Total noob needs ideas

[johnnymi]

Hello,

I'm new here, and hope someone could provide some advice:

I'm a teacher and need to keep a record of every class I teach (about 25 a week).

At the moment I do that on excel, the file is always the same and although the data changes, it is always under the same format, with about 10 items of data (class code, date, time, topic covered etc...) I fill in the data and use "save as" each time the file is completed.

I was wondering if Access could make the process easier? Could I have a form template that I could fill in Access that would then create individual excel files? Ideally the files would be saved with names that would allow me to reopen them, e.g. "1609class1"

I hope I'm clear enough, many thanks in advance,

J.

 

[plog]

I was wondering if Access could make the process easier? Could I have a form template that I could fill in Access that would then create individual excel files?

That's kind of like someone in 1910 saying, 'If I buy a car will it make my ride more comfortable? I'd like to hitch my team of horses to the front of it it, run the reigns through the windshield and then ride comfortably in the interior as I drive them.'

Why do you need to create those Excel files? Probably because you are thinking like that 1910 horse rider--you are familiar with them. Think about any data process at a 20,000 foot level--they all come down to this--you need a way to put data in and get it out in a meaningful way. That meaningful way can be, but probably doesn't need to be Excel. When you do a web search you don't want your results from Google to be returned in an excel file, you want a page that you can click links on and go to a new web page from. So don't limit your output to Excel, think about how you actually use it and generate output that helps you achieve that end.

Lots of times, you don't really need output, you just need a way to quickly find specific data and add or edit data that relates to it. For example, taking role. You don't need an Excel file to mark absents. You would just need a form. Pull up all those who are in the class, take role, mark a checkbox if someone is absent. Then at the end of the term you can easily find out total absentces per student. No need for an Excel file for every day for every class. Just a form that loads the data you need.

In conclusion, Access might be a learning curve and more work in the short term, but in the long term, it can be a time saver and make you more efficient. Just depends on how much time you want to take in adjusting your mindset and buidling Access knowledge.

 

[johnnymi]

Thanks for the reply. It's funny you mention 1910 because I clearly remember that back then, one day I asked a man if he had ever wondered why most people cannot answer yes/no question. He could have himself answered yes or no you might assume, but no. He went on for about five minutes about the great abilities for human beings to discuss what needn't be discussed. Anyway, the excel file is what I send on, I unfortunately have no control over that.

 

[JHB]

..
I was wondering if Access could make the process easier? Could I have a form template that I could fill in Access that would then create individual excel files? Ideally the files would be saved with names that would allow me to reopen them, e.g. "1609class1"

I hope I'm clear enough, many thanks in advance,

J.

Hello J, yes it can, but do you want to invest the time to make/learn it, approxly more or less 60-100 hours or more, for making what you write about, when starting from point zero + some frustration getting it right?
If not, then stick to Excel.

I know it sound of a lot of time, but you need to learn about data normalization, creating tables, queries, forms and subforms and linking them + a lot more, exporting data to Excel and so on, then the hours flies!
And don't forget the frustration when things don't went/acting as expected.

So as you see, it is not only a question about yes or no, but also a question what you want to "pay" for it!
But if you are willing for that - then I'll wish you "Welcome on board", have a fun time.