Attending Academic Conferences for Grad Students
How Post-Graduates Can Benefit Most From Scholarly Conventions
Sep 6, 2009
A vital part of the graduate student experience is attending academic conferences. Conferences allow students to get firsthand knowledge of the state of their field, network with professors and other students, and hone their presentation and teaching skills.
Academic conferences can be intimidating and confusing for new graduate students, however. It's helpful for them to learn about how conferences work, and ways to get through them more easily.
Tips for Attending Academic Conferences
Graduate students attending their first academic conference need to keep in mind a number of principles, even if they aren't giving a presentation or otherwise participating actively. These include:
- Start small. Graduate students may feel more comfortable going to a smaller conference, especially if it's at their home university. That way, they need not worry about transportation or lodging, and will likely have a more sympathetic audience of peers and friends.
- Get the schedule and plan ahead. Students would do well to learn a conference's schedule, to make sure they sit in on the right sessions. Even modest academic conferences will have multiple speakers presenting at the same time in different rooms. Larger conferences may also have workshops and social functions – and free food – which can benefit graduate students, and keep the schedule varied.
- Save on room and board. Most university departments have little cash to spare for graduate students' conference travel. Single-department conferences will often help match graduate students with local students who can put them up for a night or two. Larger conferences, especially those held in the summer months, may make student housing available for out-of-town attendees. If graduate students book early enough, they can get a cheap room right on campus, saving on daily travel to and from the conference.
- Keep things balanced. Academic conferences are great places to network, so graduate students shouldn't skip an entire conference to go sightseeing. But at the same time, students need not feel obligated to attend every session and never leave the building. Academic conferences can be tiring even for those just watching.
Academic conferences can be especially nerve-wracking for graduate students who are presenting papers. Here are a few pointers that can ease the process:
- Do some reconnaissance. If possible, graduate students should arrive at the conference one or more days before their presentation. This will allow them to get rested from traveling, register, and perhaps attend a few other sessions to get comfortable at the conference. Also, presenters should find the room in which they will be lecturing, and make sure it has everything they need. Practicing using the audio-visual equipment (such as PowerPoint) will also prevent embarrassing delays during the presentation itself.
- Be punctual. Presenters need to show up before their session starts, even if they aren't the first scheduled to speak. And just as it's rude to show up late, it's rude to go over one's allotted time – both back up the schedule of the conference. Graduate students without much experience of academic conferences should practice reading their papers out loud repeatedly, so that they can consistently do so in the same amount of time.
- Have water handy. Conferences usually provide bottled water as part of the refreshments. It's good to have a bottle handy for sipping while reading a paper. But nervous students should be careful not to drink water before their presentations – the only thing more uncomfortable than a scratchy throat while lecturing or answering questions is a full bladder.
Making the Most of Academic Conferences
Like writing abstracts or statements for grant applications, attending academic conferences is a major part of scholarly life. Graduate students would do well to gain experience by going, and are expected to do so if they plan on a career in academia.
But while academic conferences are important, they need not be stressful. If graduate students get used to attending, and learn to budget their time and money, traveling to them can be fun. Even for those giving papers at conventions, knowing what to expect and prepare for can help the experience go much more smoothly.
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