{"id":1979,"date":"2026-10-15T10:00:28","date_gmt":"2026-10-15T09:00:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/?p=1979"},"modified":"2026-10-08T10:13:50","modified_gmt":"2026-10-08T09:13:50","slug":"excel-puzzle-blogs-issue-1","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/2026\/10\/15\/excel-puzzle-blogs-issue-1\/","title":{"rendered":"Excel Puzzle Blogs: Issue #1"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Microsoft Excel can seem a bit overwhelming when you first open it, especially if you\u2019ve not had much reason to use it before.<\/p>\n<p>But Excel is a really useful tool that can make your life much easier if you know how to use it. In your studies you can use Excel to perform data analysis, organise findings into tables, and turn boring data into colourful charts and graphs for your reports.<\/p>\n<p>Excel can also be useful outside of your studies. You can use it for things like tracking your monthly spending, creating chore rotas for your flatmates, and making checklists of all those movies you\u2019ll definitely get around to watching.<\/p>\n<p>Even basic experience with Excel is a skill that many different careers value, and it can make you more attractive to potential employers, so it\u2019s worth getting familiar with it. And you can use your University SSO to gain full access to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bath.ac.uk\/guides\/download-and-install-microsoft-office-on-your-personal-device\/\">Office 365 suite<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s important to remember that underneath all those scary looking menus and formulas is something very simple: a grid made up of rows and columns.<\/p>\n<p>In order to help get you more comfortable with using Excel, we\u2019ve created the Excel Puzzle Blog series.<\/p>\n<p>We will be releasing a new Excel escape room-style puzzle once a month. Each puzzle will introduce you to a different Excel skill or function whilst giving you a challenge to solve to test your knowledge.<\/p>\n<p>And if you get stuck, don\u2019t worry! The solution to each puzzle will be shared in next month's issue.<\/p>\n<p>For our first puzzle, we\u2019re looking at the very basics.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Meet the spreadsheet<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>When you open an Excel workbook, you will be greeted by a grid made up of lots of small boxes. Each box is called a <strong>cell<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>Cells are arranged into:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Columns<\/strong>, which run vertically and are labelled with letters: A, B, C, D, and so on.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Rows<\/strong>, which run horizontally and are labelled with numbers: 1, 2, 3, 4, and so on.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>A cell is the box where a row and column meet.<\/p>\n<p>Every cell has its own <strong>cell reference<\/strong>, which is made up of its column letter and row number. For example, the cell where column C and row 5 meet is called <strong>C5<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>Cell references are one of the foundations of Excel. They allow you to identify exactly where information is stored and, later on, use that information in formulas and other features.<\/p>\n<p>For this puzzle, you will need to become familiar with cell references<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Ready to beat the sheet?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Download the Excel spreadsheet here and see if you can crack the first puzzle:<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/computingservices.sharepoint.com\/sites\/ExcelPuzzleblogs\/_layouts\/download.aspx?SourceUrl=https:\/\/computingservices.sharepoint.com\/sites\/ExcelPuzzleblogs\/Shared%20Documents\/General\/Puzzle%20Blog%201.xlsx\">Puzzle Blog 1.xlsx (41KB)<\/a><\/p>\n<p>If you figure it out and are hungry for more, remember to subscribe to the Academic &amp; Employability Skills blog so you don't miss next month's issue.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Microsoft Excel can seem a bit overwhelming when you first open it, especially if you\u2019ve not had much reason to use it before. But Excel is a really useful tool that can make your life much easier if you know...<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1974,"featured_media":1981,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[91,382,61],"tags":[372,108,116,405],"class_list":["post-1979","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-academic-skills","category-capabilities-framework","category-digital-skills","tag-academic-skills","tag-data-literacy","tag-digital-skills","tag-microsoft-excel"],"acf":[],"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":994,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/2023\/03\/16\/getting-started-with-data-analysis\/","url_meta":{"origin":1979,"position":0},"title":"Getting started with data analysis","author":"Kerry Vevers","date":"March 16, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"One skill you\u2019ll need to use a lot at university is data analysis, especially when you come to work on a research project. The Skills Centre has created a new resource on MySkills to help get you data-driven.\u00a0\u00a0 Why is data analysis important?\u00a0 Collecting and analysing data basically allows you\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Employability&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Employability","link":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/category\/employability\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Data presented in pie charts, bar graphs etc on a clipboard with a pen, calculator and magnifying glass.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/84\/2023\/03\/data-800x450-1.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/84\/2023\/03\/data-800x450-1.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/84\/2023\/03\/data-800x450-1.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/84\/2023\/03\/data-800x450-1.png?