Academic conference survival guide

Going to local and international conferences is (read: should be) a regular part of any graduate degree. Conferences are an opportunity for you to finally share the results of your hard work with your peers, and network with others in your field to hopefully get some perspective on areas of research you might not be as familiar with.

Going to a conference can also be a daunting experience. From abstract submission, to applying for travel grants, there is no shortage of administrative hoops to jump through just to get there. And once you get to the conference, there’s the anxiety of not knowing where to go or what presentation to see or who to talk to. It is important not to let this anxiety sabotage what is meant to be an incredible learning experience for you.

The first step to overcoming this is to learn a bit more about what actually happens at a conference, to properly set your expectations for the event and clarify what the event’s expectations are of you. While every conference is a bit different in terms of schedule, seeing how even one type of conference runs will give you some idea of how they all do.

In the spirit of this newsletter, I wanted to demystify the idea of academic conferences by sharing my experience as a presenter at the annual McMaster University Chemical Engineering Conference (MUCEC) this past April. From registration to the closing ceremonies, the following section goes through the schedule and outlines the opportunities and takeaways for a grad student at each step.

8:00am – Arrive and register

Sign-in, pick up a name tag, put up your poster (if you have one), get directions from the organizers. Simple.

Goals and Opportunities: Clear up any questions you have about the agenda. Get on the organizers’ good side, be friendly, personable, and efficient.

8:30am – Meet and greet

Get a coffee/tea, say hi to some familiar faces, explore the venue space and familiarize yourself with where you will need to go for different sessions.

Goals and Opportunities: This is a chance to look around the venue, make sure that you know where everything is, and reintroduce yourself to any colleagues you might have already met. It is also an opportunity to take a minute to breathe and to remind yourself that you belong there.

9:00am – Keynote Speaker

They keynote speaker