For a class assignment, I was asked to document a typical day in my life, not just by writing about it, but by using Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and even thinking about databases. At first, I didn’t realize how different these tools really are, but by the end, I saw just how each one helps organize information in its own way.
A Quick Look at My Day
My day started around 6:00 AM with my usual routine: making my bed, walking the dogs, grabbing breakfast, and getting ready for work. Once I clocked in, it was back-to-back meetings and emails. After work, I logged into school, worked on an assignment, and later relaxed with some video games before having dinner with my wife.
📝 Here’s the full journal entry I wrote in Word:
Woke up and made my bed
Took my dogs out
Ate a quick breakfast
Got ready for the day
Logged into work
Had lunch
Logged into school
Read the textbook and completed an assignment
Played video games
Ate dinner with my wife
Breaking It Down with Excel
Once I listed everything out, I used Excel to figure out how I spent my time. I entered all 10 tasks, calculated how many hours each one took, and sorted them from most to least time spent. Then I created a pie chart that showed how my day was divided.
Seeing the pie chart made things clear: I was spending the most time on work and school, which made me realize I needed to plan better breaks.
Presenting It Visually with PowerPoint
To make it more visual, I put everything into a PowerPoint presentation. Each slide represented a part of my day, morning routine, work time, school time, and evening activities. I added photos, bullet points, and transitions to make it feel more like a story than just data.
This was a cool way to present the same info from Word and Excel in a completely different style. It made me think about how presentation tools help you explain and engage an audience.
What About a Database?
While I didn’t use a database in this assignment, it got me thinking: if I tracked my daily activities over weeks or months, I’d want to store all of that in something like Microsoft Access. That way, I could search, filter, and analyze long-term patterns.
Comparing the Tools
| Application | Best For | Not Great At |
|---|---|---|
| Word | Writing and formatting text | Data analysis or visuals |
| Excel | Calculating and charting data | Presenting ideas to others visually |
| PowerPoint | Telling stories visually | Managing raw data or numbers |
| Access | Storing and retrieving data sets | Beginner-friendly usage |
Final Takeaway
Out of all four tools, Excel ended up being the most helpful for this project. It let me organize the numbers, calculate time percentages, and visualize the results in a clear way. That said, each application had a role to play, and together, they told a more complete story of my day than any one tool could do on its own.
This assignment really opened my eyes to how different types of software are best for different tasks. Whether I’m tracking time, writing a paper, giving a presentation, or managing data, I now know which tool to reach for, and that’s something I’ll definitely use in both school and work.
📚 References
Microsoft. (n.d.). Create a chart from start to finish. https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/create-a-chart-from-start-to-finish-0baf399e-dd61-4e18-8a73-b3fd5d5680c2
Microsoft. (n.d.). Introduction to Word Starter. https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/introduction-to-word-starter-e057b67b-a875-4c71-be4a-d54a8dbbd6a9
University of Arizona Global Campus Writing Center. (n.d.). How to Make a PowerPoint Presentation. https://writingcenter.uagc.edu/how-make-powerpoint-presentation
TestOut Corp. (2024). CertMaster Learn Tech+. http://www.testout.com
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