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1376,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/2024\/12\/07\/exploring-linkedin-learning\/","url_meta":{"origin":1979,"position":1},"title":"Exploring LinkedIn Learning","author":"Lola Osinoiki","date":"December 7, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"While my lectures provide core subject knowledge, LinkedIn Learning offers focused, practical courses that have already helped me approach my studies and build employability skills. How LinkedIn Learning Works LinkedIn Learning courses typically begin with an introductory section, followed by chapters broken into bite-sized video lessons. These are often accompanied\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Employability&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Employability","link":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/category\/employability\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":1140,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/2023\/12\/06\/skills-journal-what-i-learned-from-placement\/","url_meta":{"origin":1979,"position":2},"title":"Skills journal: what I learned from placement","author":"Asha Dey","date":"December 6, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Like many, I recently completed an industrial placement as part of my degree. It was a great learning experience, and I\u2019m super grateful for the opportunities I had. At the same time, adjusting to being back at university and applying for graduate roles can be daunting. In this blog, I\u2019ll\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Communication&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Communication","link":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/category\/capabilities-framework\/communication\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Asha Dey outside the GSK building where she did her industrial placement.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/84\/2023\/12\/Asha-Dey.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/84\/2023\/12\/Asha-Dey.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/84\/2023\/12\/Asha-Dey.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/84\/2023\/12\/Asha-Dey.png?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":674,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/2021\/08\/09\/stay-focused-on-your-studies-this-summer\/","url_meta":{"origin":1979,"position":3},"title":"Stay focused on your studies this summer","author":"Kerry Vevers","date":"August 9, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"It\u2019s the summer vacation! No more assignments, no more exams! Time to kick back and chill till October, right? Well, whilst it\u2019s definitely worth having a proper break and fully recharging your batteries, it\u2019s also a good idea to try to stay focused on your studies during the long vacation.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Academic skills&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Academic skills","link":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/category\/academic-skills\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Someone peering through a magnifying glass looking at laptop screen. Their eye is comically enlarged through the magnifying glass.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/84\/2021\/08\/focus.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/84\/2021\/08\/focus.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/84\/2021\/08\/focus.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/84\/2021\/08\/focus.png?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1394,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/2024\/12\/17\/__trashed\/","url_meta":{"origin":1979,"position":4},"title":"Step into Semester 2: Building your Digital Skills for Success","author":"Ana Bertolossi","date":"December 17, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"As you prepare for the inter-semester break and step back from your studies, now is the perfect moment to reflect on your experiences from Semester 1. Were you able to maintain your well-being while juggling deadlines? How did you find managing communications and collaborative work? Did your presentations and posters\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Academic skills&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Academic skills","link":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/category\/academic-skills\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Three students sat at a round table looking at their laptops.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/84\/2024\/12\/Library-students.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/84\/2024\/12\/Library-students.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/84\/2024\/12\/Library-students.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/84\/2024\/12\/Library-students.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1669,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/2025\/09\/03\/myskills-the-resource-i-wish-id-used-sooner\/","url_meta":{"origin":1979,"position":5},"title":"MySkills: The resource I wish I'd used sooner","author":"Lily Ward","date":"September 3, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Heading into my final year of an integrated master\u2019s has given me a reason to pause and take stock of what\u2019s really helped me at university. Along the way, I\u2019ve discovered tools that made a tangible difference, and one of the most valuable, once I actually explored it, was MySkills.\u00a0\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Academic skills&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Academic skills","link":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/category\/academic-skills\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"A laptop sitting on a desk with MySkills displayed on the screen","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/84\/2025\/09\/MySkills-Blog-Image_new.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/84\/2025\/09\/MySkills-Blog-Image_new.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/84\/2025\/09\/MySkills-Blog-Image_new.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/84\/2025\/09\/MySkills-Blog-Image_new.png?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/84\/2026\/09\/Excel-puzzle-blog-thumbnail-1.png","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1979","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1974"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1979"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1979\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1981"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1979"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1979"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1979"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}