Popular Computer Classes Begin Soon at VGCC South Campus

Vance-Granville Community College will offer several of its popular computer-related classes for area residents this fall on the college’s South Campus, located on N.C. 56 between Creedmoor and Butner.The “Beginner’s Guide to Computers & Internet” course is the perfect first class for students who have limited knowledge of computers. Microsoft Windows XP will be used to introduce novice students to the common components and many uses of personal computers through the Windows environment. Additionally, students will explore web sites by using a browser, learn how to access information on the Internet by using search engines, and send and receive email messages. This course will be offered in two different sessions. The night class will be held on Mondays from 6 p.m. until 10 p.m., Aug. 20 through Oct. 1. The day class will be offered on Wednesdays from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m., Oct. 10 through Nov. 14. The registration cost for either is $55, plus a $3 technology fee.Another class will focus on Microsoft Word and Microsoft Excel, two of the most popular and widely used components of the Microsoft Office suite. Students will familiarize themselves with the Word environment, create, revise, and save documents, and learn essential shortcuts for basic tasks. During the Excel portion of the course, students will create, edit, format, and print Excel worksheets, construct basic formulas, and learn tips and tricks that will make working with Excel a more efficient process. This class will also be offered both during the day and the evening: Thursday nights from 6 until 10 p.m., Aug. 23 – Sept. 27, and Tuesdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Sept. 25 – Oct. 30. The registration cost for either is $55, plus a $3 technology fee.A night class at South Campus will teach students computer-aided drafting (CAD), using the “AutoCAD” software. This course will introduce students to the use of 2-D AutoCAD drawing commands and to the graphic techniques used to communicate ideas and designs found in the areas of architecture, manufacturing, and engineering. A brief overview of the classical representation methods of orthographic projection, sectioning, and dimensioning is included. Students need basic computer skills in order to take the AutoCAD class, but they do not need drafting experience. The course will be offered on Wednesdays from 6 until 9 p.m., Sept. 5 through Dec. 12. The cost to register is $60, plus a $3 technology fee.Finally, an evening course beginning in October will teach users about QuickBooks 2006, a powerful accounting system for small businesses. In this introductory course, students will be given an opportunity for hands-on practice. They will learn the types of information that businesses need to track and how to enter that information and track it in QuickBooks. Students will learn to invoice customers, record payments for customers, pay bills to outside vendors, manage inventory and analyze financial data. This will be taught on Thursday nights from 6 until 10 p.m., Oct. 4 through Nov. 8. The cost to register is $55, plus a $3 technology fee.For more information and to pre-register for one or more of these classes, call VGCC’s South Campus at (919) 528-4737.