How to set up a Pivot Table correctly

Hi all,

I'm new to the Forum and was unable to post on the introduction site. So happy to find a Forum for Pivot Table Report help! I've been working pretty solidly for days trying to set up a report. I went through the tutorial for Excel 2007, have searched this forum and googled for answers to my problems. Following the tutorial was frustrating. When I applied their directions to my report, I didn't get the same results. When I tried to do the practice exercise, it said Excel 2007 wasn' on my computer (it is).

I'm trying to track student names,, with columns of classes they attend, when they pay tuition, how much they pay, notes, and list a column for each day of the week they attend class (like an attendance roster). I set up a master list which includes that and more information (such as phone #'s, addresses, etc.) and am trying to pull out the specific info for each class.

When I set up the report with the names as row labels and the other fields as column labels, it raises each column in incremental steps to the right. If I insert 6 columns, it steps the layout up 6 steps, including the word (blank) under the columns.

When I set up the report with all fields as row labels, the layout is in the proper order, but up one step to the right. It also repeats the name with "total." If I collapse the entire field, it gives me what I want, rows and columns with grid lines, but no data.

It occurs to me that detailing what isn't working might be wasting your time. Could you please tell me how to get the layout right? All I want is to have the names listed down a column to the left and columns to the right of the data listed above. How can I get the columns to appear in the right place and list the data under the appropriate column to the right of the appropriate name? It seems it should be so easy, but I'm having a devil of a time getting the layout right.

Help....??????