People are scared of spreadsheets because they look like maths. They are really just tidy lists that can count themselves, and understanding that removes most of the fear.
Columns run down and have letters. Rows run across and have numbers. A cell is where they meet, and its address is the letter then the number, so B4 is column B, row 4. Everything else in spreadsheets is built on that.
One thing per column, one record per row. Names in one column, dates in another, amounts in another. The moment you put two things in one cell, like a name and a phone number together, the spreadsheet can no longer sort or count properly.
You are recording stock deliveries.
What happens: You cannot sort by date, total the cans, or find all the Coke entries. The information is there but the spreadsheet cannot help you with any of it.
What happens: Now you can sort by date, total the quantity and filter to one item. The same typing, and now the spreadsheet does the work.
What is a spreadsheet actually good for at work?
Lists that need counting or sorting: stock, hours worked, attendance, small budgets, customer lists. If you find yourself counting something by hand more than once, that is the moment a spreadsheet earns its place.
Excel or Google Sheets?
They work the same way for everything in this course. Google Sheets is free, runs in a browser and saves automatically, so it is the better place to practise. Excel is more common in established offices. Learn one and you can use the other.
Before you move on
- Learn cell addresses, letter then number
- One thing per column, one record per row
- Never combine two facts in one cell
Check what you know
3 questions. Have a look at what this lesson asks.
Sign in to take this quiz
Reading is free and always will be. Answering counts towards your progress, your streak and your certificate, so we need to know who you are.
Sign in or create a free accountIt takes a minute and costs nothing.