I attended my first ESA meeting in 2003 as an undergraduate hoping
to get a better idea of which direction I wanted to go in ecology.
When I arrived Sunday night to check in, I was completely unprepared
for just how big the meeting was! I spent the next five days trying
to squeeze in as many talks and special sessions as possible,
often dashing from one talk to another, trying not to get lost
as I made my way through the huge conference center, all the while
feeling completely overwhelmed. Needless to say, by the end of
the week I was completely exhausted! I’ve since attended
two other ESA meetings, both of them even larger than the first,
and have learned quite a bit since that first experience about
how to get the most out of the annual meetings…
Plan before you go! The sessions, workshops, and business
meetings are all listed on the ESA website well in advance of
the meeting. With sometimes as many as ten or more sessions running
concurrently at any given time, it’s a good idea to take
a look at the schedule ahead of time. Make a short list of the
workshops, talks, field trips, and other activities that you absolutely
do not want to miss (don’t be too ambitious here); make
another list of talks and activities that you want to attend,
but wouldn’t mind missing if an opportunity to chat with
a colleague or potential employer comes up (this list can be longer).
Don’t forget to leave time in your schedule to get outside
and away from the conference center for a little while!
Get involved! With sections and chapters
representing just about every subdiscipline of ecology, geographical
region, and other groups, there’s no reason not to get involved,
and I guarantee it will make your meeting experience even better!
A logical choice for students is to get involved in the ESA Student
Section; ESA is very supportive of student activities at the meetings,
and it’s up to the students to organize the sessions and
events that they want to see at ESA. No matter how you choose
to get involved, you will make valuable contacts, meet new friends,
and reduce the feeling of being “just another ecologist
in the crowd.”
Meet new people! This is the one time every year that thousands
of ecologists from all over the United States and the world get
together in one place to see what’s new and exciting in
their field, meet future collaborators, advisors, or employers,
and catch up with old friends. Traveling alone? Find a roommate
or arrange to travel to the meeting with somebody else by checking
the ESA website a couple of months before the meeting. Introduce
yourself to the person who presented a talk or a poster that you
found particularly interesting, and see if they want to have lunch
or meet later for conversation after the days’ activities
have ended. Traveling with your lab group? You see them every
day back home – take this opportunity to meet other folks
in your field, maybe arranging to share a meal or a cold beverage
and some good conversation. This is a great opportunity to meet
new friends and to make contacts that could prove valuable later
in your career!
Above all, remember to have fun and enjoy the good company and
stimulating atmosphere! There’s a lot to see and do, and
you can’t possibly do it all. Prioritize your time, actively
participate in the meeting, and make new friends and contacts,
and I guarantee you’ll enjoy the meeting! You’ll still
be exhausted, but at least you will have had a good time, learned
new things, and met a bunch of great people!
Liz Harp
Colorado State University
Graduate Degree Program in Ecology
