In-class: Register for SIMnet and install Office 365
Time Management and academic calendar with Outlook
Exit Ticket: Submit confirmation of attendance
Think about the last time you saw a flyer, résumé, or business report. Did you actually read every word, or did you skim the visuals, the tables, and the design first?
In school and in your future career, it’s not just what you say that matters, it’s how you present it. A boring, text-only page can lose your audience, but a clean table, a sharp graphic, or a well-organized layout can grab attention and make your ideas unforgettable.
This module will show you how to:
Use tables to turn messy information into something clear and professional (like comparing financial data or class schedules).
Organize reports with columns so they look like real-world newsletters or marketing briefs.
Add visuals and SmartArt that make your presentations and résumés stand out.
Apply formatting, styles, and effects that make your documents look like they belong in the workplace, not just in a homework folder.
Mastering these design skills now will give you an edge, whether you’re building a research paper for class, designing a professional résumé, or preparing a client proposal in your career."
Explore relevance to your life by trying prompts like:
“I’m majoring in [your major]. Give me three examples of how tables and graphics in Word could help me present information more effectively in this field.”
“Show me how someone in [chosen career] might use Word columns, SmartArt, or tables in a professional project.”
“What are some résumé or portfolio ideas where adding tables, graphics, or SmartArt would make me stand out to employers in [career goal]?”
Career Services
Craft a Resume / Cover Letter
https://careerservices.fgcu.edu/channels/craft-a-resume-cover-letter/
Resume Cover Letter Review appointments
Financial Aid
Nano Banana video
Google AI Studio
Imagine you just got hired for your first job or internship. On your first day, your manager asks you to organize a simple budget, track expenses, and print a clean one-page report to share with the team. If you only know how to type numbers into a grid, you’ll struggle. But if you know how to format data, create formulas, and present information clearly, you’ll look like a pro from day one.
This module will give you the essential Excel skills every student and professional needs:
Create, save, and organize workbooks so your data never gets lost.
Enter and edit information that actually makes sense on a worksheet.
Use formulas and functions to turn raw numbers into answers.
Format cells and adjust layouts so your data looks polished and professional.
Navigate, view, and print like someone who knows what they’re doing.
Mastering these basics now will not only help you in this class but will also save you time on future assignments, research projects, and real-world workplace tasks.
“I’m studying [insert major]. Give me 3 examples of how Excel is used in this field at a beginner level, especially with formulas, formatting, and organizing data.”
“Show me how Excel could help me manage my personal budget as a college student. Use simple functions and formatting tips I can apply right away.”
“How do professionals in [chosen career] use Excel to make their work easier? Explain some beginner and intermediate tasks I should learn.”
“Give me an example of a one-page report in Excel that someone in [career/major] might need to print. What formatting and page setup tools would make it look professional?”
“I struggle with [e.g., staying organized, managing time, tracking grades]. Show me how to build a simple Excel sheet to help with this.”
Certifications
Mnemonics
Function Keys
You can press F1 for help in many applications
How to use the function keys on your Mac - Apple Support https://support.apple.com/en-us/102439
Help using function keys for Windows and MacOS https://www.computerhope.com/jargon/f/fn.htm
Use the Keyboard Viewer on Mac - Apple Support https://support.apple.com/guide/mac-help/use-the-keyboard-viewer-on-mac-mchlp1015/mac
Web based keyboard test https://keyboard-test.space/
Upcoming Events
Lutgert Mentorship Program https://www.fgcu.edu/cob/mentor/
LCOB Job Expo
Manage data cells and ranges (25–30%)
Have you ever looked at a wall of numbers and felt completely lost? Now think about when you’ve seen the same numbers turned into a chart or graph, suddenly the story jumps out. A budget becomes a picture of where your money really goes. A sales report turns into a trend line showing growth. A survey becomes a pie chart of opinions.
In school and in your future career, being able to transform raw data into clear visuals is one of the most valuable skills you can have. This chapter will show you how to:
Build charts that bring data to life.
Customize styles, layouts, and colors so your visuals look polished and persuasive.
Add titles, labels, trendlines, and sparklines that highlight the story behind the numbers.
Choose the right chart type (pie, line, combo, specialty) to make your point effectively.
By the end, you won’t just know how to create charts, you’ll know how to design visuals that make people pay attention to your message.
“I am studying [insert major]. What are the 3 most common types of charts used in this field, and what kinds of data do they usually display?”
“Show me an example of how a [career role, e.g., financial analyst / marketing manager / healthcare administrator] would use Excel charts to explain data in a report or presentation.”
“How can I use Excel charts to make my class projects or research papers more effective?”
“Explain how a line chart, pie chart, and combo chart could each tell a different story using the same data set. Which one would be most persuasive in [my field]?”
“Give me a real-world scenario where sparklines in Excel would be more useful than a full chart.”
“Suggest a chart I could make with my own personal data (like budget, grades, or workout progress) that would be meaningful to me.”
How do I view my grades in a current course? View Current and Total Grades https://community.canvaslms.com/t5/Student-Guide/How-do-I-view-my-grades-in-a-current-course/ta-p/493
Mid-Semester Check-in survey (Please take!)
