How to Improve Efficiency, Part 1

By the end of this semester I realized that time keeps feeling shorter and shorter. Maybe that is partly my own fault, but at least after a lot of trial and error, random experimenting, and reading other people’s recommendations, I have picked up a few habits that genuinely help.

Maybe it is still too early for me to write something like this. I do not have that much experience yet. But I still think it is better to know these things sooner rather than later. If I keep postponing it, I will graduate before I ever write it down.

Even if you do not use these ideas immediately, it is still useful to at least know they exist. Then when you do need them, you will know what to look up.

Essential skill

  • Get used to reading English.

How to search efficiently

I said efficiently, so this is not just “go search on Baidu” even if that is technically fast.

Search engines

Google

  • It really is useful. The first few results are not just ads the way they often are elsewhere.
  • It is much better for English-language resources.
  • There is less random clutter in the results.
  • If you want official documentation, it is usually the better choice.

International Bing

  • Pretty much the same advantages.

Browsers

This part is more a matter of taste.

Safari

  • It is solid. It is the default, and there is not much to complain about.
  • On mobile, though, Bing keeps pushing me to install its app and that is annoying.

Arc

  • This is what I have been using lately.
  • It has a lot of keyboard shortcuts, and once you get used to them it feels great.
  • It is more minimal and feels closer to the style of macOS, which people seem to either love or hate.
  • It looks good.
  • I think it is better than Safari, especially for someone like me who hates cleaning up browsing history.
  • Workspaces are also nice, and switching between them with shortcuts is convenient.

Extensions

Yes, I am counting them here.

  • Google Translate
  • Any decent ad blocker
  • I have heard good things about Refined GitHub too, though I have not really used it myself

Search tricks

  • Use double quotes for exact matches:
    • "<your exact phrase>"
  • Use logic operators:
    • AND, OR
  • Use wildcards for uncertain parts:
    • *rc can match things like ~rc
  • You can also restrict to a specific site, exclude terms, search related sites, limit by file type, or search by time range. If you need those, look them up when the need comes.

I have realized this is more important than a lot of people think. We had a course on it in freshman year, but it feels like many people still do not really know how to use it well.

Databases

  • PubMed
  • Web of Science
  • CNKI
  • Scopus
  • And probably a few others I am forgetting
  • Your school likely also provides some of its own databases

Reference management

You will need this sooner or later.

  • Zotero
    • I am using it, though I am still learning
    • The biggest plus is that it is open source
  • EndNote
  • Citavi
  • Mendeley
  • NoteExpress
  • Also check what your school already pays for

Literature retrieval

  • Go straight to advanced search.
  • Pay attention to the search scope.
  • Most of the rest becomes simple once your goal is clear.
  • Except for CNKI, most of these tools work much better in English.
  • Remember the balance between recall and precision.
    • Some databases include fuzzy matching features.
    • If you want high recall, gather as many synonyms for your keywords as possible.
    • Think about where you expect those words to appear.
    • If you want precision, pay attention to exact matching.
    • In many systems, double quotes are the simplest way to get that.
  • Sometimes advanced search alone is not enough.
    • That is when it helps to know some search syntax.
    • Usually it is things like AND and OR.
    • Parentheses matter too.
    • Once you get comfortable with the syntax, even basic search can become powerful.

Everyday notes

  • Try learning Markdown syntax. It is simple and comfortable.
  • LaTeX makes editing formulas on a computer much easier.
  • Notes are easier to manage and often look nicer than handwriting, though my own handwriting sets the bar pretty low.
  • I currently use Obsidian, which is open source. Notion also seems good, and of course there are plenty of other choices.

A few extra notes

  • Try to read the official documentation whenever possible.
  • Make use of your school’s resources, or at least learn what they are.
  • If a tool can help, use it. Do not be too lazy to learn it.
  • Command-line tools are worth learning too. If you are on a Mac, at least install Homebrew.