Excel Classes for High School Students in Dallas

Microsoft Excel is a spreadsheet program that was first released in 1985, and has become incredibly popular worldwide. It is used to organize and manipulate data in many different ways such as by creating budgets, running complex calculations, and generating graphs and charts. Microsoft talks about just how popular its program has become. It says, “Microsoft Excel is one of the world’s most important software tools, relied upon by users worldwide to create, understand, model, predict, and collaborate.”

One thing that makes Excel so popular is that it has hundreds of different tools. With these tools, users have the ability to perform many different types of calculations and data manipulations. An Excel spreadsheet has 1,048,576 rows and 16,384 columns, adding up to an incredible 17,179,869,184 cells. Excel spreadsheets reportedly used to have hidden games, but current versions no longer have these.

Even without the games, this program has become one of the most-used applications in business. One Excel user explains, “It's a powerful tool that empowers its users with computational superpowers. It's not uncommon to find finance and consulting professionals, like me, who have spent countless hours honing their Excel skills.”

Why High School Students Should Learn Excel

Taking an Excel class can be a good investment for many reasons. Knowing how to use this program is a sought-after skill in a wide range of different industries, and by having Excel skills on your resume, you can stand out from your competition when you’re applying to college, or looking for an internship or a job. A recent LinkedIn article insists, “The ability to use Excel is a marketable skill that is highly sought-after in the job market.” The author explains, “People use spreadsheets for a wide range of tasks. Excel can be used to track budgets, manage large amounts of data, and visually represent information with charts. It has become an essential tool for many professionals.” Excel is especially popular in finance and business careers, however, you can also use it in many other professional types of jobs. Many people also use Excel for personal reasons such as budgeting. In fact, no matter what you end up doing, you’re likely to encounter this program at some point in your life.

In-Person Excel Classes in Dallas

Rice University, in nearby Houston, offers several different pre-college programs in business and finance. Entrepreneurship: From Ideas to Impact in FinTech is a multi-week program that costs $1,195. It is designed for students who are interested in launching their own business in finance or technology. Students learn about financial services like lending and credit, entrepreneurship in FinTech, and the new frontier of cryptocurrencies and blockchain. They also learn about potential careers for people interested in entrepreneurship and FinTech.

Virtual Excel Classes

If an in-person class doesn’t work for you, a virtual class can be a great alternative. A virtual class runs live online through a platform like Zoom. You attend by logging in from your computer, and just like with an in-person class, an instructor lectures in real-time, answers questions, and offers help and feedback. The instructor can even see and control your screen if you give permission. With a virtual class, you don’t have to travel to a classroom, which gives you more flexibility. It also gives you more options; you can attend classes in other cities or even other states. There is also evidence that online classes can help you learn valuable skills such as motivation and focus. The Digital Learning Collaborative reports on the results of a survey about online instruction, and says that two-thirds of those surveyed believe that online learning gives students with skills that they do not get in in-person classes.

You can take a virtual Excel class through NextGen Bootcamp. Excel, Finance, & Investing Summer Program Live Online is a summer class that is designed specifically for high school students. It’s a good option if you’re interested in finance, business, real estate, or entrepreneurship. This class covers Excel, finance, and stock market investing, which are all skills that can be beneficial when you’re looking for a job or internship in the future. You’ll start with beginner-level skills, and work up to advanced concepts like Pivot tables and macros. Your instructor will also teach you to understand financial statements, and will explain stock market essentials.

The class has a total of 25 hours of instruction. There is a part-time schedule in which classes run for three hours a day for two weeks, or a full-time option, with five hours of class time each day for a week. Tuition is $1,299. You don’t need to have any experience with finance or Excel to take this class. NextGen classes take place in small groups, with instructors who are both accomplished professionals and experienced teachers.

How to Choose an Excel Class

There are lots of different factors to think about in choosing an Excel class. One is how much time and money you have to invest in your training. You are likely to find several different course lengths and prices. For example, some Excel classes only take a day or two, while others last weeks. Prices also vary widely. In many cases, longer classes cost more, but this is not always the case. Another factor to think about is whether the class is appropriate for your age and level of experience. There are several different Excel class options appropriate for high school students, but there are also many Excel classes intended for adults. You can often figure this out by looking at course descriptions online, or contacting the school if you can’t find answers to your questions. Finally, you may need to decide between an in-person and a virtual class format. This can depend on your learning style, with some people finding it easier to learn new things in-person, and also on whether or not you can commute to an in-person classroom.