The beginning of Phase 2 was not too bad because it reminded me a lot of Phase 1, especially the LabSim assignments. There were some things I remembered doing in Word that I applied in Excel, such as the document inspection and properties. However, as we went deeper into Excel, it began getting more and more technical as there was so much attention to detail. Attention to detail, I admit, is something that I need to work on more, because I tend to look things over too fast.
As the Phase continued, I found that the A6 Spreadsheet Analysis with Trailer wasn't too bad. However, the individual details of the Excel project were frustrating for me, because there were so many trial-and-error moments that felt like no matter what I did, something was wrong. Even though the functions were all correct, it had to look presentable in a professional workplace, so I understood why I had to keep correcting my mistakes. Eventually, I finished it with flying colors and was also glad to have finished the MO-210 exam with a pretty good grade as well.
It was great to use the features that Excel had to offer when correcting your work, especially the features found in Chapter 5.7.7 - Excel Error Messages. If there was something wrong with the numbers in the cell, Excel would give a green triangle at the corner of the cell and would tell you what was wrong with it, such as an inconsistent formula or an invalid name error. You can also choose to ignore the error message if you know for sure that the contents in the cells are exactly how you want them. This is like "spell-check" from Word, but for Excel.
I will definitely be applying what I learned in Phase 2 in my future career, whether it is business or in the medical field, because Excel is a very useful tool used for many jobs that require lists for inventory, planning, names, fields, numbers, statistics, graphs, and many others. I could also apply what I learned to personal things, such as doing taxes or doing projects for school. Phase 3 is already going by very fast, and honestly, trying to keep up with all my classes and life during the final weeks of the semester has been a little challenging, but so far, I'm enjoying the creativity and actualizing part of the phase. I'll be graduating soon, so I'm ready to finish the last stretch the best I can for this semester.
Hello Jay-R, your post was a great read. I like how you were honest about the shift from Phase 1 to Phase 2, especially how things started to get more technical as you went deeper into Excel. The part about attention to detail stood out to me because that is something I struggle with too, it is easy to overlook small things when you are trying to move fast.
ReplyDeleteI can also relate to the trial and error you mentioned with the A6 assignment, it feels like even when the logic is right, Excel still wants it done in a specific way. It is good that you recognized how those details matter in a professional setting, because that mindset will carry over outside the classroom.
I also liked how you brought up the error checking features, it really is like Excel’s version of a safety net. The green triangle has definitely saved me a few times from missing something small. Overall, it sounds like you learned a lot from Phase 2 and are finishing strong.
Yes, the green triangle at the corner of a cell in Excel is equivalent to a colored-underline from the spell checker in Word -- a valuable suggestion of possible error. I hope it helped you through A6 and any future endeavors using Excel :-)
ReplyDeleteGlad to hear you will definitely apply what you learned in Phase 2 of IS101 in your future career, Jay-R ^_^
Phase 3 is going very fast indeed. You will finish the last stretch of the semester on a high note!
Hi Jay-R. I can relate to how tough that some of the labs were in Excel. One of the hard things about creating formulas in Excel is that you need to remember to add quotation marks around the arguments that are made up of letters instead of numbers or cell references. Forgetting to do that can give you frustration if you think you wrote the formula correctly.
ReplyDeleteHi Jay-R, it was the same for me for A6 Spreadsheet Analysis with Trailer. I kept having minor cosmetic mistakes and had to fix things again and again. I also agree with you on Excel being such a good organizing tool for general use as well as for specific fields of career paths.
ReplyDeleteHi Jay-R, I agree that in the beginning excel felt very familiar because a lot of the things we were learning were very similar to previous word examples. When we were creating tables, the task seemed very similar, but when we got into functions everything changed. Awesome job passing it with flying colors it sounds like you wanted to give up but you pushed through and did awesome!
ReplyDeleteHi Jay-R. It's funny that you did well in A6 but had trouble with the projects, I'm exactly the opposite! I found the projects pretty fun but that can't be the case for everyone. A6 gave me some stress because I'm used to cut and dry instructions to follow. I'm sure using excel will assist you greatly both in your professional and personal life.
ReplyDeleteFirst of advance congratulation on your upcoming graduation! Hopefully you finish your semester with flying colors like the A6. I wish A6 was like the chapter you talk about where Excel is giving you errors so you can fix them. A6 was a pain but at least you finished it. More power for you in the future and maybe I will visit Guam since you convince me it's such a beautiful place to go on a vacation (except for the prices, yikes).
ReplyDeleteI agree with you, at the beginning, some things in Excel do feel similar to Word, like document properties and formatting. But as we keep learning more, Excel definitely becomes more difficult because it gets more detailed. It really makes you pay more attention to small details.
ReplyDeleteHi Jay-R. Is good that you are eager to improve your "attention to detail" and that is really what matters. Excel is a powerful application that everyone uses daily or once in their life, but fixing those tiny mistakes is what trains you to be better and professional.
ReplyDeleteHello Jay-R, paying attention to detail is very important and something I also struggle with but acknowledging it and working to improve is also important. Also, congratulations on your graduation I hope you finish strong!
ReplyDeleteI relate a lot to the “trial and error” part of A6 because sometimes everything looked correct but there was always one tiny detail wrong ðŸ˜. Also congrats on doing well on the MO 210 exam, that’s awesome especially with how detailed Excel can get.
ReplyDeleteJay-R I'm right there with you every time I felt I had completed the A6 assignment there was always something I missed that was incorrect. More than anything this assignment highlights attention to detail. Congrats on the exam as well!
ReplyDeleteHello Jay-R. Congratulations on your upcoming graduation!
ReplyDeleteHey Jay-R congrats on your graduation!! About the A6, I totally get the frustration haha. I also was struggling a lot with the concept of using the '$' things (I forgot the name as I type this, apologies.) And how they would affect my values. I thought it didn't matter sometimes but it does make a huge difference. Sometimes I overthink and put it but I've been told there are situations when it's unnecessary. So I totally get you.
ReplyDeleteHey Jay-R there was like twice when I felt like "BRO WHAT AM I DOING WRONG" I almost folded and turned of my pc but I realized if this the issue now, how satisfying will the resolution be.
ReplyDeleteHey Jay-R! The Error Messages definitely saved me a number of times..!
ReplyDelete