You already named a real spreadsheet problem for your Something Real project. Today you look at ready-made starting points: the default template gallery in Excel for the web or Google Sheets (whichever suite your school uses). A good template can save hours; a bad fit wastes them. You will learn how to browse the gallery, open a few starters safely, and spot which two could give your Module 3 sheet a sensible starting layout.
Have this ready: open the spreadsheet problem statement you wrote earlier in this module (or the note your teacher gives you). You will match templates to that problem today.
Think of one document or sheet you have built from scratch this year. Would a ready-made layout have helped, or would it have forced you into the wrong shape? Keep that answer in mind as you browse.
Templates are pre-built spreadsheet layouts with headings, sample data, and often formulas already in place. Use them when the structure matches your problem; start blank when your layout is unusual or the template fights you.
| Concept | Why it matters | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Spreadsheet template — a ready-made workbook with layout, sample rows, and often built-in formulas | You skip reinventing columns and formulas when the structure already fits your problem | A monthly budget template for a side hustle selling custom stickers at a local market |
| Template gallery — the library of starter workbooks inside Excel for the web or Google Sheets | You can compare options quickly before committing time to building from blank | Budget, invoice, schedule, expense report, project tracker, and inventory starters |
| When a template helps — the columns, sheets, and formulas match the question you need to answer | You keep energy for real project data instead of layout chores | A project tracker template for Work Experience hours and weekly tasks |
| When blank is better — your data shape is unusual, or the template's extra sheets and sample text get in the way | Fighting a wrong template costs more time than building a simple sheet yourself | A GAA club needs one custom match-stats layout that no gallery template matches |
| Read before you edit — when you browse any gallery starter, scroll every sheet and check formula cells before changing numbers | Built-in formulas break easily if you delete the wrong row or overwrite a formula cell with plain text | — |
Aoife's Something Real is a small enterprise pitch for handmade candles. Her problem statement asks whether she breaks even at 40 units. In the gallery she shortlists as follows:
Her notes name each template, one sentence on what it is for, and one sentence on how it could answer her break-even question.
Follow your teacher's demo on the classroom screen, then on your own school account (one suite only):
Class rule for this slot: browse and note only.
| Issue | Solution |
|---|---|
| I cannot find a Budget or Tracker template | School accounts sometimes show a shorter gallery. Search for words like budget, expense, schedule, planner, tracker, or inventory, or open the closest match and note how you would adapt it. |
| I edited the sample data and now I am worried I ruined the template | Opening a gallery starter creates a normal cloud file in your OneDrive or Drive. It is not a single shared class file. Leave the sample alone for browsing, then close the tab. Delete the sample or rename it {{code:template_browse_only}} later so it is not mixed with project work. Do not treat today's browse file as finished portfolio work. |
| The template has formulas I do not understand | Click the result cell and read the formula bar. If you see {{code:SUM}}, {{code:AVERAGE}}, or similar, leave those cells alone for now. You only need to notice that formulas exist; you will shape a chosen structure in a later lesson. |
| Excel for the web and Google Sheets show different template names | That is normal. Match by purpose (money plan, timetable, task list), not by identical titles. Your notes should use the exact name your gallery shows. |
| Template name (exact gallery title) | Purpose (one line) | Link to my problem (one line) |
|---|---|---|
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