Advice and Tips for Different Age-Ranges and Specific Topics https://www.reddit.com/r/personalfinance/wiki/index/ Bookmark!
Important flowchart! https://www.reddit.com/r/personalfinance/wiki/commontopics/
Budgeting, with Excel templates https://www.reddit.com/r/personalfinance/wiki/budgeting/
Think about all the information that surrounds you every day: patient records in healthcare, customer purchases in retail, grades in Canvas, or even your own budget. Raw data by itself is overwhelming. But when you know how to organize it, filter it, and transform it into meaningful summaries, you can spot patterns, answer questions, and make smart decisions quickly.
This chapter will give you the same tools professionals use to work with real-world data sets:
Excel tables that make your lists dynamic and easy to update.
Conditional formatting to highlight important insights automatically.
Sorting and filtering to pull out exactly the information you need.
Subtotals, groups, and outlines to summarize data at a glance.
Importing CSVs and databases so you can work with data from multiple sources.
Flash Fill and text functions to clean up messy data instantly.
PivotTables to reorganize, summarize, and analyze large data sets in seconds.
By mastering these skills now, you’re not just checking off steps in SIMnet, you’re learning the exact Excel skills employers look for when they ask for “data analysis” on a résumé. Whether you’re tracking patients in healthcare, analyzing sales in business, or cleaning survey results for a research project, these tools give you the power to turn messy numbers into clear, professional insights.
“I’m studying [insert major]. What are 3 examples of how Excel tables, filters, or PivotTables are used in this field?”
“Give me a real-world scenario where conditional formatting would save time for someone in [career role].”
“How could Flash Fill and text functions help me clean up messy data in [my field or a class project]?”
“Show me how a PivotTable could summarize data for a [career goal, e.g., financial analyst, nurse, marketer].”
“Explain how importing CSV files into Excel connects to real workplace tasks in [insert field].”
“Design a simple dataset (budget, grades, or schedule) and show me how to use subtotals or filters to find patterns.”
Use Data to Guide, Not Just Record
When you enter values, apply conditional formatting, or build a PivotTable, don’t stop at completing the task. Pause and ask: “What decision could this information support?” Thinking about data as a decision-making tool, not just numbers in a spreadsheet, will help you in school projects, personal budgeting, and your future career.
Resources
Examples
Instructors download grades from Canvas as a csv file. Opening in Excel and formatting as a table allows for quick sorting and filtering to inform decisions.
Certification
Manage tables and table data (10–15%)
Manage worksheets and workbooks (25–30%)
In the real world, data rarely comes neatly packaged in one place. You may need to combine monthly reports from multiple departments, pull in information from different files, or link data across workbooks. On top of that, you’ll need to format values so they’re clear, secure your work so it isn’t changed by accident, and sometimes make your spreadsheets more engaging with visuals and hyperlinks.
This chapter will help you master the skills professionals use every day to bring information together, communicate it clearly, and protect it:
Consolidate data by position or category to summarize big sets of information.
Link multiple workbooks so updates in one place flow into others automatically.
Format values with custom styles that improve readability and professionalism.
Work with linked data types to access live, updated information (like stock prices or geography).
Insert illustrations and hyperlinks to make your workbooks interactive and easier to navigate.
Set workbook security to protect your data from unwanted edits or accidental changes.
By learning these tools, you’re building the ability to manage complex, real-world projects, from financial roll-ups to multi-class gradebooks to shared reports in a workplace setting.
“I’m studying [insert major]. How would professionals in this field use data consolidation in Excel to combine reports or track results?”
“Give me an example of when linking multiple Excel workbooks would be useful in [career/major].”
“What are some creative ways students could use hyperlinks and illustrations in Excel to make projects, portfolios, or study tools more interactive?”
“How do businesses use workbook security features like marking as final or passwords, and how might I use those as a student?”
“Show me a scenario where custom formatting makes data easier to understand in [specific field, e.g., healthcare, marketing, engineering].”
“What are the advantages of using linked data types (like stock or geography) in Excel, and how could this apply to my classes or future career?”
Communications and Networks
Copilot in Outlook
What you see and can do depends on your personal or organization plan / subscription.
Draft a reply (works better in web app)
How to Use Microsoft Copilot in Outlook & Teams: Enhance Your Communications Kevin Stratvert (17:49) (I suggest you subscribe to this channel)
Calendar
Please make an academic calendar! This will give you practical, hands-on experience with Outlook and also benefit your time management. It will also allow you to utilize Scheduling Assistant.
Certification
Manage charts (15–20%)
Examples
Instructors teaching multiple sections of a course could download the grades for all of them and consolidate them.
You’ve mastered how to organize and visualize data , now it’s time to make Excel think for you.
In the workplace, professionals don’t manually calculate everything, they design smart spreadsheets that analyze information automatically and update results in real time. Whether you’re comparing budgets, forecasting savings, or tracking performance, Excel’s functions turn raw data into powerful insights.
