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+WEBVTT captioned by sachac
+
+00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:04.639
+Hello, my name is Daniel Pinkston. I'm in my last year of high
+
+00:00:04.640 --> 00:00:07.519
+school, about to go to university. About two and a half years
+
+00:00:07.520 --> 00:00:10.759
+ago, I discovered Emacs. My life has now been separated into
+
+00:00:10.760 --> 00:00:14.199
+two chapters: before and after Emacs. How could this tool be
+
+00:00:14.200 --> 00:00:18.399
+so impactful? Well, you'll just have to see. I made this talk
+
+00:00:18.400 --> 00:00:20.679
+for people who ask questions like this, but don't know where
+
+00:00:20.680 --> 00:00:24.559
+to start. When I started using Emacs for school, it took me a
+
+00:00:24.560 --> 00:00:27.959
+long time to find what I liked. There wasn't many examples of
+
+00:00:27.960 --> 00:00:31.119
+a full process for an organization. This talk was made to
+
+00:00:31.120 --> 00:00:34.359
+guide students like me, those who wanted more from their
+
+00:00:34.360 --> 00:00:37.599
+software workflow that they can learn and adapt from. My
+
+00:00:37.600 --> 00:00:39.959
+main idea was essentially explained by Zaiste in his
+
+00:00:39.960 --> 00:00:43.679
+EmacsConf presentation in 2019. He said something to the
+
+00:00:43.680 --> 00:00:46.399
+effect of, one of the great parts about Doom Emacs as a
+
+00:00:46.400 --> 00:00:48.599
+starting point is that it shows beginners how different
+
+00:00:48.600 --> 00:00:51.399
+packages mesh with each other. He says that people often
+
+00:00:51.400 --> 00:00:53.639
+have trouble seeing how to develop workflows using the
+
+00:00:53.640 --> 00:00:57.159
+thousands of packages Emacs has. In this talk, I introduce
+
+00:00:57.160 --> 00:00:59.519
+some Emacs tools and how they work together to improve a
+
+00:00:59.520 --> 00:01:04.159
+student's academic workflow. Let us commence. If you are
+
+00:01:04.160 --> 00:01:07.199
+watching this talk and have never heard of Emacs, it's a
+
+00:01:07.200 --> 00:01:10.479
+customizable text editor. When you become more
+
+00:01:10.480 --> 00:01:13.559
+experienced, it becomes your entire operating system. You
+
+00:01:13.560 --> 00:01:17.119
+just live inside of Emacs. It's also free as in free pencils
+
+00:01:17.120 --> 00:01:19.919
+and open source, which means that you don't have to pay to
+
+00:01:19.920 --> 00:01:23.599
+download Emacs and its source code. Emacs doesn't charge
+
+00:01:23.600 --> 00:01:25.879
+you a monthly subscription, nor does it steal all of your
+
+00:01:25.880 --> 00:01:31.119
+information. Yeah, I know, it's pretty crazy. In this talk,
+
+00:01:31.120 --> 00:01:33.559
+I introduce some Emacs tools and how they work together to
+
+00:01:33.560 --> 00:01:36.879
+improve a student's academic workflow. Earlier I read this
+
+00:01:36.880 --> 00:01:40.879
+post on this website that said, I can only imagine the great
+
+00:01:40.880 --> 00:01:43.719
+things you'd be able to learn and retain in your brain thanks
+
+00:01:43.720 --> 00:01:47.759
+to the great Emacs ecosystem. You've made the best choice,
+
+00:01:47.760 --> 00:01:51.439
+with far-going implications. I promise you not once, not
+
+00:01:51.440 --> 00:01:54.039
+even subtly, have I ever regretted having invested in
+
+00:01:54.040 --> 00:01:57.399
+learning Emacs. It's the best gift anyone can present to
+
+00:01:57.400 --> 00:02:00.399
+themself. You will forever feel indebted to your younger
+
+00:02:00.400 --> 00:02:03.839
+self for this gift. I guarantee that. I think that this is a
+
+00:02:03.840 --> 00:02:07.199
+real testament to the true power of Emacs. There's simply no
+
+00:02:07.200 --> 00:02:09.839
