on the top ribbon. Column width is
expressed in the number of characters the column can
fit.
3) Select Autofit, which makes the width of the column
wide enough to fit the longest entry.
4) Select Wrap Text. Wrap Text is an option that will keep
the existing width of the column but extend the row
height to fit your data. In other words, instead of the
text expanding in width, the text will wrap underneath
and the row will get taller to accommodate the text.
This option is helpful when you have long data entries
but do not want long columns that will make seeing or
printing the rest of the worksheet difficult or unwieldy.
To adjust the size of rows:
1) You can click and drag the bottom row border to make
it taller or shorter.

2) Change the measurement of the row using the Format
tool on the top ribbon. Row height is expressed in point
size (like font size).
3) Select Autofit, which makes the height of the row tall
enough to fit the longest entry.
Inserting Columns or Rows: You can insert columns or rows
at any location without having to manually move data by right-
clicking on a cell, and selecting “Insert,” then “Entire Row,” or
“Entire
Column.” When you add a column, existing data will
automatically
shift to the right. When you insert a row, existing data will
automatically shift down.
Deleting Columns or Rows: You can delete columns or rows
from any location without having to manually move data, by
right-clicking on a cell, and selecting “Delete.” When you
delete a
column, existing data will automatically shift to the left. When
you
delete a row, existing data will automatically shift up.
5
Tip: Note the difference between the terms DELETE, and
CLEAR, in
Excel. DELETE removes the data and the cell. CLEAR removes
the
data only. The cell remains.
Formatting numbers: Excel offers various formats for numerical
entries depending on what the numbers represent. For example,

you can select a currency format. This will add dollar signs to
all
of your entries without you having to type them in. A
percentage
format will treat .95 as 95%. You can select the number of
decimal
places that will show for each numerical entry. Date options
allow
you to change the way dates are displayed.
Autocomplete: Tasks that involve entering a lot of repeating
data
are made easier in Excel. Autocomplete will use the data you’ve
entered to predict what data you want to include in your new
entries, and offer you suggestions. Selecting a suggested entry
can save substantial time.
Editing Cells: It’s easy to make mistakes when you’re dealing
with
lots of details. It’s also easy to correct or undo mistakes in
Excel.
You can double-click on an active cell and simply replace the
data
by retyping the correct values, or you can click within the
active
cell to adjust only parts of the data.
Freeze: This is a helpful feature that allows you to freeze a
specific row or column in a fixed position. This allows certain
data,
such as row or column headings, to always be visible even when
you scroll up, down, left, or right.
Hide: Some projects require tracking a lot of information.
However, not all the information needs to be viewed each time
you open the worksheet. You can select specific rows or

columns
to hide in order to better focus on relevant information, or to
print
certain information. Hiding rows or columns does not delete the
data stored in those areas. They can always be unhidden.
FORMULAS AND FUNCTIONS
One of the main reasons to use Excel versus other applications
is to take advantage of formulas. Remember, formulas are
automated mathematical calculations that Excel can perform on
6
the data you enter. To explore the different functions available
in
Excel, click on the Formulas ribbon. Excel provides multiple
“ready-
made” formulas that you can select from, or you can create one
of
your own.
To enter a new formula in Excel, start with an equal sign (=),
and
then follow it with the calculation you want to make using cell
references and operator symbols. To enter the cell locations,
you
can manually key in the cell references, OR you can click and
highlight the applicable cells.
OPERATION ARITHMETIC
OPERATOR
EXAMPLE DESCRIPTION

Addition + =16+A5
= A5+A6+A7
Adds 16 to the value in cell A5
Adds the values in cells A5, A6,
and A7
Subtraction – =E20-A2
=25-C4
Subtracts the value in cell A2
from the value in cell E20
Substracts the value in cell C4
from 25
Multiplication * =B5*B10
=G3*.25
Multiplies the values in cells B5
and B10
Multiplies the value in cell G3 by
.25
Division / =C2/G5
=G4/4
Divides the value in cell C2 by
the value in cell G5

