Mercer County Library System
Microsoft Excel and Google Sheets are powerful spreadsheet applications that let you visualize, organize, and analyze data. They arrange data in a grid consisting of columns and rows. You can enter text for data represented by words, number data for fixed numerical data, and formulas to complete mathematical calculation. The applications come with several built-in formulas, letting the computer do the math for you. Spreadsheets can be used for budgets, inventory management, making schedules, tracking payroll, project timelines, creating charts and graphs from data, and so much more!
Please note that you must have the Microsoft Excel program on your computer to download any of the Excel spreadsheet practice files or create new Excel files. You can access the free web version of Excel using a Microsoft 365 account. Find information about creating a 365 account to use Excel here
Use the exercises linked below to practice on your own!
The more advanced lessons require downloading a premade spreadsheet to manipulate before starting the lesson.
This book from the library catalog is used as the basis for the 50/30/20 budgeting rule in the Excel Budgets lesson.
While performing a Google search doesn't require having a Google account, many of the other apps do require that you be logged in at all times. These include Docs, Sheets, Drive, Calendar, Slides, Gmail, and Keep. You use one Google login for all of the different apps. Making an account is free, and you can use an existing email from another platform (Yahoo, Outlook, AOL, etc.) if you don't want to make a Gmail email.
Use this lesson to practice the tools in Google Sheets. It follows the same steps as Intro to Excel.