+other software like it. It's a complete and fitting
+
+00:02:09.840 --> 00:02:12.759
+solution for those who are willing to master it. Hopefully
+
+00:02:12.760 --> 00:02:16.199
+by now you're invested in learning Emacs. But before we jump
+
+00:02:16.200 --> 00:02:18.919
+into the technicalities of everything, we should outline
+
+00:02:18.920 --> 00:02:22.039
+the main things that you need it to do as a student. The best
+
+00:02:22.040 --> 00:02:24.279
+students have their system figured out so that it can do
+
+00:02:24.280 --> 00:02:27.239
+these things quickly and efficiently. They should have no
+
+00:02:27.240 --> 00:02:29.839
+problem quickly organizing what they need to do along with
+
+00:02:29.840 --> 00:02:32.999
+capturing information from their classes. But you may be
+
+00:02:33.000 --> 00:02:36.959
+wondering, how does Emacs do all that? Well, it does it with
+
+00:02:36.960 --> 00:02:41.679
+Org Mode. It was built to be an outliner for note-taking and
+
+00:02:41.680 --> 00:02:45.239
+list management, exactly what a student needs. One of the
+
+00:02:45.240 --> 00:02:47.959
+key features is that it's plain text, which means that you
+
+00:02:47.960 --> 00:02:50.079
+can migrate it between computers, and it's not a
+
+00:02:50.080 --> 00:02:52.919
+proprietary format. For those of you who have heard of
+
+00:02:52.920 --> 00:02:55.799
+Markdown, Org is similar in that it's a markup language.
+
+00:02:55.800 --> 00:02:59.079
+However, it's a bit older, and it goes way beyond Markdown's
+
+00:02:59.080 --> 00:03:01.479
+simple text formatting, with its scheduling, task
+
+00:03:01.480 --> 00:03:04.159
+management, and organization features, all captured
+
+00:03:04.160 --> 00:03:07.159
+within plain text simplicity. This slide shows off one of my
+
+00:03:07.160 --> 00:03:10.159
+notes from a heavily customized Emacs window. Yours
+
+00:03:10.160 --> 00:03:12.439
+probably won't look like this from the start, but you can
+
+00:03:12.440 --> 00:03:17.199
+personalize its appearance with custom themes.
+
+00:03:17.200 --> 00:03:19.999
+It's finally time to get into the technicalities. What you
+
+00:03:20.000 --> 00:03:22.639
+need to do with your notes in Org Mode is create, search, and
+
+00:03:22.640 --> 00:03:25.559
+possibly publish them. I prefer Denote for creating my
+
+00:03:25.560 --> 00:03:29.319
+notes, but there are many Emacs packages for that. Denote is
+
+00:03:29.320 --> 00:03:32.279
+just lightweight and gets the job done. I used to use Org
+
+00:03:32.280 --> 00:03:35.799
+Roam, but I didn't need or use all of its features. I also use
+
+00:03:35.800 --> 00:03:38.359
+Anki, a free and open source flashcard program, but of
+
+00:03:38.360 --> 00:03:41.319
+course, I make all my flashcards in Org Mode. For searching,
+
+00:03:41.320 --> 00:03:43.559
+I often use find and grep, which are both standard
+
+00:03:43.560 --> 00:03:46.799
+utilities on Linux. Other operating systems probably have
+
+00:03:46.800 --> 00:03:50.519
+a tool to replicate this functionality. The final item is
+
+00:03:50.520 --> 00:03:52.959
+exporting. There are many scenarios in which I want to
+
+00:03:52.960 --> 00:03:56.239
+publish my notes to share them with teachers or peers. One of
+
+00:03:56.240 --> 00:03:58.479
+my favorite features of Org Mode is the exportability of the
+
+00:03:58.480 --> 00:04:01.719
+notes you make. This presentation was actually made in Org
+
+00:04:01.720 --> 00:04:04.559
+Mode, and so are all of my lab reports and essays for school. I
+
+00:04:04.560 --> 00:04:10.039
+also write my webpage articles in Org Mode, which a program
+
+00:04:10.040 --> 00:04:15.359
+called Hugo converts into static HTML. So far, you haven't
+
+00:04:15.360 --> 00:04:18.039
