Can I conqur the Excel fear

marvin

Now before I do give up and go away because of the patronising idiot on here who I am very pleased never taught me anything as everything I would know would probably be wrong... they even got the answer to the first very simple basic maths wrong and have the gall to criticise others...and is a very good example of why I gave up on formal education....

Yes in terms of spreadsheets you do have to use BODMAS so if you want the answer 42 from 2+5*6 you do need to write it in the formula as (2+5)*6 because you want it to calculate the () first to give the answer you want.

However if I write it down (not in a spreadsheet) simply as 2+5*6 the the answer is probably not 32!

So not using a scientific calculator because not all sums are scientific ou will get 42 if you put in the above sum.

On a scientific calculator you will get the answer 32 because it will use BODMAS and will calculate it with () around the * as you calculate some things first.

But I say again if the sum you want is a BODMAS you have to write it as a formula and not as a simple sum and not presume that a simple sum should be taken as a scientific calculation or the person who simply wants to know that 7 x 6 = 42 will always be confused.

Bye all.

gettingready

marvin wrote: »

Now before I do give up and go away because of the patronising idiot on here

Ermmmm - and who would that be?

why I gave up on formal education....

Perhaps you shouldn't...

However if I write it down (not in a spreadsheet) simply as 2+5*6 the the answer is probably not 32!

Yes, it is 32

Bye all.

Oh, how melodramatic, of course you will be back with more nonsense....

[Deleted User]

Thanks for asking AD this actually wasn't my finest hour, was a risk that didn't pay off and it turned out there should have been other things I should have worried over, oh yes, I think my confidence shot sky high after the phones and telesales job (or is more the true calling I don't know) it got to today and then I got the dreaded call from the agent of please don't return next week and thanks for remaining professional - they said it was because expected work hadn't materialised so there was no longer an assignment but in reality, well I think more then ever now there isn't the patience as I just kept mucking up the formula's apparently, I only had to look at the blinking Excel!! while I am somewhat relieved, definitely a d'oh moment! I did however learn to document bind in the end when everybody near enough wanted to throttle me! Sorry this isn't so positive everybody, I'm so glad their inhouse CRM was sage 200 and not sage 50! would have been in real trouble then!

gettingready

I just kept mucking up the formula's apparently

How? What formulas were there if it was a data entry job?

Were the formulas not protected?

[Deleted User]

No idea, it was a 'shared' document (maybe known as on a shared drive) as well meaning that anybody as well as me could access it, first day I thought yes I think this is well easier then I imagined in all honesty and kept my mouth shut, re. any reservations I had surrounding Excel or my even being there, it was quite odd I couldn't see any real requirement for me, only that business had increased, by around Wednesday they discover gremlins, one of the columns wasn't dragging down as it should which calculated product quantities and what felt like it must you be you (directed at me) attitude, it looked a professionally set up excel document where I've seen other's attempts to do a worksheet for pure info (no magic!) which didn't look half as professional, don't suppose I can get the truth out of the agency? whilst I appreciate it was probably the equivalent of a week's long interview really suppose, I'm really trying to determine where things went wrong other then this work has dried up momboojumbo, as if the client hadn't really thought about it, this 10 minutes before finishing, even if the agent said what I say about the day's events were 'interesting' as wasn't aware I was doing something else today when they could in reality have sent me straight home so I appreciate I got more hours under the circumstances - though jeez I am glad it happened now rather then weeks/months later, that's some sort of bonus, should have known when the agency only supplied one timesheet? (I was reassured at the time it was only for a different reason)

The CV is in a right old mess to match the head - forgive my phrase, do I declare and use it to my advantage as a highlight I'm probably best not to work in the likes of certain places again? (it has helped me also come to terms with the not to distant past that involved shipping ugh) not all bad, tackling the ghosts suppose

gettingready

You probably overwritten some formulas with values and that is why formulas stopped working.

Did you know how to check which cells contained formulas and which were data cells at all?

Perhaps some beginners course in Excel would be useful?

pmduk

I've just started a job which required intermediate excel knowledge. Apparently all this means is knowing how to switch spreadsheet pages and realise that what you enter in one cell affects others, possibly within other pages.

[Deleted User]

gettingready wrote: »

You probably overwritten some formulas with values and that is why formulas stopped working.

Did you know how to check which cells contained formulas and which were data cells at all?

Perhaps some beginners course in Excel would be useful?

Yeah it's something I feel I know little about, as I've now made a claim to job seekers allowance now I'm hoping perhaps I can be eligible for help from somewhere like the learning shop in these matters going forward, if needbe as I see they support the unemployed in receipt of benefits so I've lost the embarrassment and going to claim all the help I need rather then keep mustering through, enough is enough

Thanks, I hope one-day it makes sense!

arthurdick

Deleted%20User wrote: »

Thanks for asking AD this actually wasn't my finest hour, was a risk that didn't pay off and it turned out there should have been other things I should have worried over, oh yes, I think my confidence shot sky high after the phones and telesales job (or is more the true calling I don't know) it got to today and then I got the dreaded call from the agent of please don't return next week and thanks for remaining professional - they said it was because expected work hadn't materialised so there was no longer an assignment but in reality, well I think more then ever now there isn't the patience as I just kept mucking up the formula's apparently, I only had to look at the blinking Excel!! while I am somewhat relieved, definitely a d'oh moment! I did however learn to document bind in the end when everybody near enough wanted to throttle me! Sorry this isn't so positive everybody, I'm so glad their inhouse CRM was sage 200 and not sage 50! would have been in real trouble then!

Hi, sorry it didn't work out well for you...I now think that you will be more able to learn basic Excel, seeing as that you do not need to put yourself through a crash course, you can learn at your own pace now...As I have mentioned before, the free online course by Alison, is pretty good, it starts at the very basics and works up as you go along.., you may never need it in the future, but knowing that might help you pick it up easier..

To make it more interesting for you, use data such as your household budget, or mortgage account, or debt payments or you holiday budget...

gettingready

I always used to make my class participants to do a house budget in the beginners class. The class was a whole day class with a lunch break in the middle so in the second half we were doing exactly that - house budget.

Money going in, totals, money going out (bills listed), totals, subtraction to see what is/should be "left" every month etc etc

Then a pie chart based on that to see what percentage of income goes say for rent what for food etc. Changing values in calls that did NOT contain formulas to see how it affects pie chart. Show/hide formulas in the spreadsheet to know which cells contain formulas and which contain values.

All this could be done in a one day course with max 6 delegates - when we started from zero knowledge of excel with explanation what cal/row/sheet is, how to select single/multiple cells etc.

People were leaving pretty happy as this they could use straight away at home for their own benefit so enforce the learning.