A first-time national conference experience

As the ginormous ACPA national conference is almost coming to an end, I figured I would give a brief assessment/review/advice of my first attendance as a grad student.  I hope that some of the things will come helpful to my fellow CSP program colleagues (College Student Personnel) and other grad students who are embarking on their first trip to an intimating national conference.

I must say, my first experience in a national conference went a lot better than I expected.  I say that because I’m an introvert in nature, & sometimes diving into an unknown crowd for self-promotion/networking can be stressful that most cannot imagine.  Of course no first try is ever perfect; there are a couple of regrets that I have, but I know there’s always next year to improve upon what I have had experienced.

[1] Girls – do NOT overpack.  Unless you have historically proven that you do not go shopping on a regular basis, most likely you will find yourself at a mall shopping for clothes as a way to explore a new city.  Most large conferences are held in a metropolitan area, so there are plenty of places for entertainment/shopping.  If for some reason you didn’t bring enough clothes, you can always go shopping.

[2] Bring flats.  When I made this trip, I brought so many types of shoes because I didn’t know what to expect.  Bringing nice pair of flats is a “must”.  You may bring heels if you really want to, but your feet will be screaming most of the time.

[3] You will not be working out.  Because my hotel has an indoor gym, I thought it’d be great idea to bring my workout clothes/shoes.  WRONG.  Most likely, you will not have time to workout.  First-time conference experience can be so exhausting to the point you want to seriously pass out as soon as you arrive at your hotel room.  ACPA events, which include socials and various receptions, last until late night (like 11pm).

[4] Join ACPA commissions.  ACPA offers various commissions of your interest, based on the functionality of the work.  For example, I joined career development, graduate students & new professionals, & academic support commission as a way for me to stay in touch with current trends that I’m greatly interested.  It is also a great networking tool.

[5] You dinner time will be LATE.  Of course you plan each day catered to your style, but a lot of times you will miss the opportunity to eat lunch because of so many sessions & events to attend.  Essentially, your dinnertime will be much later in the night because that’s how things end up no matter how well you plan your days.  On average, my dinnertime has been anywhere from 7pm to 10pm.

[6] Be an overachiever.  You are not the only one who wants to network with people & possibly land on a job in the future.  You can’t just do that by attending sessions.  Being an overachiever means making yourself fully & completely exposed to other student affairs professionals by volunteering for various events & being active in discussion during educational sessions.  For myself, being an ACPA Ambassador & volunteering were very useful in “promoting” myself.

[7] Make yourself a professional business card.  This is perhaps the most regrettable area for me during this conference.  As a grad student, I never felt the need to print business cards until I arrived in Baltimore.  Every conversation you have with new people ends with exchanging business cards.  Not having one to exchange makes oneself very insecure & incomplete in terms of making a full networking with another individual.

[8] You will get overwhelmed.  No matter how prepared you feel, a national conference at any level will be overwhelming to you at first.  There are so many educational sessions you want to attend, but many times you will notice the time conflict.  There are approximately 20-30 concurrent sessions going on per hour…you’re going to end up having to prioritize your interests.  In addition, if you want to volunteer or have interviews (ACPA conference holds interviews for candidates), it makes things much harder to navigate everyday.

[9] Better connect with your current institution members.  National conference is, of course, important for networking outside of your state & institution, but also severs as a golden opportunity to better connect with colleagues in your current institution.  Have lunch or dinner with them, meet up with them during a short break & talk about your experience.  Ask them questions so that they know you are genuinely engaged in the activity.   

[10] Have fun!  Find things that would interest you.  This is your professional development so everything should fit to your needs & interests.  If you’re feeling miserable, then there’s no reason for you to spend all that money to a national conference! So have fun.  Find fun things for you. :)