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I teach Design 166 at the University of Washington during Spring quarter. I’ve taught the course in some form since 2002.It’s a class covering the foundations of design—an introduction to formal composition in two and three dimensions. It’s also an introduction to how designers work (i.e., how designers solve problems, what is a iterative design process, etc.).Most of the students taking the class (~75-80%) want to become UW Design majors (Visual Communication Design, Industrial Design or Interaction Design). If students receive a 3.7 or better in the course, they are automatically accepted into the Design majors. Students who receive less than a 3.7 can still apply for Design by taking our annual Undergraduate Entrance Workshop.To answer your questions about “how hard it is”—I’ve posted a screen snapshot of the official UW course evaluation from Spring 2016, see: https://www.washington.edu/cec/d/DESIGN166A2165.htmlYou’ll notice that the score for “challenging” is pretty high—4.85 out of 5.Most students do report that this is a challenging (but rewarding) course.At the end of the quarter, I survey students and ask what advice they would give future students who are thinking about taking Design 166. Many students do note that the class is very time-consuming:I have compiled all of the advice from past students into a 2-page handout, which you can download here: http://faculty.washington.edu/kcheng/166/AdviceFor166Students.pdfMuch of the advice does concern time management—do not procrastinate, make time for the class, etc.: (screenshot below)In terms of self-reported hours, the median time spent by students seems in-line with other UW averages—about 2 hours per week for each credit hour (it’s a 5-credit course, so the median time spent is 10 hours per week):Personally, I think that Design 166 is challenging for two main reasons:It’s project-based, and therefore relatively self-directed.In Design 166, students complete three different design projects (3–4 weeks each). Students are given a general design brief for each project, which does set forth criteria for success—but there are multiple ways to have a successful project. There is no single “right answer”.Therefore, to have a good solution, students need to have a personal vision/idea for their design, and be passionate about developing and improving the final execution.Many students report that this is a new method of learning for them—they are more used to reading an assigned text, and answering questions about what they’ve read. In that context, there is often is a “right answer”—and students are not necessarily required to be original/novel or persistent/self-directed.It requires being able to receive and act upon criticism.Most design studios (including Design 166) use the critique method—faculty/TAs/peers evaluate and discuss student work. While many students enjoy critique, it can be a difficult learning environment because:—It’s painful to hear your work criticized (some students reject negative feedback or get depressed and stop working on their project)—Critiques can be confusing (sometimes people disagree about merits/failures of the work; it’s hard to understand what people are really thinking vs. what they literally say)—Sometimes your work is ignored (not much is said about your project)—Not all the feedback you get is useful (not all reviewers have good judgement; some suggestions are bad/wrong)These critique problems can be overcome if a student is motivated. Motivated students are persistent in asking questions/soliciting feedback, even from apathetic audiences. Motivated students also keep working—they make multiple ideas/design variations, so they “cover all bases.” Often it seems that these persistent students are intrinsically self-motivated—they enjoy the activity of designing enough that they don’t get depressed or discouraged about negative feedback—they just “get back on the horse” after failing. Talent helps too (of course), but persistence and grit are both major factors at this freshmen level.If a student can get past these two main challenges and learn to work under these constraints, it can be a fulfilling course! Many of our design majors switched into UW Design because they really enjoyed the Design 166 course. I very much enjoy seeing these students get the “design virus”—and I enjoy teaching the course each year.

Our “Top Ten” Word and Excel courses have a new content release program: DRIP. Has anyone used this technology successfully in online courses?With DRIP programming, the lessons are released one day at a time. Students receive an email each day with a summary of the day’s goals and benefits. The emails also include an invitation to return to our course and enjoy the next topic. The purpose of DRIP programming is to “engage students” with more interactivity.In the course below, Top Ten Tools in Excel, students receive a daily email with a link to log in, watch a ten-minute video, download the eBook (PDf) and find sample spreadsheets. You can evaluate this DRIP programming by enrolling in our free course if you wish.This is BETA software and a new concept for me. What are your thoughts about this DRIP programming? Helpful or Inbox Overload? Please use this question if you wish to start a discussion.You can also contact me HERE if you have questions.Thanks, eBethElizabeth NofsDRIP EVALUATION: Top Ten Tools in Microsoft ExcelHow to Enroll: Sign In to the school, then Enroll in the free course.Our promise: No cost or ankle biters.Top Ten Tools in ExcelThe TOP TEN TOOLS in Microsoft Excel are:Format TEXT (UPPER, LOWER, SUBSTITUTE)Combine TEXT from different cells (CONCATENANTE)Find the DATE: Month, Day, YearCalculate the payment (FINANCIAL)BONUS: Find the best payment with SCENARIOSLOOKUP the information in a tableBONUS: LOOKUP the student records!Use a TABLE to SUM, AVERAGE, MAX, MIN and COUNTVisualize the data as a CHARTAnd the NUMBER ONE OPTION in Microsoft Excel...Create an Interactive FORM with the Developer Tools!Another Computer Mama Guide: www.thecomputermama.comStep-by-step video demonstrationsCompanion eBooks with detailed instructionsSample spreadsheet and examplesPractice, Quizzes and Skill Test