+actually seen what it's like to use these tools. Here's a
+
+00:04:18.040 --> 00:04:21.279
+quick demo of how I track what I need to do. First, I always
+
+00:04:21.280 --> 00:04:24.799
+open up my todo.org file in my denote directory. For school
+
+00:04:24.800 --> 00:04:26.839
+assignments, I have a heading under Inbox where I have
+
+00:04:26.840 --> 00:04:29.919
+entries for each class I'm enrolled in. Each class's
+
+00:04:29.920 --> 00:04:32.839
+heading has a tag on it, which the assignment inherits as a
+
+00:04:32.840 --> 00:04:36.999
+subheading. Here's an example assignment. I have a test in
+
+00:04:37.000 --> 00:04:39.599
+physics next next Wednesday and the deadline to finish
+
+00:04:39.600 --> 00:04:42.359
+studying for it is the day that I'm taking it. When I plan my
+
+00:04:42.360 --> 00:04:45.399
+studying, I run the keybind for org-schedule to schedule the
+
+00:04:45.400 --> 00:04:48.839
+day on which I will study it. I can also mark it as the highest
+
+00:04:48.840 --> 00:04:52.399
+priority, making it the most important thing to do. I can
+
+00:04:52.400 --> 00:04:56.439
+also open up my agenda to see my tasks. I've cleaned it up as to
+
+00:04:56.440 --> 00:04:59.679
+not reveal any of my nefarious plans. This agenda is
+
+00:04:59.680 --> 00:05:03.239
+customized, but there are many tutorials on how to do this.
+
+00:05:03.240 --> 00:05:05.599
+My agenda has been the most transforming part of my student
+
+00:05:05.600 --> 00:05:08.239
+experience, and I've gotten a lot better at managing what I
+
+00:05:08.240 --> 00:05:13.119
+need to do. Next, I'll show you what I like to do to take notes.
+
+00:05:13.120 --> 00:05:15.999
+The main entry point for a new note is always starting with
+
+00:05:16.000 --> 00:05:19.679
+M-x denote. You fill out a couple of customizable prompts
+
+00:05:19.680 --> 00:05:23.119
+that will ask for values of the note. I'll start by making a
+
+00:05:23.120 --> 00:05:26.359
+new note, which we'll call test note. Then we'll give it a key
+
+00:05:26.360 --> 00:05:29.359
+for what category it's under. For this, I usually put the
+
+00:05:29.360 --> 00:05:32.319
+subject of the class that I'm doing this note for, be it
+
+00:05:32.320 --> 00:05:35.559
+programming, English, history, or science. Try to keep
+
+00:05:35.560 --> 00:05:39.159
+them short. And then Shazam, we have ourselves a brand new
+
+00:05:39.160 --> 00:05:42.399
+note which we can start typing away in. The cool thing about
+
+00:05:42.400 --> 00:05:45.199
+the note is you don't have to manually name your note files.
+
+00:05:45.200 --> 00:05:49.479
+It uses a standard convention using the time, the title, and
+
+00:05:49.480 --> 00:05:53.199
+the keywords of the note to make it unique. You can even make a
+
+00:05:53.200 --> 00:05:56.599
+meta note, a note about notes, to show a list of notes under a
+
+00:05:56.600 --> 00:06:01.319
+certain keyword. The final step in creation is flashcards.
+
+00:06:01.320 --> 00:06:04.639
+There is a great package called Anki Editor that makes Emacs
+
+00:06:04.640 --> 00:06:08.159
+able to push cards into Anki. There isn't much to
+
+00:06:08.160 --> 00:06:11.159
+overcomplicate here, it's just content on front and back,
+
+00:06:11.160 --> 00:06:14.599
+sometimes with images and complete the phrase. You can also
+
+00:06:14.600 --> 00:06:17.319
+set up LaTeX math formatting, but I don't really use it that
+
+00:06:17.320 --> 00:06:20.599
+much. If you're living in Emacs all the time, you may want
+
+00:06:20.600 --> 00:06:24.559
+some creature comforts. These are some of my favorite. Org
+
+00:06:24.560 --> 00:06:26.959
+Download is a package that allows you to paste images from
+
+00:06:26.960 --> 00:06:28.239
+your clipboard into an org file.
