Don't Do That, Do This: Select Excel Data with the Keyboard, Not the Mouse
Don't Do That, Do This: Select Excel Data with the Keyboard, Not the Mouse
Level: Novice
Difficulty: Super Easy
Here is a quick and easy way to increase your efficiency in Excel.
The next time you reach for your mouse to select multiple rows or columns in Excel, STOP and slap yourself in the face and say "NO, I will not support terrorism by using my mouse to select data in Excel!"While this statement may not be entirely true, it is sure to aid in getting you to successfully remember to stop using your mouse in the future.
So, the next time you need to select multiple rows or columns of data in Excel, leave the mouse in the house and do this instead:
Suppose you have the following data set and want to highlight the first row (1,5,25):
Simply use the arrow keys to select the value of "1" (the first number in the upper left-hand corner)
Next, hit Ctrl + Shift + Right arrow key.
This key combination will automatically highlight all data up until the last value in your data set (in this case it's 25)
To further illustrate, suppose you wanted to highlight the first column (1,2,3,4):
Just select the value of "1" and press Ctrl + Shift+ Down arrow key
As you can imagine, this key shortcut can be extremely useful if you needed to highlight 100 rows or columns of data. It saves you from the annoying process of scrolling down the page with your mouse, then highlighting too far, then not far enough, and then ultimately it prevents you from having a restraining order brought against you because your rage from trying to highlight hoards of data in Excel with a mouse caused you to overturn a table in your school's computer lab, while simultaneously throwing a chair through the window. Or perhaps it could just save you time, who knows. :)
What is the moral of the story today? It is two-fold, actually.
Using a mouse in Excel helps support terrorism
People who navigate Excel with a keyboard instead of a mouse are desired much more by the opposite sex and are more likely to become president of the United States. (This was the implied, indirect moral of the story; you had to read between the lines and really think about it to get it)