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LESSON 2: Basic Data Entry Skills

Yesterday you clicked around Excel and nothing broke - well done! Today we learn to enter information systematically, like filling out a simple form.

Today's 15-Minute Lesson: Entering Data Like a Pro

Remember how you fill out register forms at the beginning of the year? Excel is the same - just digital boxes instead of paper boxes.

What You'll Learn Today:

  • Enter information in a logical order

  • Move from box to box efficiently

  • Create a simple list without getting lost

  • Fix mistakes easily

The Two Ways to Move Between Boxes:

  • Enter key: Moves DOWN to the next row (↓)

  • Tab key: Moves RIGHT to the next column (→)

Today's Practice: Create a Simple Class List (12 minutes)

We're making the world's simplest class list - just names for now:

Step 1: Set Up Headers (2 minutes)

  1. Click on A1

  2. Type: Student Name

  3. Press Tab (moves to B1)

  4. Type: Subject

  5. Press Enter (moves to B2, but we want A2)

  6. Click on A2

Step 2: Add 5 Students (8 minutes) Add these names (or use your real students):

  1. In A2, type: Sipho Mthembu

  2. Press Tab, type: Mathematics

  3. Press Enter (now you're in A3)

  4. Continue:

  5. A3: Sarah van der Merwe, Tab, Mathematics

  6. A4: Priya Naidoo, Tab, Mathematics

  7. A5: James Williams, Tab, Mathematics

  8. A6: Nomsa Khoza, Tab, Mathematics

Step 3: Fix a Mistake (2 minutes)

  1. Click on any name you want to change

  2. Just start typing - it replaces the old text

  3. Or press F2 to edit without deleting everything

Common Beginner Questions:

Q: I pressed Enter and went to the wrong place. Help! A: Just click where you want to go. Enter and Tab are shortcuts, but clicking always works.

Q I typed in the wrong box. Now what? A: Click on the correct box and type again. Or click the wrong box and press Delete to clear it.

Q Excel is suggesting words as I type. Is that normal? A: Yes! Excel tries to help by guessing what you're typing. Just keep typing to ignore it, or press Tab to accept the suggestion.

Today's Success Check:

  • [ ] I can type in any cell

  • [ ] I can move between cells using Enter and Tab

  • [ ] I created a simple list

  • [ ] I can fix mistakes by clicking and retyping

What's Coming Tomorrow: Simple shortcuts that make data entry faster (but still super easy).

Troubleshooting Help: If you're stuck or something looks wrong, don't panic! Reply to this email with a description of what you see.

[📝 Access Day 2 Practice File] ← Link to: https://yoursite.com/day2-data-entry

Great progress! You're entering data like a pro already.

Best regards, Your Excel Course Team
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