Going to a Undergraduate Research Conference

• Author: Michael |University Scholar
• Filed under: College Advice
• Date: Mar 31,2008

Yesterday I got back from the Mid-East Honors Association (MEHA) Conference. Going to a conference is an experience all ambitious undergraduates should have. Presenting at a research conference is not as scary as you may think. I would like to share with you what I thought of the conference and some tips for when you go to a research conference.

The Conference
Like I said above, presenting at a conference is not as scary as it may seem. At an undergraduate research conference students are there to grow, not show off. The MEHA conference was relatively small. When I presented there may have been 100+ people watching, but the numbers didn’t feel different than a class of 20 people.

Tips

When going to the conference there are a few things you should be prepared for.

• Technology never works the way you would like it to! If you are using a PowerPoint make sure you save it as an older version of PowerPoint, because the computer at the conference may use an older version of PowerPoint, and your newer version will not be compatible.
• Set up as soon as possible. If there is 30 minutes before your presentation and you have the opportunity to set up, then go ahead and set everything up. Once things are set up you will have some time to relax before you present.
• Presentation Remotes never work like they are supposed to. If the signal is not reaching the computer, you may want to take a few steps forward (unfortunately away from the podium) to get a better signal.
• If your presentation is more than 10 minutes you will want a glass of water. When practicing your presentation you need to plan times that you can take a drink. Even though I had a glass of water I never took a sip. I didn’t know when a pause in my presentation would be acceptable.

Preparing

Like any assignment you want to be prepared. Do not procrastinate! However, when going to the conference the research should not be your only concern. Because you are working so hard on your research, you may fail to pay attention to your other classes. You should schedule your school work for your other classes so you do not get behind. When I got home from the conference, I realized I had a lot of assignments that I did not realize were due the following week. If I would have planned ahead there wouldn’t have been a problem.

Everyone Should Go

Even if you do not want to present a project, you should at least attend. It is a learning experience for everyone. Finding a conference to go to should not be difficult. Ask around. At least one of your professors will know of a conference that you can attend. Maybe a conference that the professor is presenting at. You can also find a list of conferences at conferencealerts.com

Have you been to a research conference? Have advice for students? Leave a comment below.