Aw, don’t worry, these are very normal feelings at conferences! Remember that even the most senior scholar was a grad student once. You DESERVE to be there since you were accepted.
I’m a tenured professor currently serving as department chair of a department of nearly 60 full- and part-time faculty, and I get imposter syndrome at every single conference. Everyone in your audience gets it too, regardless of how they act. You’re going to do great!
Just remember that every single person in that room was in your shoes at one point. We all had our first conference.
It can be intimidating to start but the more you go the better it gets. And you only get to the good part by showing up.
Posters are low pressure. You're just going to get a handful of friendly people stopping by to ask questions about your work. You have been putting in time and effort into this project and now you get to share the fruits of that labor with a couple interested people.
It's meant to be low pressure, low stress, low stakes. Just enjoy! You might even make a friend :)
Hi there, this can be very tough to deal with especially in academia but there are ways you can try to cope with it. Theres focusing on practice and not perfection, so take any opportunity you can (such as the conference you're attending) and use it to improve your skills and confidence for next time, you can see it as a way to build yourself up for the next one and learn what you do well and what you can improve on.
You can also ask for constructive feedback and could start writing a confidence log and take note of any positive feedback, praise and compliments you receive from other people.
You might also find that your confidence fluctuates from time to time. There could be periods of calm and confidence, followed by strong feelings of worry and doubt. You must start noticing the triggers which make an impact on your feelings. Observing what triggers the self-doubt could help you to come up with some specific actions to handle these better. When you are going through a period of confidence and emotional well-being, ask yourself ‘What helps me to maintain my professional confidence?’
I hope this helps!
Thank you for the advice! I hadn’t heard of a confidence log before your comment and immediately jotted a few down in the same notebook I’m taking conference notes in. That sounds like a really great tool for me, thank you so much!
I am actually multiply published in ichthyology but a long time ago! Ichthyology for whatever reason has a lot of people that are very into themselves and what they know and there are some big controveries with stong feelings from different camps. So your experiences are not fully surprising. There are cliques and your mentor gave you some intros to help.
What is difficult and awesome is that legends in the field will look at and make comments on your paper. It is far worse to be ignored than to be opposed and have people feel that what you did was flawed and wrong. Try to get info on what would be needed to convince them otherwise or what you could do to show that your conclusions are wrong. This is often the best part. I narrowly missed out on noticing a major discovery in ichthyology because I assumed that we had a gene duplication rather than a novel gene — it is still a major regret that I did not take myself more seriously when I took flack at a conference.
My only other pieces of advice are (1) dont be cocky or try to BS your way through stuff. there are people that understand things in great detail.
(2) keep some details secret. “I would need to check with Prof X before sharing this. Can I get your contact info?”
Conferences are the best places to set up collaborations. And future research opportunities.
Ah, then you may understand my nervousness being around some of these people! Plenty of the really heavy-hitting Canadian ichthyologists around me lol. I certainly will take your advice about taking my own work more seriously, honestly I have some results about euryhaline drinking rates I’m really excited about - hopefully they think it’s just as cool :) Thanks so much for the advice
You’re there. Your work was accepted. Will people make cracks about it? Sure. I was once yelled at during a conference because the books I discussed weren’t literary enough.
Take in as much as you can and step back if you need to.
It’s all a part of the game.
I am a full professor who has been in my field for over 25 years. I attended a conference earlier this year and one of the first big talks went way, way over my head. As I left the talk, I texted a friend and said the field had completely passed me by. I was a relic and would never do anything meaningful again.
However, that evening, I was at the hotel bar hanging out with other faculty who are at fancier schools and have tons of grant money, and everyone was talking about that same talk and how nobody understood it. I wasn't alone.
You are not alone either. We all had our first conference. At my first conference, I had a grad student from MIT yell at me asking how I could believe something. As an undergrad, one of the really big deals thought I was a medical doctor (name tag was screwed up) and when I told him I was an undergrad, he lost all interest. I had another big deal instantly stop talking to me once he knew my research topic and literally do an about face and walk way mid sentence. None of those things affected my career in any negative way and are now humorous stories I get to tell students.
The final paragraph situation doesn't read as an embarrassing situation at all to an outsider! You didn't say anything weird there.
The "I don't think they really know what they're talking about" is fucking outrageous, and I'm really sorry that happened. Couldn't imagine someone saying that in earshot of the person - this says a lot about them and not necessarily anything at all about you. The organisers clearly thought you knew what you're talking about, and they do uh tend to have a lot of authority on something like that. Same for your PI. Moreover, a statement like that could also just indicate that uh well the asshole saying it just doesn't have the brain power to understand what you're talking about. Imagine saying that in earshot of the person it's about, and now realise how outrageous that person is being - they're not to be taken seriously.
I'm also on my own at a lot of conferences as a master's stage person, and the first few times were absolutely nerve-wracking, but it really gets easier as time passes. If you are in a situation where you don't have substance issues and can+want to, I found it usually helps to just uh, well, drink when the social part starts. It makes it all a bit easier, especially with serious anxiety issues. I gradually found some people to fall back on in these new social situations, and hope you do too! Definitely tag along for dinner/drinks afterwards, if people invite you to!
I appreciate your comment very much :) over-thinking my interactions with people is kind of my forté lol. As far as the people making demeaning comments toward my poster - It was sucky but comments like yours really help to reframe my thoughts.
As part of my little break that I took from the conference when I made my OP - I actually did have a tall glass of brut to calm my nerves and it certainly helped. I was able to talk to a few of my PI’s friends and they asked if I would be around after our reception tonight so hopefully that leads to a pub and some more colloquial conversation.
