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February 20, 2005
Advice to Newcomers from Robin Reid
The first time at a conference is like a visit to a new country. Each academic conference has its own culture. If this conference is your first one ever, the experience is even more frightening. The temptation will be to hide away in your room and to scurry to your session and maybe a few others and then to take cover. That's understandable--I did it myself at my first major conference (which was attended by about 1800 scholars!). But even ICFA, much smaller in terms of numbers (much more interesting in terms of focus and covering a much larger scope and area of disciplines than many academic conferences) can seem intimidating. Everybody around you will seem to know people and have others to talk to, while you alone are left to lurk in the hallways.
My advice would be to attend the newcomer events--to sign up for a mentor, to keep an eye out for those other people who look as if they are attending for the first time. And remember that we all share a common interest in the fantastic. Come a few minutes early to sessions, and stay after. Network. Talk to the presenters (don't we all love to hear that someone enjoyed our presentation!) Talk to the other audience members. Try to be there for more than just the day you're presenting if at all possible. Don't ignore the opportunities at the luncheons and around the pool and the lounges during the days and in the evenings to meet and hang out with others, especially if you recognize them from sessions, if they're working or writing in areas that you are also interested in. Some of the best connections and friendships start up in between the official events.
And the fastest way to start meeting people is to volunteer. All academic conferences are run by academics, most of us volunteering to do this professional service. Seek out your Division Head and talk to them: maybe you'd like to organize whole paper session in your field of interest next time, or suggest a panel discussion topic and then organize the event. Attend the business meeting and see what parts of the conference need volunteers. Getting involved in running things will guarantee you more involvement and interaction as well as people approving of you! If you enjoy the conference and plan to make this area one of your scholarship and/or teaching areas, you'll want to attend again, and you'll find that your second and third time things are different. You're no longer a newcomer, you know more of the language and the people.
Posted by ChrissieMains at February 20, 2005 03:24 PM