Pre-Lab Excel Activity #1

Using Spreadsheets in Decision Making: Formulas and Functions

Excel Lab Manual Chapter 1 pages 2-36


Must be completed by Tuesday October 13 at 11:00pm by students enrolled in Wednesday lab sessions

Must be completed by Thursday October 15 at 11:00pm by students enrolled in Friday lab sessions

Must be completed by Sunday October 18 at 11:00pm for students enrolled in Monday lab sessions

 

FOLDER/FILE SUBMISSION TO THE APPROPRIATE KSU ONLINE DROPBOX  MUST BE COMPLETED BY THE DATE AND TIME LISTED ABOVE.

 

If you meet the folder/file submission deadline listed above, you can hand in your packet of printouts at your regularly scheduled lab session the next day.

 

 

IMPORTANT: In order to complete this pre-lab activity, you must have the custom Excel lab manual (the one with the Tiger on the cover).  If you don’t yet have the Excel lab manual, you should be able to purchase it at Varney’s.

 

Before you start, PLEASE print out this entire activity description.  Having a printed copy of this in front of you results in the activity taking less time than completing the activity while constantly switching back and forth between the instructions and the application you are working with.  You will get finished with this activity quite a bit faster if you have printed activity description in front of you.

 

This printout is your assignment description.  Please follow this description, even if it conflicts with the tutorial found in the lab manual.  When working with the tutorial, always read and refer to this printout first, prior to working with the tutorial.  At times, I require printouts that the tutorial does not have you make.  There are also printouts the tutorial has you make that I don’t want.  Follow what is listed below.  This is your assignment description.

 

Prior to starting this activity, you need to create a folder on your storage media containing your own first and last name, followed by Excel Prelab 1.  For instance, my folder would be called Brian Kovar Excel Prelab 1. 

 

After creating that folder, you will next need to visit the MANGT 366 course on KSU Online. After logging in, visit Files & Content, then Lab Assignments and the folder containing Excel files to download for the first Excel prelab activity.  Download the two Excel files that you see into the folder that you just created.  If you create any files from scratch as part of this activity, you will also need to save them into your named folder.

 

IMPORTANT:  PLEASE READ:  If a tutorial talks about getting files from some sort of folder or storage location, you will need to visit the folder that you just created/added to your storage media in the prior paragraph.  All files that you don’t create yourself are already in that folder.  When one of the tutorials tells you to save a file under a certain name, use the name required in the assignment description that you are currently reading (rather than the name found in the tutorial text).

 

SPECIAL NOTE:  PLEASE READ

All currency/dollar values found in this project must contain the $ symbol and be formatted using “Currency Style”.  Please use the “true” currency style, rather than the $ button.  Although the button is labeled as “$”, it is really Accounting Style.  You want to use the true currency style, which results in a $ sign right next to the number, such as $45

 

Pre-Lab Excel activity #1 is composed of the following components:

Chapter 1 from the Grauer text:  Formulas and Functions

1) Please read pages 3-5 from the chapter.

2) Rename the file called Payroll (your name also goes here) so that the new name for the file contains your own name, similar to my example:  Payroll  Brian Kovar

3) Complete the tutorial steps found on pages 6-8 using the file that you just renamed.  Save your work into that file (without renaming it as the text indicates).

4) Please read pages 9-15.

5) Continue using the Payroll file (without renaming it as the text indicates) and complete the tutorial steps found on pages 16-20. 
BEFORE PRINTING, MAKE SURE THAT YOU DO THE FOLLOWING:

·        When you are done with the formatting, MAKE SURE THAT NOTHING IS CUT OFF in your columns and rows.  You might have to adjust row widths and column heights to overcome this problem.

·        Make sure that the text wrapping does not result in words being split in two and parts of the same word appearing on more than one line.  You might have to adjust row widths and column heights to overcome this problem.

·        For neatness and professionalism, center the overtime hours and regular hours data.

