Whether or not you realize it, you already have access to spreadsheets! Wait a minute: are you saying I don’t need to buy a spreadsheet software program to learn and create spreadsheets?
Absolutely right! Google spreadsheets are free. The 3 things you’ll need are…
- an Internet connection (if you’re reading this, you’ve got it already!)
- a computer, laptop, iPad, smartphone
- a Google or Gmail account
Do you have a Google Account?
If you have a Gmail Account, then that means you automatically have a Google Account. If not, you will soon! Creating a free Google or Gmail account grants you access the Google Spreadsheets. If you already have a Google Account, skip down to the next section.
It is quick and easy to create a Google account.
- Go to google.com/accounts/new account
- Enter your email address (such as yahoo, hotmail, etc) and create a password
Once you have a Google account, congratulations!
If you’d like to also create a Gmail Account for emails (which is not necessary for accessing Google spreadsheets if you already have a Google Account), there are 3 quick steps:
- Go to mail.google.com
- Click on the “Create an Account” button in the top right side of the page
- Fill out all data and choose your username and password
I’ve got an account. Where do I find Google spreadsheets?
Now that you have a Google or Gmail account, go ahead to this website: www.docs.google.com. Enter the email address and password you just created, which will then take you to your Google Drive. This is where Google spreadsheets can be found!
Once you are in your Google Drive, click on the Create button to the left of your screen and select on Spreadsheet.
For more details, check out this video,
[youtube=http://youtu.be/LtwWygemWU8]
What if I already have a spreadsheet program like Microsoft Excel?
Some of you may be asking yourselves: I already have another type of spreadsheet program, such as Microsoft Excel. If so, is Spreadsheet Solving relevent to me?
Definitely. While my tutorials are shown on Google spreadsheets, almost everything you learn on the videos and website can be done in either Microsoft Excel or Google spreadsheets. There are certainly differences among spreadsheet programs (which we’ll discuss in another post); but the fundamentals of spreadsheet learning, problem-solving, and data analysis are consistent and just about universal.