22  Welcome to Excel

Excel remains one of the most powerful and widely used tools for data analysis in business, research, and everyday life. Whether you’re managing budgets, analyzing datasets, or creating dashboards, mastering Excel will give you skills you’ll use throughout your career.

In this module, you’ll learn to:

• Navigate large datasets quickly and efficiently
• Analyze data using formulas, functions, and pivot tables
• Visualize insights with charts and conditional formatting
• Clean and transform raw data into actionable information

TipHow to Use These Materials

This module is designed for self-paced learning. Work through the materials in order, but feel free to revisit sections as needed. The best way to learn Excel is by doing—so open Excel alongside these tutorials and practice as you go!

22.1 Recommended Study Path

Follow this progression from beginner to confident Excel user:

1. Understand the “Why”. Learn why Excel conquered the world of spreadsheets
2. Step-by-Step Tutorial. Complete the hands-on tutorial with patient data exercises
3. Practice Exercises. Apply your skills to real-world scenarios:
   • Time Management Spreadsheet
   • Importing Large Data into Excel
   • NYC Taxi Rides Data Analysis
   • Summarizing Simulation Results with Pivot Tables
4. Practice Exams. Test yourself with past exams on Canvas (start with the most recent)
5. Self-Assessment. Test your knowledge with multiple-choice questions
6. Review Useful Functions (Optional). Explore features like Insert data from picture and Analyze data automatically

Ready to get started? Let’s dive in!