This chapter is where Excel truly becomes a decision-making tool. You’ll learn to:
Analyze structured lists with database functions like DSUM and DAVERAGE.
Build logical formulas that make decisions for you (using AND, OR, and IFS).
Find and compare data across lists with lookup and reference functions like XMATCH and INDEX.
Work with dates, times, and text so your reports read cleanly and calculate correctly.
Apply financial and statistical functions to real-world scenarios such as investments, trends, and performance tracking.
Evaluate and debug formulas to ensure your work is accurate and professional.
By the end of this chapter, you’ll not only understand how formulas work—you’ll know why professionals rely on them for fast, data-driven decisions.
“I’m studying [insert major]. Give me 3 examples of how Excel formulas or functions (like IF or SUMIFS) are used in this field.”
“Explain how someone in [career field] might use financial functions like PV, FV, or NPER to make better business or personal finance decisions.”
“Show me how Excel’s logical functions (IF, AND, OR) could help automate decisions in a spreadsheet for [a project, business, or personal scenario].”
“How could date and time functions be useful in [field or daily life task], such as scheduling, tracking, or project management?”
“I often work with messy data. Which text functions (like REPT, TEXT, or UPPER) would help clean it up, and how would I use them?”
“What’s a real-world example of how analysts use functions like SUMIFS or AVERAGEIFS to identify trends or outliers in data?”
“Show me how I could use INDEX and XMATCH together to find and display information dynamically in my own Excel projects.”
“Explain the purpose of the Watch Window in Excel and why it’s valuable when troubleshooting long or complex formulas.”
Perform operations by using formulas and functions (15–20%)
You’ve learned how to build powerful spreadsheets, now it’s time to make them professional, foolproof, and shareable.
In real workplaces, Excel files are often reused, shared, and built upon by others. A well-designed workbook isn’t just accurate, it’s intuitive, protected, and ready for collaboration. Whether you’re creating a budget planner, project tracker, or data entry form, these skills help you work smarter, not harder while ensuring your work stays clear, consistent, and secure.
This chapter focuses on taking your spreadsheets from good to great:
Templates save time and ensure professional consistency.
Data validation keeps input clean and reliable, preventing costly mistakes.
Form controls make spreadsheets interactive and user-friendly.
Worksheet protection secures your work against unwanted edits.
Review and accessibility tools ensure your workbook is usable by everyone.
Collaboration features let you share confidently and work effectively in teams.
By mastering these tools, you’ll have the same workflow habits used by analysts, project managers, and administrators in every industry, building not just spreadsheets, but systems that work well for others too.
“I’m studying [insert major]. Give me examples of how professionals in this field use Excel templates or form controls to save time or improve consistency.”
“Show me how data validation could prevent errors in a real-world spreadsheet related to [career or class project].”
“What are best practices for protecting and sharing Excel workbooks in collaborative environments like [office, lab, classroom, or small business]?”
“Design a simple template that a [career role] might use repeatedly, like tracking sales, appointments, or projects, and explain what features make it efficient.”
“How does accessibility checking in Excel connect to inclusive and professional workplace practices?”
“Explain how I could use Excel’s collaboration tools (comments, sharing, protection) to work effectively on a group project.”
🧩 1. Build Your Own “Template for Success”
Just like Excel templates save time and ensure quality, you can create personal systems that make studying easier, a consistent weekly routine, a checklist for major assignments, or a standard note-taking format.
→ Success Connection: The more structure you build into your habits, the less you rely on motivation alone. Templates = consistency.
🚦 2. Validate Your Input
Excel’s data validation prevents incorrect entries, and you can do the same for your academic work. Before submitting, ask:
Did I follow all instructions?
Did I check for accuracy and clarity?
Does this meet the expectations for quality?
→ Success Connection: “Validate” your work regularly to avoid small errors that can have big consequences.
🔒 3. Protect What Matters
Just as workbook protection keeps your data safe, setting healthy boundaries protects your focus and time. Use “Do Not Disturb” settings when studying, store important files in OneDrive, and back up your work.
→ Success Connection: Protect your attention like it’s a valuable resource, because it is.
💬 4. Collaborate Effectively
Sharing an Excel workbook requires communication and respect for others’ work. Collaboration in school works the same way, clarify roles, share updates, and listen actively.
→ Success Connection: Being dependable in group work mirrors how professionals collaborate on shared files and projects.
🧠 5. Review and Reflect Often
Excel’s “Check for Issues” feature helps catch errors before sharing. Reflecting on your progress each week does the same for your learning. Ask yourself:
What went well?
Where did I get stuck?
What’s one thing I can do differently next week?
→ Success Connection: Regular self-review helps you grow steadily and prevents small struggles from snowballing.
Compare collaboration features in Office vs. Google Docs
Share & collaborate on a spreadsheet (Google Sheets)
Certification
VBA: Getting Started with VBA in Excel Codecademy
Microsoft Office Specialist: Excel Associate (Microsoft 365 Apps)
Manage tables and table data (10–15%)
Manage worksheets and workbooks (25–30%)