STEP 1A: Make cell A1 the active cell (FIGURE 1).
Enter your full name. It should look similar to the graphic to the right.  As you’re entering your name, notice that your name is being entered in the Formula Bar as well.  Also notice  if your last name “spills” over into cell B1. (See top-right graphic) (if you have a short name enter 15 Xs so that your Xs spills over into cell B1).

STEP 1B: Press Enter key. Notice that cell A2 became the active cell (FIGURE 2).

Remember that the data is not “officially” entered into the cell until you navigate away from that cell.

Remember that if your data is too big for a cell’s width, cell A1 in this instance, it will spill over to the next cell if that cell (B1) is empty. If there is data in it, the data will not spill over. You will have to widen Column A to see all of the data in cell A1.

STEP 1C: Move active cell back to cell A1. Notice that your entire name is in the Formula Bar.
(FIGURE 3) Click on cell B1. Look at the Formula Bar. Notice there is no data in the Formula Bar, which means there is no data in cell B1. Your entire name is actually in cell A1.

The reason the name spills over into cell B1 is because cell B1 is empty. (You can always verify cell contents by looking at the Formula Bar to see if it has data). In the adjacent graphic, there is data in the adjacent cell, B1. As you can see, the data in cell A1 is clipped off as a result. The solution is to increase Column A width.

STEP 2A: ​Make cell A1 the active cell again. Press F2 key (or double-click mouse). Notice that your mouse cursor is in the active cell A1 (FIGURE 4).

STEP 2B: ​Press Backspace key to delete your last name
Notice that as you are backspacing out your last name, it is also being deleted in the Formula Bar as well (FIGURE 5).

​STEP 2C: Press the Enter key.

STEP 3A: Make cell A1 the active cell again. Move mouse up to the Formula Bar where your name is and click the mouse (FIGURE 6).

STEP 3B: ​You should now have the mouse cursor inside of the Formula Bar.  Add your last name and notice the editing occurring also in active cell A1. Press Enter after entering your last name (FIGURE 7).

*Remember that the Formula Bar will always contain the same non-formula data that is in the active cell (i.e. text, phone numbers, dates, etc.)