The end of June marks the ASEE Annual Conference for the engineering education community. Academic conferences are more than just gatherings of scholars; they are hubs for knowledge exchange, networking opportunities, and professional growth. Whether you’re a seasoned attendee or a first-timer, strategically navigating these events can significantly enhance your academic journey. Here’s my advice on how to make the most out of your next conference experience:
Before the Conference
- Research and Plan: Study the conference program in advance. Highlight sessions, workshops, and presentations relevant to your research interests. Build these into your calendar with the time/locations of the presentations to help you stay organized once you arrive. Planning ahead ensures you don’t miss key sessions and helps you manage your time effectively.
- Set Goals: Define what you aim to achieve—whether it’s learning about a specific area of research, presenting your own work, or networking with peers and potential collaborators, clear goals give your conference experience direction. Reflecting on these goals can help you when making decisions between competing events.
- Prepare Your Materials: Have business cards, presentation slides, and (if you are on the job market) copies of your updated CV ready to go. If you are presenting slides, make sure you are prepared to access and share your presentation in multiple ways (e.g., copy of materials on the cloud, on a flash drive, via HDMI, etc.) If you are presenting a poster, make a plan for when you will print the poster and how you are going to get it to the conference
During the Conference
- Attend Strategically and Don’t Try to Do Everything: Be selective about the sessions/events you attend and build breaks into your daily schedule. Select sessions to attend with a purpose but don’t be afraid to go outside your comfort zone and explore diverse topics to broaden your knowledge. During sessions, engage actively and ask questions—it’s a great way to connect with presenters and other attendees. Make sure to have something to take notes with so you can bring all your great ideas/insights back with you!
- Network Intentionally: Approach networking with a purpose. Initiate conversations with fellow researchers, introduce yourself confidently, and exchange contact information. Networking lunches, coffee breaks, and social events are ideal for forging meaningful connections.
After the Conference
- Follow Up: Within a few days, send follow-up emails and/or LinkedIn messages to people you met. Thank them for insightful discussions and express interest in staying connected. This strengthens new connections and reinforces your presence in the academic community.
- Reflect and Review: Take time to reflect on what you’ve learned and experienced. Review your notes and identify key takeaways. This helps solidify new knowledge and informs your future research directions. Consider how you will incorporate newfound knowledge into your work.
Attending an academic conference can feel overwhelming, but with thoughtful preparation, active engagement, and reflective evaluation of what you’ve learned, you can make the experience a highly rewarding one.