What i learnt about Excel after a week of data science classes- How deep, intresting and useful Excel is in the Tech space.

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Introduction.

My first encounter with Microsoft Excel was about 8 years ago in primary school. At the time, I only used a few basic features such as entering data into cells. To me, Excel seemed like nothing more than a digital spreadsheet where one could write some data figures like exam results.

Fast forward to 2026, and my perspective has completely changed. As I began learning Excel more seriously as part of my data analytics journey, I quickly realized that it is far more powerful than I had imagined. Beyond storing data, Excel can perform calculations, automate repetitive tasks, analyze large datasets, and help users make critical decisions.

What once looked like a simple spreadsheet application has proved itself to be a very useful tool used by students, businesses, researchers, accountants, and data analysts around the world. In this article, I share some of the key lessons and discoveries from my first week of learning Excel and how they have changed the way I view this software.

Understanding Excel at a deeper level.

One of the first things I learned was how Excel organizes information using rows, columns, and cells. This might look simple, but understanding how data is structured is important because almost every task in Excel depends on it.

My Introduction to Data Cleaning.

One thing that i found intresting to me during my first week of learning Excel was data cleaning. Before this course, I assumed that data collected from surveys, businesses, or other sources was always ready for analysis. However, I learned that raw data often contains errors, duplicates, missing values, and inconsistencies.

Excel has several tools that help clean and prepare data before analysis. Tools such as Find and Replace, Remove Duplicates, Text to Columns, and filtering make it easier to identify and correct problems within a dataset.

I came to understand that data cleaning is one of the most important steps in the data analysis process. Even the most advanced analysis can produce misleading results if the data is inaccurate or poorly organized. Learning about data cleaning gave me a new appreciation for the amount of work that happens before meaningful conclusions can be made from data.

I also learned how to format cells by changing fonts, colors, borders, and number formats. Proper formatting makes spreadsheets easier to read and gives them a more professional appearance.

My First Experience with Excel Formulas.

The most exciting part of learning Excel was discovering formulas. Instead of performing calculations manually, Excel can calculate values automatically.

Some of the first formulas I learned include:

SUM() for adding values
AVERAGE() for finding the mean
MAX() for finding the largest value
MIN() for finding the smallest value

These functions demonstrated how Excel can save time and reduce human error when working with data.

Sorting and Filtering Data.

Another feature that has the ability to sort and filter data. Sorting allows data to be arranged in ascending or descending order, while filtering helps display only the information that meets specific order

For example, in a dataset containing employee records, filtering can be used to display only employees from a particular department or those with a specific marital status. This makes it much easier to work with large amounts of information.

Final thoughts.

After just one week of learning Excel, I can already see how much depth the tool has beyond what I initially thought. What once felt like a simple spreadsheet application is now revealing itself as a powerful platform for working with data in a structured and efficient way.

This early stage has shown me that small skills like organising data, using formulas, and cleaning datasets are the foundation of much larger concepts in data analysis. I now understand that mastering Excel is not about memorizing functions, but about learning how to think logically about data.

Overall, this first week has completely changed how I view Excel. What seemed basic at first now feels like an essential skill that I will keep building on throughout my learning journey.