What are the benefits of attending international conferences at student level

Question

Is it beneficial to attend international conferences at student level, and what are tips to follow when attending such international conferences?

Answer 1

It is hard to tell - it depends on the conference!

Possible benefits (amongst others) can be:

• Learning more about your field and getting more motivation for your studies
• Learning about different countries and cultures
• Learning how scientific conferences work
• Preparing your own scientific contribution for a conference
• Networking with well-known people in your field (usually there are some invited speakers)

I would strongly recommend to submit your own contribution to such a conference in order to participate fully.

For the "tips"-section:

• Hang out with people you did not know before
• Find a good mixture of new / unknown topics and things which are close to your fioeld of interest
• Attend every social event
• Don't hesitate to talk to foreign people.

Answer 2

But do watch out: Not all conferences with "International" in their name are legit. There are many predatory conferences out there that are only interested in your money, not science. Ask a faculty member, your mentor, or your advisor. That's what we are here for, training and guiding young people! That being said, I started attending national conferences as a student and presented my (diploma = master's) thesis work at an international conference.

In addition to the suggestions above, try and formulate one question for every presentation you attend. And then get up the courage to ask at least one a day!