16 days, 3 courses, and a bright future: Intensive learning with Excel and Power BI | Xyclos

Carlos Altamirano
Jun 27
5 min read

Can 16 days transform your career?

Yes. This is the experience of a young woman who completed three highly sought-after technical courses—Basic Excel, Advanced Excel, and Power BI—in just 16 days. In a world where efficiency rules, this story will show you how intensive learning is not only possible, but transformative.

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Courses that hook you from the very first moment

There are Netflix series that hook you, there are movies that hook you from the very beginning, there are podcasts that hook you, there are YouTube videos that hook you, and there are courses that hook you, all from the very beginning.

The intensive learning experience

In my courses, I've seen and experienced how people get hooked. How do I know? Because I constantly monitor my students' activity, and I've seen cases where some are there from 8:00 a.m. until 1:00 or 2:00 p.m. on a Saturday.

And while they're in the course, I've sent them a WhatsApp message to ask if they need anything, if everything's okay, and usually the answer has been yes, that the course is very interesting.

Someone even told me once, "I'm hooked on the course."

Case study: 16 days, 3 full courses

I had a case too, and I've had countless cases of this type, but this one was particularly interesting: a student of approximately 25 years old, who was doing a master's degree in Finance at one of the best universities in North America.

He contacted me and I explained that we had two levels of courses: Basic Intermediate Excel and Advanced Intermediate.

I took an assessment and he had very good knowledge, but nothing solid, so we decided it was best for him to prepare in depth.

And that's achieved by starting from scratch, beginning with the Basic Intermediate Excel course. He agreed.

And of course, in the conversation he asked me how many hours it lasted, and I explained that, statistically, most people take an average of about 30 hours.

She was super used to performing with an efficiency that I have practically never seen, except with two other students who were also sensational.

He told me he was going to take the course in eight days. I told him that might not be enough, although someone had taken it in 16 days before.

But still, we decided it was best to start. And start that very day.

It was truly an impressive experience to see her in the course activity logs. She was progressing so far.

My courses are intense, they are tough, they require a lot of dedication, a lot of concentration.

There are a lot of exercises, a lot of questions. I mean, I'm constantly keeping you very, very focused.

And she stayed 4 hours, 5 hours straight in the course.

Of course, he's a very special person to dedicate so much time to studying, and he also had time planned to do it.

But in the conversations we had, because I always ask them, as I say, how are they? They told me that everything was great, that they thought the course was excellent, and that everything was perfect.

After a week, after 5 days, he completed the Basic Intermediate Excel course.

Case study of the online course on Basic Intermediate Excel for Business | Xyclos

Your comment about the course: Everything was excellent! 10/10 .

He told me that he would take the afternoon off, and the next day he wrote to me: And I want to start the Intermediate Advanced Excel course .

This course is more demanding and complex. It's obviously focused on data analysis and requires more concentration and effort.

And at practically the same pace as he took the Basic Intermediate Excel course, he advanced to the Advanced Intermediate level.

Watching her move at that speed was truly impressive.

This course takes longer: it took her 32 and a half hours, and she completed it in 6 days, within the time frame she had planned for herself.

Case study of the online course on Intermediate and Advanced Excel for Business | Xyclos

Your review of the course: Everything was great. 10/10 .

In 11 days, she had completed her Excel training .

I then told him I had the Power BI course. I explained what it was about and how it would benefit his career.

And he loved the idea. He said, "Come on, I have time." So he started taking the Power BI course.

This course represents a significant change in the way we work compared to traditional Excel.

We moved from calculations in unrelated tables to working with databases and data models.

The demands, of course, were greater. But he still performed with great skill.

Here I had a little more interaction with the student, but she still did it at a speed that was surprising to me.

As you can see, I finished the course in 5 days.

Power BI for Business Online Course Case Study | Xyclos

Your course review: It was great. Power BI is constantly changing. 10/10

When there is commitment, results come

So, what I reaffirm, as I have on many other occasions, is that when there is a career plan, determination, dedication, and commitment, our platform, its ease of use, methodological design, and my support work together for your success.

This case was exceptional. Most people complete the courses within 20 to 35 days, so don't worry: you'll have plenty of time to progress at your own pace and with confidence.

Excel + Artificial Intelligence: Two worlds united

I have now also incorporated the use of AI into the courses to automate key tasks and generate code in Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) in an assisted manner.

Learning this offers a powerful perspective.

Excel: A deterministic tool, where you control the data, the rules, and the outcome; while Artificial Intelligence provides predictive capabilities (anticipates outcomes) and generative capabilities (creates solutions based on context).

the union of two worlds: the structured logic of Excel with the adaptive creativity of AI.

A powerful, useful combination focused on faster, more efficient, and more creative results.

We haven't yet reached superintelligence (AGI), so mastering each area of knowledge and the associated tools is essential to achieve the best results when interacting with AI.

Solid knowledge for better results

And that's why, in my courses, everything is handled within a framework of solid concepts along with the best software usage techniques.

My goal? To provide you with all the knowledge you need to feel confident, satisfied, and experienced when using Excel, Power Query, Power BI, Outlook, Word, PowerPoint, Planner, Forms, and, of course, Artificial Intelligence.

Recommended Xyclos Academy Courses

Our Spanish courses are designed to help you save time, create solutions, and innovate, which is what every company expects from a trained individual.

Excel Basic Intermediate Business

Intermediate Advanced Business Excel

Power BI – Interactive Business Analytics

In addition to intensive learning with Excel and Power BI, at Xyclos we also offer the Intermediate Office course, ideal for those who need to master tools such as Word, Outlook and PowerPoint in a business environment.