Secret for easy formula entry

I changed the settings on a couple of OpenOffice installations so that control-F brings up the equations editor. You can change it under Tools->Customize->Keyboard. I highly recommend it.

I find it helpful to enter in a number of formulas at once. I can then mix and match them, putting them into the chapters where they will be useful. Entering formulas is something I can do when not mentally sharp, making it useful for mental down-time when I still need to put time in on my diss to meet my daily goals. Then, once you get in the swing of using _, ^, and % followed by a greek letter, it is much faster. It is almost like LaTex.

There are some problems with the Open Office Equation editor. Subscript z's have their central section disappear. I can fix this by using quotes around the z, though that does change the font. I have also used this trick to get the "plusminus" sign to work properly - inserting the plus-minus, then putting quotes around it. In conjunction, it is now easier for me to write out the equation in the regular word processor, highlight it, hit control-f, and it automatically converts it into a formula.