Solutions Should Now Be Saved in .Docx Format Only

Hey everyone: This week's tip is a big one, as it will be going standard in the next revision of the guidelines:

Please save all files as .docx. Simple as that.

Luckily, this update will probably save you a step, since you can now save all files as .docx rather than converting to .doc.

Please make sure you use only this file extension for all files going forward!

Tips on Diagrams and Graphing

Too bad all of your graphs
can't be this simple...

Another round of helpful tips for all of you authors working on books that contain a lot of diagrams, tables, etc. These can be a pain, we know! To help out, we've created a list of (1) rules, (2) recommended software, and (3) templates for referring to diagrams/figures/tables

General rules to follow for how to deal with diagrams and graphing:

• For all tables over 15 rows, you need only recreate the first 15 rows or simply describe the table. Otherwise, just recreate it, making sure it fits within the page margins. Center it.
• If a diagram is far too complicated to re-create AND you will not be needing to manipulate it to solve the problem, simply refer to the diagram. There are very specific ways to do this. More on that below.
• Center and make sure all diagrams are "in line with text". 

Top recommended software for creating diagrams and graphs:

• DrawPlus
• Geogebra (for geometry)
• Avogadro (for 3D chem diagramming)
• CorelDraw (chem diagramming)
• Maxima (for 2D and 3D graphs)
• Aepryus (graphing)
• Skitch (for marking up screenshots). This program is a part of Evernote, which I also highly recommend for a variety of purposes.

How do you refer to a diagram, figure, or table?

The easiest way to refer to a diagram is to describe it briefly. Do NOT mention page numbers, figure numbers, problem numbers, chapter numbers, as these things can change from one edition to the next. Instead, saying something like:

For Diagrams:

"In this problem, we are given a diagram of a box with a length of 10cm, a width of 5 cm, and a height of 4 cm. We are asked to calculate the area of this box, so first we must use the formula for calculating area..."

For Tables:

"To solve this problem, refer to the table that lists the monthly spending of Company C in USD from January 2010 to February 2012."

Staying Motivated During the Whirl of the Holidays

Photo via Escobar's Highland Farm

What is it about the holiday season that has us feeling so spirited and excited at home and so dull and lifeless at work in the evenings? In the morning, I stop by my local coffee shop and grab a pumpkin-spice-cinnamon-caramel-whatever-else-tastes-like-Christmas latte before my commute, and I'm practically skipping down the street, loving all the fall colors and feeling so grateful and caffeinated. And then by 3 PM, I'm about 15 degrees from lying down in my office chair. All I want to do is sit in front of a fire and decorate my Christmas tree and eat sugar cookies.

It's a great conflict that I'm sure you're all facing as the holidays approach and the weather gets colder. I know we can all use a little motivation sometimes, so I'm sharing some of my tactics  for staying motivated and on-task when it seems only visions of sugarplums or cinnamon lattes or egg nog will dance in your head:

1. Make a to-do list at the beginning of each day. I usually do this after the coffee has kicked in, so I feel more ambitious. Then my to-do list contains items like "5. Fix everything ever having to do with the QA of solutions" and "6. Build a massive treehouse from scratch outside of the Chegg office. Make sure to include an elevator and multiple restrooms for visitors."
2. Save the snacking for specific times. Just say no to that plate of cookies that is sure to make you feel lethargic.
3. Have a plan of action for each task. If you're writing a solution, set up the template, write a quick draft, and then get to typing everything up. Write a really messy first draft and then come back to it later.
4. Take Facebook breaks. I kid you not. I have a reflex where I take about 30 seconds every hour to look at Facebook and see that nothing new has been posted. Then I get back to it.
5. Take real breaks in addition to the Facebook breaks. Take time to have a good lunch and see the people who matter to you. 
6. Set up alerts. Whether you use Outlook or Any.do or Google calendar, set up alarms for yourself and allocate specific amounts of time for each task you need to complete.
7. If you're studying for exams right now, make sure you prioritize that above all else. You can't take back a bad grade, but you can certainly fix other mistakes. Yes, even writing textbook solutions for pay. You can re-do a solution, but you can't take back a bad grade.
8. Sleep. I should probably take my own advice more often with this one, but sleep will work wonders on your productivity. Supplement with exercise. 
9. If all else fails, coffee works for a few hours. Coffee will carry you through quite a lot. 

If you've got any suggestions of your own, feel free to share. 

Very happy holidays from the Chegg Homework Team!