I've just returned from my first conference: the Australasian Winter Conference on Brain Research in Queenstown.
To be honest, I wasn't looking forward to the conference before hand. I've heard stories of drunken shenanigans from supervisors, dancing the night away, and battling hangovers during the long days of intense scientific discussion. To me it sounded all too much. The longest work day in history, where the night only enhances the social nightmare.
In actual fact, I probably couldn't have asked for a better introductory conference.
Quick generic summary, as quoted by myself:
"A great introductory conference from an early PhD student. Friendly audience, and inspiring surroundings. My motivation levels are soaring!"
A few lessons learnt:
1. When presenting a poster, keep it simple! It's very hard to get to the point in a short space of time, and I found myself blathering on for ages whilst the person in front of me was obviously wondering how to escape.
2. I found the most inspiring scientific discussions took place in the hotel room with my fellow lab members. Perhaps we needed the fresh South Island air and picturesque scenery to inspire these conversations? Perhaps I could suggest this as a weekly lab meeting destination.
3. Be careful how much dancing you get up to on the conference dinner, unless your supervisor is right there with you!
No comments:
Post a Comment