ArcGIS is a useful tool for extracting, creating, and analyzing data visually.  ArcGIS is a great way to analyze spatial data for planning and analysis.  The catalog is similar to Windows Explorer; it is composed of a catalog tree that contains all of your data.  ArcGIS requires an ArcView Suite, Microsoft Excel, and Windows Operating System.  ArcView can be purchased with the price depending on the package (expensive), or through their website you can get a 60-Day Free Trial, or on the computers at the UTD GIS Lab (GR 3.602).

Once a map or spatial design has been created in ArcGIS it is very easy to extract information.  Because ArcGIS uses a layer system similar to Photoshop it is very easy to make simple adjustments, to view the data from a different perspective.  Information can be compounded to create more precise spatial analysis.  ArcGIS can integrate data from a variety of different applications such as SketchUp, AutoCAD, etc.

If you are not familiar with Microsoft Excel and a layering system such as Photoshop, the learning curve for ArcGIS is very steep.  ArcGIS will require the use of tutorials even at the basic level.  A broken folder connection is difficult to find and can falsify visual data.    

 Links to additional outside resources

1. US Census    
1. Data Sets available for Free      
2. ESRI
1. ESRI's support and resources page provides useful information from beginner to advanced. 
3. Geography Network
1. Free Data Sets. 
4. Natural Earth
1. Natural Earth is hosted by Florida State University and provides data sets ranging from small to large scale for free. 
5. Universities and Government Websites
1. Many Universities and Government websites provide free data sets.   
6. YouTube
1. YouTube has many useful tutorials to for learning ArcGIS. 
7. Getting to Know ArcGIS
1. Very helpful to learn the system.