Divides the value in cell G4 by 4
Exponentiation
<>
^
Not equal to
=F5^5
=3^C3
B5<>C5
Raises the value of cell F5 to
the fifth power
Raises 3 to the value in cell C3
Tests whether the value in cell
B5 is not equal to the value in
cell C5
7
Functions are a way of simplifying formulas. For example,
typing
“SUM” is a function for adding a selection of numbers together.
=A1+A2+A3+A4+A5 is the same as =SUM(A1:A5)
Functions in Excel can automate calculations with numbers, or
automate presenting values with dates and text. Here are just a

few examples:
Need help finding a specific formula or function and putting it
in
action? Simple Internet searches can provide tons of
instructions
and tips.
DATA ENTRY
We now know that Excel is a great tool to use for tracking and
organizing lots of information. We also should give some
attention
to entering data into Excel. While Excel can help us make
smarter
decisions and speed up tasks, its usefulness is based on starting
with accurate data and building on it. Here are some quick tips
for
ensuring your Excel sheets are set up for success.
NOW PRESENTS CURRENT DATE & TIME
PROPER Capitalizes the first letter in each word
Changes: “first name last name” TO
“First Name Last Name”
MAX Presents the largest number in a selected
cell range
MIN Presents the smallest number in a selected
cell range
NETWORKDAYS Calculates the number of weekdays between
two dates (doesn’t count Saturdays and Sun-
days or holidays)

8
1) Remember to always think about the purpose of your
workbook. What information and content do you need to keep
track of and why?
2) Think about utility. By what criteria might you need to view,
sort
and filter data?
Usually it makes sense to store data in smaller parts rather than
larger ones. For example, if you were creating a contact list, it
would be more organized to have five fields for 1) first name, 2)
last name, 3) street address, 4) city, 5) state and zip instead of
one
field. If information is stored in smaller sections, it will be
easier to
sort, reorder, and filter.
3) Leave out irrelevant or redundant information. Make sure
every
category of data you include has a unique purpose. Including
data
that is contained elsewhere is useless and leads to confusion.
Including data that is irrelevant wastes time.
4) Be aware of how your data relates to and builds on itself.
Think
about what happens if you need to correct or change an entry. If
you have formulas in your worksheet, you want to make sure
that
if you change one value, that any information dependent on that
value will accordingly be updated.

GARBAGE IN, GARBAGE OUT
GIGO is an acronym in computer science, which stands for
“garbage in, garbage out.” What
it means is that your results, the searches you perform,
computer code you write, or data
you analyze are all only as good as what you put in. If you put
in ‘garbage’ data, you’ll get
‘garbage’ results. This is especially important when working
with Excel.
We use Excel to organize and analyze data in order to make
smart and informed decisions.
We can use it to spot patterns and trends in order to project
what will happen in the future.
So it’s important to keep in mind that we need to select the most
accurate, relevant, and
current data in the first place. We need to keep in mind any
factors that might influence or
skew our data and any results based on it. Put another way, we
can’t accurately predict the
weather of a place in April based on the average temperature
taken over the course of a
9
COMING UP: PITCHING TO WIN
Once you have a plan in place and the data to support your
decisions, you need to get others on board with your solution.
Presentation software provides a way to visually present
different
kinds of information in manageable segments to an audience.
Next week, we’ll start taking a look at Microsoft PowerPoint
and

the power of presentation.
month in December.
Being able to critically analyze and evaluate data and
information is imperative in both our
personal and professional lives. When we read facts and figures,
or the results of surveys
and polls, we need to pay as much attention to the source of that
data, how it was collected,
and how it was used, as we do to the presented results. This will
ensure that our data can be
trusted and used to make important decisions.
You can refer back to Week 3, and the section on evaluating
sources, to review some helpful
tips for determining a credible source.
COMPLETE THE WEEK
Your next task is to go to the TESTOUT section, where you will
continue to practice your
Excel skills and learn about formatting, simple formulas and
functions, and charts. Next, go
to the ASSIGNMENTS section, where you will complete and
submit Assignment 2. Answer
your REFLECT questions, and be sure to check off each item on
your TO-DO list.

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