1. (pronounced: /leιtεk/, leitεx/, la`tεx, or /la`tεk)

2.  The programming language for the Tex typesetting program  (not a word-processing program) = more control for you and less “what the hell is Word doing?” moments.  Open-source = great ideas being shared!  Written in the 1980s by an employee at a private company, but used heavily in academia today.

3.  Keeps you organized  Automated bibliography, table of contents, list of figures & tables, page numbering, etc.  Saves your sanity  Tables and figures FIT and can be automated with minimal stress (relative to Microsoft applications)  Makes you look good  Professional typesetting without professional knowledge  More and more journals are accepting LaTeX files in accepted manuscript submissions.

4.  PSU Thesis Template  Formats your Thesis and Dissertation to PSU Graduate School guidelines *  No more format-review headaches!! *more or less

5.  Learning curve  LaTeX has its own language  Google is your friend!!  It’s not a Word Document  May not be ideal for picky advisors and/or co- authors.

6.  Introduction to TeXworks (the text editor for Microsoft operating systems).  Overview of basic LaTeX language and language structure.  Cover document elements, including:  References, tables, figures, formulas, and symbols  Walk through the PSU thesis template.  OPTIONAL: Practice time from 1-1:30

7.  Entire LaTeX guide in Wikibooks:  http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/LaTeX http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/LaTeX  Stack Exchange:  http://www.latex-community.org/forum/ http://www.latex-community.org/forum/  LaTeX community Forum:  http://www.latex-community.org/forum/ http://www.latex-community.org/forum/  Excel  LaTeX table converter:  http://www.acsu.buffalo.edu/~gregoryt/exceltolatex. html http://www.acsu.buffalo.edu/~gregoryt/exceltolatex. html  PRI’s help page:  http://help.pop.psu.edu/help-by-software- package/latex http://help.pop.psu.edu/help-by-software- package/latex