Visiting a scientific conference for the first time as a young researcher is a big deal, don\u2019t you think? So much expertise gathered in one place, so many talks and topics ahead \u2014 exciting, yes, but also a bit intimidating. At least, that\u2019s how I felt when I drove nine hours in my car to a remote peninsula in Poland for the Baltic Earth conference. When I arrived, I knew nothing (like Jon Snow) and almost no one. I took a deep breath and just threw myself in. Looking back, it worked out fine \u2014 but of course, it could have gone better.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you\u2019re heading to your first or second conference and feel a little overwhelmed, here are some hacks to help you start on the right foot. Hopefully, they\u2019ll make your conference a memorable experience \u2014 for your science, your network, and your self-confidence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Let\u2019s go!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you\u2019re attending your first conference as a young scientist, it takes a bit of courage to speak up and ask that first question \u2013 especially after a talk and in front of a big audience. You might think you don\u2019t know enough about the topic to contribute, but that\u2019s not true (usually\ud83d\ude09)! Your question matters. If you didn\u2019t fully understand something and want clarification, chances are others feel the same way. And who knows \u2014 your question might even spark a lively discussion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And here\u2019s more good news: once you\u2019ve asked your first question, it only gets easier from there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Talks, poster sessions, events \u2013 There is always a lot going on at conferences. FOMO, here we come, right? Take this as your reminder to breathe and accept that you simply can\u2019t attend every session \u2014 and honestly, you shouldn\u2019t. Rather make sure to plan plenty of breaks into your schedule! That\u2019s not a sign of laziness \u2014 it\u2019s actually smart. Long lunch or coffee breaks are the perfect time to chat, connect, and have real one-on-one conversations with other interesting researchers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Especially if \u2013 like in my case \u2013 no one else from your research group or university is attending the conference with you, finding a peer group is essential. Not necessarily for scientific exchange, but to make you feel comfortable and confident during your stay at the conference and to simply have a good time (because that\u2019s what it\u2019s really about in the end \u2013 personal opinion from a PhD quitter). <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The easiest way to start is by connecting with people who are around your age or at a similar career stage \u2014 like students, fellow PhDs, or young postdocs. You can also check the conference website beforehand for buddy programs<\/strong> or mentoring initiatives \u2014 most larger conferences offer something like that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Of course, you want to expand your scientific network at a conference. But that doesn\u2019t mean you have to meet and talk to everyone \u2013 especially not at big conferences where the crowd can be huge and honestly overwhelming. Instead, focus on making just two or three interesting connections in your general field of research \u2013 that\u2019s already a great start. This hack is simple but effective: have a few go-to questions ready in your mind for when you meet other scientists during poster sessions or coffee breaks. It makes starting a conversation much easier. Some general questions that basically work with everyone can be for example:<\/p>\n\n\n\n It kind of goes without saying, but ChatGPT can help you come up with even more questions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Collecting business cards is fun and feels professional but it\u2019s also pretty old-school \u2014 and let\u2019s be honest, you\u2019ll probably lose them at some point anyway. It might work better for you to use your phone to take a few quick notes after talking to people: What\u2019s their name, position, research field, and what are they currently working on. That way, you\u2019ll still remember who\u2019s who, what they research, and how they might be helpful to you \u2014 even months later.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you\u2019re a fan of physical business cards, there\u2019s of course no harm in collecting them and using them to share your own contact information. In that case, consider adding a QR code to your card that links to your university profile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Also obvious, but still worth mentioning: After meeting someone interesting at a conference, don\u2019t let the connection fade! Following each other on platforms like LinkedIn, ResearchGate or even Instagram is a great way to stay in touch. You can keep up with their work, your ongoing interest and share ideas, maybe even start collaborations \u2013 all without having to track them down months later. A quick tip: send a short message when you add them, so they remember who you are. A little personal touch goes a long way!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Have a great conference experience!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Tanita<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Visiting a scientific conference for the first time as a young researcher is a big deal, don\u2019t you think? So much expertise gathered in one place, so many talks and topics ahead \u2014 exciting, yes, but also a bit intimidating. At least, that\u2019s how I felt when I drove nine hours in my car to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":227,"featured_media":1101,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[67,16,37],"class_list":["post-1099","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-view-of-a-scientist","tag-conference","tag-oceanvoices","tag-phd-life"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.oceanblogs.org\/oceanvoices\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1099","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.oceanblogs.org\/oceanvoices\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.oceanblogs.org\/oceanvoices\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.oceanblogs.org\/oceanvoices\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/227"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.oceanblogs.org\/oceanvoices\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1099"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.oceanblogs.org\/oceanvoices\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1099\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1100,"href":"https:\/\/www.oceanblogs.org\/oceanvoices\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1099\/revisions\/1100"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.oceanblogs.org\/oceanvoices\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1101"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.oceanblogs.org\/oceanvoices\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1099"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.oceanblogs.org\/oceanvoices\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1099"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.oceanblogs.org\/oceanvoices\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1099"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}\n
Also: those two or three people don\u2019t have to be professors. Connecting with other students or early-career researchers can be just as valuable for sharing ideas, getting input, or even starting future collaborations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
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