Some of Excel functions have me messed up in so many ways. Messed up is not the word I wanted to use but this is a PG blog. Okay, really it is the IF function. Before I get into it, the most commonly used functions in Excel are the SUM, SUMIF, COUNT, COUNTA, COUNTBLANK, MAX, MIN, AVERAGE,IF, and LEN. There are definitely more and I am sure there are people out there that would disagree about my top 10.
That IF function is simple to understand and in theory to implement, but for me, my brain has a hard time. During the LabSim reviews and projects, when the IF function came up I always had to pause and think about what I was doing. It did not come naturally. Usually I got it wrong. It is one of those things that I need to commit to memory and just do. If I think about it I mess myself up. Also, SUMIF is the a close second. Really it is the IF that throws me off to be honest.
Glad you found this post from March 26 and published it on last two hours of May 14, the final day of the Spring 2023 semester :-)
ReplyDeleteYour previous unique topic/skill for Chapter 5 Excel: 5.10.2 PivotTables published on March 8 (https://garden-prosper.blogspot.com/2023/03/seems-simple-enough.html) was already an excellent choice but I think 5.7.4 The IF Function may be better!
The IF function is the starting point for software programming as it introduces us to decision tree with IF...Then...Else.
The IF function can also be combined with other functions such as SUM and Average to form SUMIF and AverageIF.
The IF function may give your brain a workout, but you and your brain prevailed ^_^
Yeah, I see how the IF functions get everyone so confused, I had the luxury of being used to regurlar old IF statements in coding which really helped out since they are so similar!
ReplyDeleteFunctions could be confusing, but they are convenient, I also had some difficulty but mine was with absolute value.
ReplyDeleteThe 'if' function be making my brain sweat harder than a chili pepper in a sauna!
ReplyDeleteYes, it takes time. When I first learned programming, I had to read IF functions about 10 times to understand them. With my previous experience, I am getting faster to read IF functions in Excel.
ReplyDeleteI can understand your frustration with Excel functions, especially the IF function. It can be challenging to grasp initially, but with practice and repetition, it will become easier to understand and implement correctly.
ReplyDelete