Traveling to conferences, summer schools, or other academic meetings can be quite daunting, especially if you’re still new to the field. If you’re feeling pressure to make the most out of your time at a conference, you’re not alone, and we have a few tips for making connections while you’re there. The first thing, though easier said than done, is to take a deep breath and not burn yourself out trying to do everything there is to offer, especially at a larger conference with a lot of parallel sessions. Conferences require a lot of stamina and it’s important to pace yourself and prioritize the sessions that you find most interesting in order to avoid burnout. Taking notes and asking questions at sub-sessions related to your research can be a great way to meet other students or senior members of the research community. Don’t be afraid to ask questions, conferences are intended to be a collaborative environment, and the speakers will also appreciate that the audience is engaging with their research. If they run out of time, don’t be afraid to speak to the presenters afterwards or during the social hours and coffee breaks, people are usually happy to talk about their research, that’s exactly why they’re at the conference.

Another great way to make connections is to attend the poster sessions, as they give you a chance to have more in depth conversations about people’s research than just asking a question or two at talks. Poster sessions are also more often centered on student research, and are a great place to meet peers at other institutions. Poster sessions are also an opportunity to present your research. (Presenting your research is also a great opportunity to engage with people—it gives you a chance to meet people who specifically sought out your talk or poster because they were interested in the topic.)

You may not always be traveling with other members of your lab or research group, but if you do, don’t be afraid to ask them to introduce you to people they’ve met at previous conferences. As soon as you know a few people, they’ll introduce you to others at the conference and the number of people you know will start to snowball. Asking whether people have dinner plans is also a great way to get to know people and make real connections with people that are more substantial. A lot of the more lasting connections at conferences are made over meals at the conference, when you have the chance to talk about things outside of research and really get to know people. I’ve made a lot of great friends at conferences, some of whom I now collaborate with on various research side projects. You might even publish a paper or two together!

The short version is – don’t be afraid to step outside your comfort zone and put yourself out there, you’ll meet a lot of cool people and learn about all sorts of interesting research.

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