·        Make sure that the labels in row #3 are over the data that they describe.  If you find that a label has nothing underneath it, you will need to adjust the column width accordingly.

·        In a prior step, you formatted rows 1,2,3,19 & 24 to display with black fill color and white font.  If you are using a color printer, that will waste a lot of ink.  If you are using a printer that only prints in black & white, then the white text won’t be visible.  In rows 1,2,3,19 & 24, format those rows to display with no fill color and the text should display in a black font color.

·        Use Print Preview and go into the Page Setup options.  Make sure that everything fits on one page, that the GRIDLINES DO NOT DISPLAY when the printout is made, and that the column and row headings DO NOT DISPLAY either.  In the workplace, it is considered very unprofessional to display spreadsheet gridlines, column headings and row headings when printing spreadsheets.  DON’T PRINT THOSE THINGS.

6) Hand in the following:

·        A labeled printout of the Payroll spreadsheet.

·        A printout of the formulas created in the Payroll spreadsheet

7) Please read pages 21-24.

8) Rename the file called Grade Book (your name also goes here) so that the new name for the file contains your own name, similar to my example:  Grade Book Brian Kovar

9) Complete the tutorial steps found on pages 25-28 using the Grade Book file.  
BEFORE PRINTING, MAKE SURE THAT YOU DO THE FOLLOWING:

·        Make sure that the labels in row #3 are over the data that they describe.  If you find that a label has nothing underneath it, you will need to adjust the column width accordingly.

·        Several cells on the spreadsheet are formatted to display a dark fill color and white text inside those darkened cells.  If you are using a color printer, that will waste a lot of ink.  If you are using a printer that only prints in black & white, then the white text won’t be visible.  Format those cells to display with no fill color and the text should display in a black font color.

·        Use Print Preview and go into the Page Setup options.  Make sure that everything fits on one page, that the GRIDLINES DO NOT DISPLAY when the printout is made, and that the column and row headings DO NOT DISPLAY either.  In the workplace, it is considered very unprofessional to display spreadsheet gridlines, column headings and row headings when printing spreadsheets.  DON’T PRINT THOSE THINGS.

 10) Hand in the following:

·        A labeled printout of the Grade Book spreadsheet.

·        A printout of the formulas created in the Grade Book spreadsheet

11) Please read pages 29-31.

12) Complete the tutorial steps found on pages 32-33.  Save the file as your own last name, followed by PMT Function, using the following example as a guide (Kovar PMT Function).  BEFORE PRINTING, MAKE SURE THAT YOU DO THE FOLLOWING:

·        Use Print Preview and go into the Page Setup options.  Make sure that everything fits on one page, that the GRIDLINES DO NOT DISPLAY when the printout is made, and that the column and row headings DO NOT DISPLAY either.  In the workplace, it is considered very unprofessional to display spreadsheet gridlines, column headings and row headings when printing spreadsheets.  DON’T PRINT THOSE THINGS.

13)  Hand in the following:

·        A printout of the completed spreadsheet (labeled as PMT)

·        A printout of the formulas created)

 

 

HANDING IN THE ACTIVITY

1) When you are ready to turn in your work, make sure that you place or have ALL OF YOUR ACTIVITY FILES IN A NAMED FOLDER/DIRECTORY.  Create a zip/compressed file, and then submit the zipped/compressed file to the appropriate KSU Online Dropbox. 

 

2) Please assemble your packet of printouts.  The printouts should be arranged in the following order:

 

IN ORDER TO BE CONSIDERED FOR FULL CREDIT, YOUR PRINTOUTS MUST BE IN THE REQUIRED SUBMISSION ORDER.  Deductions will be taken for printouts that are not in the proper order.

 

FOLDER/FILE SUBMISSION MUST BE COMPLETED BY THE DUE DATE/TIME LISTED ABOVE.  If you meet the folder/file submission deadline listed above, you can hand in your packet of printouts at my office or in your regularly scheduled lab session the next day.