The MO 210 Exam was easier than I thought it would be, especially with all the practice I had before hand. I'll probably preserve the skills I learned with the test and practice through using Excel for data storing and sometimes even for fun. I am an Accountant Major (when I transfer to a 4-year university), so I definitely will be using Excel. The A6 Spreadsheet Analysis with Trailer was definitely more of an attention to detail assignment more than actual Excel work for me. I got most of the hard part right but kept stumbling on the small stuff.
My favorite thing I learned from Chapter 5 of LabSim is the 5.7.1 Relative and Absolute References. It's such a small but useful thing to know. How to lock a cell reference so Excel knows which cell to continue to go back to instead of moving to the cells around it for information. The F4 key on my keyboard has other functions so I just decided it would be easier to put dollar signs ($) in front of the cell letter and number when needed instead of using the F4 key.
I can apply Phase 2 to my career and anything excel related. I will pay more attention to document designs and other cosmetics that make documents more professional, and use functions I've learned in Excel to make my Excel experience easier.
I will try my best to finish strong with Phase 3, my classes are finishing up so I hope to be able to focus on IS101 more.
Hi Thomas, I really enjoyed reading your post. I like how you mentioned that the exam felt easier because of all the practice, it really shows how much repetition helps. I can definitely relate to what you said about the small details being the tricky part. It is almost never the big concepts, but the little things that slow you down. The part about relative and absolute references stood out to me because it seems simple but makes a big difference.
ReplyDeleteI also thought your approach of adding dollar signs manually was interesting and practical. It is nice to see that you are already thinking about using Excel beyond the class. That is when it starts to feel useful and not just another requirement.
Excel for fun? Accounting major, that explains it ;-p
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you paid more attention to the details when doing A6 than the Excel lab work, Thomas :-)
When to use an absolute cell reference instead of a relative one is a key skill one must master in using a spreadsheet!
You will be able to focus on IS101 more and finishing strong in Phase 3 and beyond ^_^
Hi Thomas, I liked your point about A6 because I also felt that assignment was more about paying attention to small details, formulas and formatting. I also agree with you about absolute references because once I understood that the dollar signs keep a specific cell “locked” when copying formulas, Excel started making a lot more sense to me. It honestly saves so much time and prevents a lot of mistakes when working in Excel.
ReplyDeleteHi Thomas. I agree that A6: Spreadsheet Analysis with Trailer had strict requirements for the look of the spreadsheet. However, at least it gives you practice in making documents professional for a career.
ReplyDeleteIt seems like every time I look at an accountant's monitor when I'm visiting my friend I always see countless of spreadsheets open and hundreds or thousands of data being shown. I love seeing it, looking all professional and business-like but learning the behind that scenes is actually a challenge. It's good that you learn from this and you can apply it on your 4-year university classes and finish strong on Phase 3!
ReplyDeleteHi Thomas, sometimes it is the small details that really trip you up. It makes me remember I should start projects in advance so that I can slow down and look over them in detail. I personally tend to start early but then finish last minute.
ReplyDeleteHi Thomas, I totally get you, this is one of those small Excel things that actually makes a big difference. Once you understand relative vs. absolute references, everything starts making more sense when doing formulas.
ReplyDeleteHello Thomas, I'm glad you found the Excel exam easy! I was a nervous wreck taking mine but practicing before hand really helped in the end.
ReplyDeleteHi Thomas. A6 definitely did involve more paying attention to details, it feels like I stumbled my whole way through. Learning about relative and absolute references really helped with learning how to make tables with different needs.
ReplyDeleteHi Thomas, I can agree the attention to detail to being able to completing the A6 assignment was key. It was easy to overlook the simple things and focus on the difficult things, but throughout the assignment you learn all the requirements were equal to completing.
ReplyDelete5.7.1 was something I had a love-hate relationship with! It was hard for me to understand what it does and it felt like there was a pattern I couldn't see, plus I refused to just memorize what each one does because memorizing something is easy to forget but tying it to something is easier to remember. In the end, I realized that the number signs were the patterns. Just had to see $ as a nail hammered to each digit/letter then it clicked! :)
ReplyDeleteHey Thomas, learning Excel is very important in accounting as I have actually used some of the skills I learned in my accounting class the same week after we started Chapter 5! Yeah, with all the other classes out of the way this month, I'm sure you have finished strong!
ReplyDeleteThomas, I relate to the A6 part because most of my mistakes were the tiny detail stuff too even when the formulas worked. Also relative and absolute references ended up being way more useful than I expected once the spreadsheets got bigger.
ReplyDeleteHello Thomas. I'm happy you'll be able to apply your Excel skills to your major! A career in accounting will definitely need it!
ReplyDeleteHey Thomas, It's nice to see enthusiasm and hope that all goes well with your education.
ReplyDeleteHey Thomas! Absolute References are an absolute game changer haha! Definitely made Excel 10x easier!
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