If you’re a commerce student, aspiring CA professional, or anybody who is interested in growing their career in the field of Finance, Marketing, Sales, or Operations.Then you must have heard people saying things like:“Why are you learning MS-Excel? The company will train you, nobody asks you anything technical in the interviews”“You don’t need to start learning MS-Excel right away! You will learn as you start working on your job, there is no reason to worry.”“Excel is boring. People who work on Excel only know how to manipulate data on spreadsheets. There is nothing creative or high impact in learning excel.”Now if that wasn’t enough. Here are some other statistics which might shock you.According to an article on Wall Street Journal: “80% of all middle-skill or emerging job openings require in-depth knowledge of word and spreadsheet processing.”The article states that number to be around 6.8 million jobs in the United States alone.Any guesses for that number in India? It’s way more than you think (We are talking in millions for a country that has a population of 1.3 billion people!)Technical illiteracy or better known as technophobia is no longer a sustainable option for the modern workerEven though MS-Excel was launched 30 years ago, the demand for professionals who know how to manipulate, analyse, and derive meaningful insights from large amounts of data has only grown strongerWith the advancements in technology such as Artificial Intelligence, sure - this number might go down.But as long as there are jobs that require people to make decisions using numbers, MS-Excel is here to stay and boy! Will it stay forever?Now let’s talk about why people shy away from learning MS-Excel (the way it is meant to be learnt)MS-Excel isn’t exactly user friendly - I agree. The user-interface upon first glance isn’t exactly welcoming and throws a lot of seemingly complicated options to a newbie user.There are just too many formulas to learn - It’s true. If you know more formulas, you will be able to do your job efficiently.But, not all formulas are required to become an excel pro. There are some smart ways of tackling this lack of knowledge and once you know your way around that, Excel becomes a cakewalk.Plain Ignorance: Apart from the reasons discussed above, some people just don’t put enough thought and research into how they can make their lives better by exploring a variety of features hard-coded into the platform.To them excel is nothing more than just - “just put some values on a table!”It feels intimidating to a newbieThere are just too many options to explorePeople get lost in dataThere is no easier alternativeSo what next? If MS-Excel is so difficult. You probably need some expert guidance right?Here’s what most people I know will do:Watch thousands of videos on YouTube that are designed by people in the west and have the same standard problems that nobody ever encounters in real life. (I mean sure why not, this can work!)Pay Rs 10,000 - Rs 25,000 to offline coaching institutes who will try to impart excel skills using outdated computers and ancient versions of MS-Excel. The formulas are outdated, the excel version expired years ago, and the same template sheets that you’d probably find anywhere on the internet (90% people waste their money on these so called coaching institutes)Buy books on MS-Excel that will walk you through every minute feature of MS-Excel which will not only decrease your level of interest in the subject but also further demotivate you. You don’t need to know everything, just the things that will help you to become a smarter excel professional.What if there is a smarter way?In-fact there is.Introducing Excel Club by Neeraj Arora - A new age training and motivation program designed to re-kindle your romance with MS-Excel.Designed By Neeraj Arora (Co-Founder of Edu91 - India’s Largest Community For Chartered Accountancy and Finance Professionals). Neeraj Sir has taught more than 1 million students in the last 7 years via his social media channels and Edu91.Here are some of the most exciting features of Excel Club:Trusted By 3000+ Students: More than 3804 learners have joined Excel Club in the past 12 months. We have updated the course and brought the same rich experience on our new website - Skill91Unlimited Access To 50+ Pre-Recorded Video Classes: Become Zero to Hero in MS-Excel. We have comprehensively covered each and every module in MS-Excel ranging from Data Formatting to Smart Conditions, Advanced Formulas, Logical Operators, Power Queries, Pivot Tables, and MoreSpecial LIVE Sessions & Personalised Doubt Support: Get exclusive access to special LIVE sessions by Neeraj sir and get a chance to interact and network with him personally.20+ MCQ Based Evaluation Assignments: Practice as you learn in real-time. Get 20+ Multiple Choice Questions on every topic that you cover so you can retain everything that you learnt without having to watch the lectures again and again.24x7 Discussion Forum and Doubt Support By Experts & Trainers: Feeling Stuck? Every course on Skill91 comes with a dedicated 24x7 discussion forum wherein you can ask your doubts and get assistance on your queries from your peers and expert mentors who are just a click away.Access From Up-to 6 Devices (Android, iOS, Web): Access your courses anytime, anywhere, on the fly. Download your lectures and watch them at your convenience from the web or our Skill91 app available on leading app stores including Apple and Android.Exclusive Interviews With Corporate Professionals From Top Companies: Experience the real grind and practical exposure of the applicability of Excel in Top corporates. We invite senior executives and get their insights on how they use MS-Excel in their careers and common mistakes to avoid.Real Working Templates For Hands-On Practice: All problems discussed in the course are structured in the form of working templates that you can use to manipulate, analyse, and replicate the exact procedure that is followed in the video lecture.Taught In Hindi and English Language: Enjoy all videos taught in Hindi and English for enhanced understanding and easier retention. Neeraj Sir is known in the CA fraternity for his unique style of teaching that we popularly regard as - EdutainmentRated 4.8 By Students Across India: Skill91 stands committed to provide maximum value to all its students. We take all your feedback and concerns very seriously. It’s for the same reason that our students have rated us 4.8 out of 5.If you’re interested to level up your Excel Skills and get the best value for your money, we highly recommend enrolling for Excel Club.You can use Promo Code: EASY15 to get an instant 15% off on all our courses (including Excel Club) for a limited time.The best part about owning Excel Club is that even if you are not able to watch all the lectures, we have given a generous unlimited access to all our features for 730 days (2 full years) to enjoy watching the lectures, getting your doubts solved on 24x7 discussion forum, networking with your peers, and analysing your progress at your time and convenience.If you have any questions or doubts, please feel free to comment below.Please be respectful and if you have anything to disagree, we’d solicit your politeness and courteousness in maintaining the decorum of the Quora community.Still unsure?Check out what our students have to say about Excel Club