+
+00:06:28.240 --> 00:06:37.319
+Logos is a text narrowing tool that helps you restrict what
+
+00:06:37.320 --> 00:06:40.479
+text you can see and focus on what you're writing. It extends
+
+00:06:40.480 --> 00:06:43.159
+Emacs default narrowing, also adding functionality for
+
+00:06:43.160 --> 00:06:45.399
+quickly switching to headings for a presentation look. It
+
+00:06:45.400 --> 00:06:48.239
+can remove your mode line and center your text for better
+
+00:06:48.240 --> 00:06:53.239
+focus. org-fragtog allows you to move between previews of
+
+00:06:53.240 --> 00:06:55.639
+your LaTeX formulas and the unrendered syntax.
+
+00:06:55.640 --> 00:07:00.679
+pdf-view-mode is a fully fledged PDF reader, complete with
+
+00:07:00.680 --> 00:07:03.439
+annotations and org syntax, highlighting, and clickable
+
+00:07:03.440 --> 00:07:03.919
+links.
+
+00:07:03.920 --> 00:07:09.719
+Something you may want to consider is digital versus
+
+00:07:09.720 --> 00:07:12.199
+handwritten notes. There have been several talks in the
+
+00:07:12.200 --> 00:07:14.799
+past about how to integrate handwritten notes into Emacs,
+
+00:07:14.800 --> 00:07:20.239
+such as retyping them or scanning them in with an OCR tool. I
+
+00:07:20.240 --> 00:07:21.959
+don't think that type notes are the only way that you should
+
+00:07:21.960 --> 00:07:25.159
+take notes, but if you do try writing, at least get some nice
+
+00:07:25.160 --> 00:07:29.079
+stationery. I've seen people ask online to YouTubers and
+
+00:07:29.080 --> 00:07:32.479
+Twitch streamers asking, what is your keyboard? What is
+
+00:07:32.480 --> 00:07:35.519
+your window manager? I understand that they're curious,
+
+00:07:35.520 --> 00:07:37.919
+but cosplaying as a productive person by using the same
+
+00:07:37.920 --> 00:07:41.159
+tools won't accomplish anything. Emacs will not make you a
+
+00:07:41.160 --> 00:07:44.439
+productive person. It can be a significant time investment
+
+00:07:44.440 --> 00:07:47.879
+because of how customizable it is. However, I believe it
+
+00:07:47.880 --> 00:07:50.399
+will make it easier for you to be productive, as it certainly
+
+00:07:50.400 --> 00:07:53.519
+has for me. This was just an example workflow to show
+
+00:07:53.520 --> 00:07:56.119
+prospective students how they can use Emacs for their
+
+00:07:56.120 --> 00:07:56.559
+needs.
+
+00:07:56.560 --> 00:08:01.999
+Even if you don't end up using Emacs in the end, you can still
+
+00:08:02.000 --> 00:08:04.719
+apply most of its ideas to other software. It just won't be as
+
+00:08:04.720 --> 00:08:10.199
+customizable and extensible as Emacs is. Thank you for
+
+00:08:10.200 --> 00:08:12.519
+listening to my talk. It's been a great pleasure to finally
+
+00:08:12.520 --> 00:08:15.359
+take part in this conference in some capacity, and I'm glad I
+
+00:08:15.360 --> 00:08:18.399
+was given a chance. To all the students who may try Emacs in
+
+00:08:18.400 --> 00:08:21.199
+the future, good luck because there might not be any going
+
+00:08:21.200 --> 00:08:24.239
+back. If you have any questions, feel free to shoot me an
+
+00:08:24.240 --> 00:08:26.800
+email. Thank you for your time.