In the world of research, one of the most exciting things is the opportunity to attend a conference and present your work alongside the most prominent figures in your chosen field of study.
Within a few days, you will learn more than most students do in a year of college.
You should therefore have already planned out how to make the most out of your first conference beforehand.
Take notes
If you want to make the most out of your first conference, the most important thing is to have a notebook on hand to take notes during presentations, talks, and keynotes.
It could be interesting ideas, names of scholars, extraordinary research someone is doing, something about your own work, or names of citations.
You never know when an idea will strike or when you’ll stumble across something fascinating.
Keeping a notebook is also a good way to collect business cards, contact information, and receipts.
Additionally, you can use a notebook to let your mind wander during a bland conference presentation, perhaps between presentations or during those that are not that interesting.
Dress for success
Wear what makes you feel good and stay true to who you are. Your conference’s formality level will vary, but as a rule of thumb, dress business casual or nicer for conferences.
Keep in mind that overdressing is better than underdressing. You will feel more at ease and make a better impression if you dress to match your own style.
The outfits you will wear on each day of the conference should be planned in advance. In addition to saving you time in the morning, doing this will help you avoid overpacking and ensure that your clothes are matched.
Present with confidence
Practice makes perfect!
You should number your script or notes if you want them printed. In this way, the pages will not get mixed up. Additionally, make sure to highlight the most important parts of your presentation so that, if you’re running out of time, you know what to get to quickly. You’ll be able to find the highlighted parts of a page much quicker than trying to scan for it when you’re nervous.
Even if you’re only attending for a few hours, arrive early. Doing so will help you adjust to your accommodation and center your mind. Maybe you will have time to explore the city, meet friends at the conference, eat, or prepare your presentation.
Make sure you don’t memorize every word you say. If you try to remember your talk word for word when you’re on stage, you’ll make yourself even more nervous. Remember to learn the basics and focus on what you want to convey and what you want your audience to take away from each point.
There’s something most people don’t know about Microsoft PowerPoint. When the audience asks questions from a certain slide, you do not have to scroll through all the way beginning. Simply type the slide number and hit enter. With this little adjustment, you’ll save time, and you’ll be able to interact more effectively with your audience.
Networking is the key
We attend conferences as a way of making connections and discovering research innovations from other researchers. Therefore make sure to make the most out of your first conference by interacting with your peers.
Making connections at a conference is a great way to meet people and make new friends – you might find your next supervisor, a great friend or discover some brilliant research.
Meet new people at dinner! Ask to join a group of people going out to dinner. If you see someone going off alone, invite them to join you.
Get your contact information ready to give out – and be ready to receive business cards. You should definitely have your university email and LinkedIn account handy.
Accept business cards, and write a note about the researcher’s work so you would remember which card belonged to whom.
If possible, contact them by email. Conferences are also a good oppotunity to connect with other graduate students on Facebook and Instagram – these are terrific ways to stay in touch with those you’ve befriended and are a lot more casual than email.
If you’re a graduate student, attend events for grad students. The purpose of these events is to introduce students to other students or faculty members who share their interests.
Take photos with your conference friends, and make sure to ask their permission first. This is an excellent way to preserve memories and to stay in touch with the connections you made at the conference.
Images courtesy: Conference speaker vector created by storyset – www.freepik.com
