As someone who has utilized Microsoft Office for as long as they can remember, it came as a surprise to learn that the one program in the software suite that I had never utilized would be the primary focus of the Managing and Analyzing Data course. This class utilized MS Access, a software unfamiliar to me, leaving me unaware of its practical applications. I mistakenly thought of it as intimidating and unnecessary. However, this preconceived notion was quickly dismissed mere weeks into the course. It became clear that there were in fact specific and direct purposes for utilizing Microsoft Access and that quite simply, it is designed to complete operations and tasks that other programs cannot.

 

       Through numerous guided lessons and exercises, the program transformed from the unknown to a powerful tool that can be employed to create databases with numerous categories and queries designed for the intended user(s) and audience(s). This assignment displays what was learned in this course through the creation of a fully functional database of my family’s DVD collection with multiple queries and normalized data.