Excel Project

My first Excel spreadsheet!

So this is what it's like to work with Excel. I never knew how simple and organized life could really get. Excel is a software that has many functions to keep your life and business running smoothly especially since it is mathematically organized when most of us are not. In these past couple of weeks I have made my first Excel workbook/spreadsheets on a fake set of data that dealt with a 15-minute workout, 5-minute cooldown of 500 subjects while measuring their heartrate throughout at consistent intervals. Below I'll mention some of the interesting things I accomplished (And so can you!) in Excel and the general gist of what I did.

1. Above I described the raw data that was given to me. Your raw data could be anything. Like different crime statistics listed by every university in the country. As a journalist you want to analyze that data for a story. For my analysis, I did a couple summary functions to determine the target heart rate for the subjects involved, then moved from there figuring out the target percent that each subject should achieve and if they achieved it or not. All of this deal with formulas. Formulas are the staple of Excel. They make life easier if you know how to use them. I learned how to precisely get my data by selecting the rows and columns I wanted analyzed, typing in the formula and applying it to the rest of the row through the relative function excel has. I think the hardest part was coming up with the formulas. You really have to think logically before you start to type =(blah,blah, blah) as a formula. Once you have the formula you are set to go. What also helped me was the actual Help box that Excel has plugged in. It gives you steps on how to do things when you get stuck. It is better than some of the advice on the web.
   
2. The next part was the data analysis. Actual comparison of the data. This is where pivot tables shine. I made two tables. One where it showed the target heart rate achieved for men, women and all subjects together. The other determined by age and gender demographics if the workout was effective through the increase in heart rate. I think creating the pivot table was the most difficult process throughout this project. You not only have to plug in the numbers, but you also have to switch them around within the table to determine your data. You have to find out the answers instead of plugging in a formula (function) and having excel spit it out for you. A screen capture of the second pivot table is listed below.

Making things look good is extremely important. Especially in today's world people respond to visual stimulus. Therefore, making a "pretty" spreadsheet is important. I highlighted important aspects of the sheet, bolded headlines and outlined things. It is just a matter of making your book look professional if someone else is going to be looking at the data with a fresh pair of eyes and want the basics fast. Why? Because time is money and productivity can stem from clean, clear cut data. So, make it pretty and professional!