Excel Footnotes

Formatting cells

  • Click/highlight the cells you wish to format.
  • Click on Format in the top menu bar and choose Cells. Otherwise, right-click on the cell and choose "Format Cells."
  • In the window that appears, you can change the alignment, font, border, patterns, and more.

Adjusting column width

  • Move the mouse between columns at the top of the chart until the mouse turns into a double-arrow.
  • Now, click and drag the mouse to the desired width.

(double arrow)

Functions and formulas (sum, average)

Excel can perform an array of calculations and is useful for performing basic statistics as well:

Calculate sums using AutoSum
Calculate averages using Functions
  1. Click on the location where you wish to place the sum.
  2. Click on the icon.
  3. Highlight the cells you wish to sum.
  4. Press Enter or Return on the keyboard.

 
  1. Click on the location where you wish to record the average.
  2. Click on the icon.
  3. Select the appropriate function category and name. For averages, select Statistical for the function category and AVERAGE for the function name.
  4. Click OK.
  5. A box will pop up. Ignore the box and highlight the cells you wish to average.
  6. Click OK in the box that had popped up.

 

Sorting data

Cells can be sorted in alphabetical or numerical order; cells can be ordered in ascending or descending order.

  • Highlight the cells you wish to sort.
  • Click on the icon. Otherwise, click on the Data menu in the top menu bar and select Sort.

Shortcuts: Automatic Fills

The automatic fill feature is a quick way to input all your data. Automatic fill can input days of the week, months, as well as a series of numbers. Test the automatic fill feature:

  • In cell C3, type Monday. Click and drag the fill handle to select the cells through cell G3.
  • In cell C4, type Week 1. Click and drag the fill handle to cell G4.
  • In cell B5, type September. Click and drag the fill handle to B13.