Conference Tips From and For Students of Behavior Analysis

Written by Ka’ala Bajo; Edited by Sofia Abuin

If you haven’t attended a major academic conference, the thought of attending your first can be a bit frightening. Given that the 52nd Annual Convention is right around the corner, we asked our peers for their top conferencing tips with us so that we could share them with all of you.

#1: Draft a Schedule Ahead of Time

Text block that says "I wish I had known how to structure my schedule. I missed some amazing talks [at my first conference] because I was disorganized. Maximizing efficiency at a conference is an art form!

Conferencing can be chaotic if you’re not prepared! The 51st Annual Convention included 272 panels and symposia, 52 workshops, 40 invited presentations, and over 450 posters. With this many amazing events, you’ll want to come prepared to make the most of your conference.

The schedule for the Annual Convention is published online in advance. It’s also available as a mobile app, so you can have your schedule on hand at all times. If you have internet access while you travel to the conference, drafting your schedule is the perfect way to pass the time. Even if you’ve requested a hard copy of the conference schedule, we find the online tool quite helpful.

Additionally, you’ll want to make sure that you schedule some downtime. You don’t need to attend a talk during every block. Instead, reserve time for meals, rest, and exploring the area. If you plan to explore (and we highly recommend that you do), make sure you stay safe by traveling with a group and doing a bit of research on where you plan to go.

#2: Attend a Variety of Talks

Text block that says "Although you want to root for your friends, you need to balance attending talks you already know and don't... You might feel choice overload."

Multi-track conferences, such as ABAI’s Annual Convention, feature panels and symposia across a range of interests. From Applied Animal Behavior to Verbal Behavior and Cognition, you’re bound to find multiple talks that pique your interest. The challenge is striking a balance between talks on subjects you are and aren’t familiar with.

We highly recommend attending talks outside of your “comfort zone” as doing so makes you a more well-rounded student of behavior analysis. Besides, you never know what you’ll be able to take away from such presentations until you attend, or what you might be able to share with those presenting in return.

Another consideration: you may have to balance attending your friends’ presentations and other presentations that you find interesting. Peer support is essential, but you don’t need to go to all of your friends’ events. This is particularly true if you are traveling with a large group. Consider coordinating beforehand so that at least one person is in attendance for each presentation to show support and take photos.

#3: Dress Appropriately—And That Means Comfortably

Text block that says "Wear sneakers or comfy shoes - you will regret anything else."

Listen: you can search “what to wear to a conference” right now and get tons of tips on how to color coordinate your blazer and slacks. In fact, you should do that. Then, you should ask Google, “What is the weather like in (insert city) in (month of conference)?” This crucial factor should motivate the kinds of outfits you prepare for the trip. But don’t forget to plan the most important part of your outfit—your shoes.

Dear reader, we know you’re so excited to wear those new dress shoes/heels, but have you truly considered how your feet will feel after five hours of walking (or running) around the convention center? Take it from those whose hubris has gotten the better of them one too many times: you will get blisters, and you won’t want to put those shoes back on the morning of Day 2.

You need to bring walking shoes.

You could, alternatively, just wear a nice pair of clean, casual shoes for the whole conference—especially if you are not presenting. We’ve attended conventions in everything from clean, white Nikes to Doc Martens. Virtually everyone will be dressing for comfort where possible, so don’t worry about your sneakers making you seem underdressed.

#4: Network With Other Grad Students…

Text block that says "Speak to students from other programs about their experiences to socialize, network, and learn more about how programs themselves may differ in opportunities and training methods."

“Networking” in grad school is the technical term for “making friends and acquaintances.” There are many opportunities to network at conferences, but our top recommendations for ABAI are the Student Welcome Event and poster sessions.

The Student Welcome Event is hosted by the ABAI Student Committee and is an excellent opportunity to meet folks at the very start of the conference weekend. You might end up making a conference friend (i.e., someone you can attend other events with). As if the networking opportunity wasn’t enough, they often have activities planned (e.g., trivia) and prizes!

Although not every conference has a student-specific welcome event, the vast majority have poster sessions. ABAI hosts poster sessions on all three days of the conference, meaning that even if you’re presenting a poster, you’ll still have two more sessions to walk around and meet people.

I could write an entire piece about networking for other self-proclaimed introverts, but my number one tip is to start with one thing you have in common with the person you’re speaking to. The most obvious thing is shared research interests, but don’t limit yourself to approaching folks working in your area—almost any commonality can be used to break the ice, including the simple fact that you are both in graduate school.

#5: …And With More Established Researchers

Text block that says "Don't be afraid to go up to a presenter. You don't have to have a super question to chat; you can just tell them you love their work."

Conferences are excellent opportunities to meet more established researchers and professionals in our field. You might approach a researcher after their paper presentation or symposium concludes, or spot them at the poster sessions. For ABAI’s Annual Conventions, specifically, you might also find them at an author signing, special interest group (SIG) meeting, or the final Social and SABA Celebration event.

Although it can be intimidating to finally put a face to a name you’ve seen in print dozens of times, the vast majority of folks welcome questions and discussion of their work. You might be able to offer a different perspective, or you could simply express interest in their work. If you exchange email addresses, consider following up with them a few days after the conference concludes.

In Short…

We hope that these tips will help you feel confident and prepared as you head into your first ABAI Convention (and even if you’re a conference aficionado, we hope you found something useful here). More than anything, remember that everyone at the conference was once exactly where you are now, and that those nervous feelings will dissipate with repeated exposure. In short: you’re going to be fine.

What did we miss? Let us know your #1 tip for conferencing in the comments below!

Ka‘ala is a doctoral candidate at West Virginia University. Her research interests include reinforcement of response duration, extinction, and philosophical/conceptual issues within behavior analysis. In her free time, she enjoys gardening, playing video games, and training her cat, Aura.