If you don’t have a paid Overleaf account, you’ll eventually run out of compilation time. In that case, you might want to use an offline LaTeX editor and use this template: https://github.com/unofficial-uoregon-dissertation-formats/unofficial-uoregon-grad-school-dissertation-latex-markdown-apa-format

VS Code is a good alternative that can compile LaTeX locally on your device, hence you’re only limited by your device, your imagination, and your mental health. You can also keep your thesis synced with a git repo so that you never lose your work.

To write your thesis in VS Code, follow these steps:

1. Make sure VS Code is installed
2. Install TeX Live: https://www.tug.org/texlive/
3. Install extension LaTeX Workshop in VS Code: https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=James-Yu.latex-workshop
4. Download the aforementioned git repo as zip: https://github.com/unofficial-uoregon-dissertation-formats/unofficial-uoregon-grad-school-dissertation-latex-markdown-apa-format
5. Extract zip
6. Open folder latex_files in VS Code
7. In settings.json, add as first entry to latex-workshop.latex.recipes: {"name": "make", "tools": ["make"]}
8. Again, in settings.json, add as first entry to latex-workshop.latex.tools: {"name": "make", "command": "make", "args": [], "env": {}}
9. Time to test. Edit author’s name in cover.tex. Save. It should auto-build.