Modern features

• xelatex complier
• magic commands
• biber engien for UTF-8 support, usually to handle the software generated .bib file

Recommended packages

• tikz & pgfplots for programmable pics
• physics for physics formular, vectors, tensor etc.
• mhchem for chemical formular and equations
• siunitx for SI units

To use Overleaf or not

Overleaf is so popular that even no one now uses the offline compiler. Despite that the full installation like TeXlive costs at least several GB, it always takes you some effort to customize common TeX editors like texstudio. So the best for a Tex beginner is doubtless Overleaf. But the drawbacks of overleaf are also oblivious. Its file system doesn’t allow you to export any file automatically. For example, exporting tikz image to .svg or .svg to .pdf while using svg package.

You can download my template here.

• latex