Learning Excel in 10 Weeks: My Experience in an Immersive Program

(Part I)

Excel: what a beast!

I have always been envious of my friends and coworkers who are Excel literate. This was one skill I somehow never developed, and the more time that passed, the less motivated I felt about learning.

The imposter syndrome was real; I found myself thinking things like…

• “I should already know this.”
• “It’s too embarrassing to admit I don’t know how to do xyz”
• “Where and how would I even learn?”
• “This feels like a foreign language. What if I can’t learn?”

…And a lot more negative things that led to me avoiding spreadsheets like the plague, using them for very basic functionality (yes, I’m that person who uses them for lists sometimes), and finding more and more excuses to NOT learn…even though I actually kind of wanted to.

When it was proposed I join Maven’s Excel Immersive as a student, I was thrilled!…and also: anxious. What if all of those things I’d been thinking about myself were true?

Here I am, about halfway through the program…and since I didn’t actually fully know what to expect, I thought I would take this opportunity to share my experience with you!

If, like me, you’ve ever had doubts about learning a new tool, I hope this can help you feel more comfortable diving in.

So…let’s get started!

Getting Started with the Program

I want to take a few minutes to talk about how amazing the Maven team is when it comes to helping set the tone for these immersive cohorts.

There’s a very comfortable onboarding process with a handful of emails to help make getting started with the program as easy as possible: you get access to your private Slack channel, personal dashboard, and an incredible program guide complete with Syllabus and bonus resources all before you join the Orientation live session.

Every step of the way, the entire team is incredibly supportive, and at Orientation (and throughout the program) Stacy shines in her role as facilitator: she is funny, friendly, and relatable in a way that can immediately put you at ease.

While I do have the privilege of knowing each one of these people personally, I also know that in most educational environments there’s a noticeable gap between the instructors as people and the instructors as teachers.

That gap doesn’t exist at Maven Analytics: the instructors really are human and that kind, compassionate, and committed to helping you grow as a professional. Their dedication comes through every day of the Immersive, from the support they provide for questions in Slack to every interaction in the weekly live sessions.

Which brings me to…

Coursework

These 10-week immersives require a good amount of self-discipline; you’re expected to set aside 10–15 hours of dedicated time each week to work through courses.

To ease into the program and set some early expectations, we started with “Thinking Like an Analyst”, which is an amazing introduction to the world of analytics. (I actually reviewed that course here; it’s worth the time, trust me!)

Throughout the rest of the program, we’re covering…

• Formulas & Functions
• Pivot Tables & Charts
• Advanced Dashboard Design

Each course includes homework assignments and quizzes that have helped me get hands-on experience working with Excel. And, once I had the foundations of Excel in place, I started my first guided project to help build a portfolio!

Live Sessions

One of the biggest assets of this Immersive experience is the weekly live sessions.

Every week is a little different; sometimes we’re doing Q&A with Team Maven, sometimes we’re doing breakout rooms to collaborate on project work or feedback, and sometimes Stacy and the rest of the instructors are giving us some invaluable insights into pursuing a data career, creating an impressive portfolio that stands out, or building off of the course content to take us to the next level.

Overall Experience

I won’t lie to you: joining this Immersive has been challenging. For every week that passes, it feels like time is accelerating…and, full disclosure: I did fall behind in the coursework because I work more slowly than others, write long-hand notes, and — like happens in life — there were times when I had to choose what to prioritize and what to let fall off.

But truthfully?

I’m thrilled that I took the time to be a part of this experience and have found it indispensable.

• I’ve already learned so much more about Excel than I knew before, and I’m no longer intimidated by the tool, which is a BIG win.
• Through the live sessions, I gained some really valuable insights and perspectives that I wouldn’t have had access to if I were to just work through the courses independently.
• I was able to connect with my fellow cohort members, getting to know them as people and feeling so much less isolated as I took my first steps into learning a new tool.

Over the last few weeks, I’ve been able to watch my own internal monologue transform from the negative “it’s impossible” to “not only is it possible: I’m already doing it!” and that mental shift is HUGE when you’re facing something that you’re uncomfortable with or even a little afraid of.

Key Takeaways (So Far)

There are still a few weeks left of this Immersive, so I’ll come back and share my thoughts on the program as a whole when it wraps, but for now here are some of the key insights that I’m taking with me through the end of this program:

Just keep going!

As I mentioned above, I fell behind the cohort…but I haven’t given up. Everyone learns at a different pace, and that’s okay; I’m getting more value from sticking it out than I would if I let myself get discouraged and give up on the program.

There’s also the benefit of having unlimited access to the Maven platform for an entire year, so there’s plenty of time to work through the courses once the program ends and build off of the knowledge that I’ve already gained.

Show up for the live sessions — they’re worth it!

I’m not kidding when I say that these live sessions are a major benefit of Maven’s Immersives. For those who can’t attend in person, the recording is always available afterward…but I think that the real value is in the moments of personal connection with the instructors and peers.

That said…

Connect with classmates.

Taking online courses can be incredibly lonely and isolating.

Cohort Learning eliminates that by giving me access to people who are going through the same process as I am, and it’s actually really cool to gain those new perspectives and learn about the experiences of others! My classmates come from all different places, industries, and career stages — there’s so much I can learn from just talking to them.

All in all, this experience has been transformative for my own perspective on approaching Excel and analytics as a whole. So, while I would acknowledge that this program isn’t a fit for everyone, I would say that it is well worth it.

And if you’re looking for a way to learn a new tool with an awesome amount of support, I’d recommend that you take a look at the upcoming cohorts from Maven — they may be just what you’re looking for!

Until next time,

-Dakota

Interested in learning more about the Cohort Learning Immersives from Maven?

Our Power BI & Python Immersives are open for enrollment!

Key Deadlines:

• Super Early Bird — Save 25%: Friday, March 29th
• Early Bird — Save 10%: Friday, April 12th
• Admissions Close: Friday, April 19th

Here’s what you can expect from each immersive…

✔️ Guided portfolio projects

✔️ Access to your own private learning community

✔️ Weekly, 1-hour live sessions with recordings

✔️ Live support from expert instructors

✔️ Unlimited Maven access for an entire year

…and all of this is built into a program that’s designed to fit into your busy life, at a more affordable price.

Space is limited; secure your seat today!