1 - Introduction ~5 mins
Welcome
You already know formulas that total, average and flag items on your budget. Today you pick up a small toolbox of everyday functions: rounding money cleanly, stamping today's date, and fixing messy capital letters. One good function can make {{code:05_project_budget}} clearer for a real reader, such as a Work Experience supervisor or a club treasurer.
By the end of this lesson, you will be able to:
- Try core standard functions ROUND, TODAY and UPPER in a scratch area
- Optionally try NOW, LEN and LOWER if time allows
- Choose a function that genuinely helps your project sheet
- Move one tested function onto live budget data with a clear label
- Check the result still updates when a related value changes
Warm-up
Look at your budget in your head for a moment. Where would a clean euro amount, an automatic "last updated" date, or tidy product names actually help someone reading the sheet? Keep that spot in mind for later.
No {{code:05_project_budget}} yet? Tell your teacher straight away. They have a short mini-budget ready so you can still join the lab.
2 - Key Concepts ~5 mins
These are small tools. You type them with {{code:=}} like any other formula. Test them in a scratch area first, then keep only what helps your sheet.
| Concept | Why it matters | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Scratch area — empty cells used to test formulas before they touch live data | You can break a test formula safely without wrecking totals already working on the budget | — |
| ROUND — rounds a number to a set number of decimal places (changes the stored value) | Messy decimals look unprofessional on a budget a supervisor or sponsor might read | A print cost of €12.678 becomes €12.68 with {{code:=ROUND(B2,2)}} (2 decimal places is normal euro money). Use ROUND when you want the rounded figure itself; number formatting alone only changes how a value looks |
| TODAY — returns the current date and updates each day | A "Last updated" stamp shows readers the sheet is current without you retyping the date | Cell labelled Last updated with {{code:=TODAY()}} beside a GAA hoodie fundraiser budget |
| UPPER — forces text to all capitals | Inconsistent capitals make a sheet look unfinished when you present it | Turning mixed labels like "Matte Black Case" into clean catalogue-style text in a new Display name column |
Optional stretch in the lab (if you finish the core three early): {{code:NOW()}} adds date and time; {{code:LEN}} counts characters in a label; {{code:LOWER}} forces all lowercase. You do not need these on the live sheet unless they answer a real project question.
Worked example snapshot
Niamh is building a phone-case side hustle budget. In a Function Lab to the right of her live data she tests:
- {{code:=ROUND(12.678,2)}} shows 12.68 so unit costs read as clean euro amounts
- {{code:=TODAY()}} stamps when the sheet was last checked
She also tried UPPER in the lab. On the live sheet she only keeps ROUND on her Cost summary and TODAY as a Last updated stamp, because those two answer real questions about her project.
3 - Step-by-step Task ~14 mins
Open your project budget and build a small Function Lab in empty cells. You will try the core functions ROUND, TODAY and UPPER on sample values before you touch your live project rows. Optional stretch rows cover NOW, LEN and LOWER if you finish early.
You are only practising so you know what each function does. You will keep just one on the live sheet later. If a formula looks wrong, check it starts with {{code:=}} and try again in the lab; your real budget stays untouched for now.
4 - Common Issues ~3 mins
Common Issues
| Issue | Solution |
|---|---|
| I see the formula text instead of a result | Check the formula starts with {{code:=}}. If you typed a space before {{code:=}}, delete it and press {{key:Enter}} again. |
| {{code:TODAY()}} or {{code:NOW()}} shows a number like 46093 | The value is a date serial. Format the cell as a Date (and date and time for NOW). In Excel Online: Home tab, Number format dropdown, Date. In Google Sheets: {{menu:Format -> Number -> Date}}. |
| {{code:ROUND}} still shows too many decimals | Confirm the second argument is {{code:2}} for two decimal places. Then check the cell is not set to show extra decimal places in formatting. |
| {{code:UPPER}} / {{code:LOWER}} / {{code:LEN}} returns an error | Point the formula at a text cell, not a blank cell or a broken reference. Example: {{code:=UPPER(A2)}} only works if {{cell:A2}} has text. |
| I overwrote my original item name with {{code:=UPPER(...)}} | Undo if you can. Put cleaned names in a new column such as Display name, and leave the original name cell alone. |
5 - From Lab to Live Sheet ~6 mins
Watch your teacher on a sample budget projected for the class. Stay in {{code:05_project_budget}} with your Function Lab open for reference. Do not add these demo formulas to your live rows yet. In independent practice you will add only one purposeful labelled function yourself.
Your teacher will show three live patterns you might use later:
- TODAY stamp: a label such as Last updated beside {{code:=TODAY()}}, formatted as a readable date if a serial number appears.
- ROUND on a live total: a label such as Rounded total beside a formula that points at a real total cell. The teacher clicks that cell so the formula uses the live reference. Do not type a sample cell such as C12 when you try this yourself; every budget layout is different. If you are not sure which cell is the total, ask before pressing Enter. Your teacher then changes a source cost by a small amount so you see the rounded result update.
- UPPER for names: a new Display name column with {{code:=UPPER(...)}} pointing at the original name cell, so the source label is never overwritten.
ROUND changes the stored value; currency or number formatting alone only changes how a value looks. You only need one of these patterns on your own sheet. One clear labelled function is a full success.
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