Documenting a Day

   

  In most office settings, there will be computers involved and those computers will most likely have Microsoft Office installed on them. Even some households will have Microsoft Office installed on their computers. Microsoft Office contains several applications, such as Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, and Microsoft PowerPoint. Each application has its own importance to the workplace and home settings. From creating a list of things to do, to creating a spreadsheet for a budget, to creating a presentation for your work meeting, you can be easily organized. In this paper, I will reflect on my experiences using each program.  

    The first application I practiced using was Microsoft Word. For my assignment, I had to write a journal entry about a day in my life and list the events that happened throughout the day. This application is considered a word processor. It is meant for creating formatted text which are features on a document like margins, text size, bold text, italicized text, etc. (Vahid & Lysecky, 2019). One major advantage for this application is that it comes with tons of features. When compared with the other popular word processors out there, Word has the most features by far. Another advantage is the built-in spelling and grammar checker. This can save you a lot of time when you are proofreading your work, and it can help you avoid embarrassing mistakes. There are some disadvantages, however. Although many features are usually seen as a good thing, it can also be a drawback. For some users, the software can be overwhelming because of all the features. Another downside of Microsoft Word is that it can be quite resource intensive. This means that it can run slowly on older computers or computers with weak specs. If you try to use too many features at once, the software can start lagging or even crash.  

    Microsoft Excel is an application that is used to create tables for data like text or numbers and using formulas calculate data from other data. You can also use functions, such as COUNT or SUM to simplify formulas in the spreadsheet. My next assignment was to enter data into a table and calculate the amount time I used to do each task. Following the instructions was easy, but I can see Excel being a challenge to use for someone that does not have a template to follow. An advantage to using Excel is that it has templates and macros. Macros allow a user to automate repetitive tasks to save time, while templates are preprogrammed files with placeholder data for easy use. Another advantage is that you have more control over your data. For example, each file can be password protected and only opened with a username/password combination, which means it is much harder for outsiders to access without authorization or accidentally opening a spreadsheet containing sensitive information. On the other hand, a disadvantage to using excel is that it cannot handle more than a few thousand rows without slowing to a crawl. It also imposes limitations on file size. One other disadvantage is that it can be difficult to learn. This is because there are many different elements, such as formulas, functions, and keyboard shortcuts.  

        While using Microsoft PowerPoint, I ran into a couple of challenges, but overall, the experience was good. PowerPoint is a presentation application that is used to create a slideshow of text and graphics, often with animation (Vahid & Lysecky, 2019). This application is normally used for work or school projects that require information to be presented. This is done in a slideshow format. An advantage of using PowerPoint is that it can be used virtually anywhere. Put your presentation on a USB flash drive or in any cloud storage app and you will have your PowerPoint presentation at hand anytime. Another advantage is PowerPoint offers you full control over your slides’ appearances. You have the freedom to customize your presentation with your own design. As it is easy to modify and play with the elements given by this software, you can create the perfect presentation for yourself. One disadvantage is there are a lot of variables that intervene when you are about to use PowerPoint for presenting. Your computer can stop working, get an update right before you start, or lose power in the middle of the presentation. Another disadvantage is the overuse of information. After you adapt to the software it becomes extremely easy to get lost in all the options you have. How much text is too much? Are there enough images? What font to use? How many fonts to use? By adding many things, you will lose sight of the presentation's purpose.  

    A database is a collection of data, usually organized in a table format. A database management system (DBMS) is an app that creates, maintains, and accesses database systems. Popular DBMS' include MySQL, Oracle Database, and Microsoft Access (Vahid & Lysecky, 2019). I did not have a specific assignment for a database application, but I did work on the participation and challenge activities in the textbook. Databases are vital for managing digital activities and are the primary medium for maintaining, organizing, and evaluating an organization’s essential information, such as employee and client records, inventory, and payroll (Edmondson, 2022). One of the advantages of using a database application is data abstraction. This means to hide the complexity of data from basic users. DBMS abstracts the data from basic users, which is not useful to the users. It only shows that data that is useful. Another advantage is that you can control data redundancy. DBMS controls the data redundancy and integrates all data into a single database file. This also helps to save storage space and increase retrieval and update speed. A disadvantage is the cost of hardware and software. To run the DBMS software, you will need a high-speed processor and large memory size, which can be expensive. Another disadvantage is performance issues. DBMSs can be complex to set up, configure, and maintain, particularly for large and/or sophisticated systems.  

    The application software I found to be the most appropriate for documenting the information about my day would be PowerPoint. Even though it was more complex than Microsoft Word, I think creating a slideshow presentation was better than creating a journal entry. It was interesting to test out the animation and transition features and I enjoyed creating the slides. I believe creating a presentation of how the day went helps keep the audience interested in what you have to say. PowerPoint can make learning new information more entertaining and engaging.  

    Another scenario that could have been used for each application is documenting a country that you would like to travel to. In Microsoft Word, you could describe in a journal entry the country you would most like to visit and list the activities you would want to do while there. In Microsoft Excel, you could make a table that would calculate the cost of travel and how much money you would need to do the activities. In PowerPoint, you could create a presentation with facts about the country, defend your reasoning for visiting, and show what each activity entails.  

    It is apparent that having Microsoft Office is essential. The different applications help with important tasks that need to be done for the workplace or individual use. Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Access all serve important roles in everyday life. This experience has been educational and insightful. I enjoyed learning and engaging in each application. I appreciate the knowledge I gained from this assignment.  

 

 

 

 

References 

Vahid, F., & Lysecky, S. (2019). Computing Technology For All. ZyBooks. 

Edmondson, J. (2022). Advantages of Databases: Why Are Databases Important to Businesses?. BusinessTech Weekly. https://www.businesstechweekly.com/operational-efficiency/data-management/databases-advantages-benefits/