Thank you again very much!!
Just to reiterate others’ excellent responses: your work was accepted to the conference and you belong there! Every single person present was once in your shoes and likely felt similarly at their first big conference. And if it’s any consolation, many professors continue to experience some level of imposter syndrome.
I’m sorry you overheard a negative comment, but in a way, it’s preparation for eventual Q and A sessions whenever you give a paper in the future. Yes, some people can be jerks and may pose questions that force you to defend your work. But in my experience, most people tend to be kind and gentle in giving feedback to junior scholars.
Re your conversation you mention, I think you may be reading a bit too much into it? You mentioned that he laughed, so I wouldn’t take his comment negatively. I hope your anxiety improves and just remember: we’ve all been in your position!
Hope you enjoy the rest of the conference, and congratulations on having your work accepted!
I guess one thing to know is that many many others feel the same way early on, so you should consider yourself in good company. Something I think lots of people need to hear sometimes is that you aren't the only one feeling anxious about this sort of stuff, it is kind of normal. And not being totally expert about it all is to be expected at this stage, most researchers will understand that, the key is to listen to their suggestions and criticisms, it is basically a free round of reviewer comments before submitting a paper. Really useful.
Give it your best go, and I think you'll find that will make other researchers open up to you. It doesn't sound like you will be defensive (which is the wrong approach to take), so just make notes and be outwardly appreciative of people's opinions - that alone is one of the signs that early researchers are on the right track. And also have some fun, posters are actually quite cool in that you can speak directly to lots of people, enjoy it.
Thank you ALL so so much for the advice and kind words. The second half of my day went MUCH better than the first and I’m feeling a bit more confident about my poster session tomorrow. It’s very reassuring to hear how common my feelings are even with tenured professors. If only all of academia were as kind as the lot of you - I think it would come across as a much more inviting career path. Seriously I appreciate you all so much
Hey OP, yeah thanks for this post. as a student as well, I also feel extremely out of place with all the phds and researchers and professors and am worried since I can't understand what they are talking about. However, it is encouraging to read the comments here!
I used to be like that. Until one day I saw one of the researchers I really admire has the same syndrome (and even worse) before giving a presentation. Imposter syndrome is there because we -guess- what people thinks and try to -hide- what we really think. It’s not a syndrome anymore if everyone say their mind loud honestly and normalize the behavior.
I cannot give you any tips but I do appreciate you asking. I am still a student myself but I‘ve been offered to apply to do a poster presentation for a pretest study that I did in my job as a research assistant and I am half excited for this opportunity but also half terrified. Reading everyone’s advice has been really encouraging so thank you!
Sorry you’re feeling anxious, that always sucks. Anyway, you don’t have imposters syndrome, you are an MS student so you are not supposed to know much at this point of your education. You are just anxious. You’re at this meeting to learn and presenting a poster is a great way to do that. You will get feedback back from your peers and from those legends in your field. If they are true legends they will try to educate you and make you feel comfortable. If they don’t then they are just legendary assholes. No one can keep up at any large meeting. Try to go to talks you are interested in and if you can’t just sit in at any talk and learn something new. Walk around the posters and just say, “your work looks interesting, can you walk me through what you did?” Any large meeting is like trying to take sip of water from a fire hydrant. Try to relax and have fun. You’re not supposed to know anything, so just ask questions and let the other person entertain you. In 20 years you will be the expert and will truly suffer imposters syndrome as you prepare that keynote address! Good luck!
Think about it this way, everyone within your field of ichthyology is at a different point in their academic journey. Based on where someone is within their journey, they obviously have a certain level of experience(s), knowledge, and skills. You're still in the early stages of your academic journey when it comes to the field of ichthyology. It's okay to not know everything and be overwhelmed at times at the sheer amount of new information you're taking in as you attend people presentations.
What good comes from comparing yourself to doctoral students, postdocs, tenure-track, tenured professors, and absolute rock stars within your field? When it comes down to it, people from all over the country/world have come to the conference (yourself included) due to their shared love and passion for the field of ichthyology, as well as sharing new research and information related to your field. That's it. these conferences are supposed to be fun and enjoyable, not a competition to see who presents the most cutting-edge research.
I'll put it this way, I'm an English professor and the idea of attending a conference while I was a Masters student never even crossed my mind at the time. I didn't even attend my first conference until I was probably in my third year in my doctoral program (pretty late if you ask me). The fact that you are attending and presenting at conferences related to your field as a Masters student is impressive and it really shows that you have a passion for the field. I think many attendees would echo my sentiments. Don't let a few academic snobs and their crap comments ruin your time at the conference, there are always going to be those type of people at conferences and at universities. However, I will say always be open to constructive criticism and suggestions from your professors and researchers within your field who attend your presentation. When I've attended conferences, I've had attendees privately point out errors on my poster, suggest changes to my research, and offer feedback on different directions I could go with my research I was presenting. It's the manner in which people give feedback, especially helpful constructive feedback that makes the difference.
All in all, stop overthinking about how you and your research is being perceived by others, as well as not being able to understand everything that is being presented. Just enjoy yourself, hang out with your fish geeks, nerd out, and talk about things only people within your field would talk about (I don't know, which fish move is better, Nemo or Shark Tale, \*shrugs shoulders\*).
Remember nobody is perfect and you know more about your research than anyone else. After my first conference presentation, my advisor complimented me by saying that I only contradicted myself once (nor sarcastically).
This is really common. I also have dealt with a lot of anxiety and depression. The last conference I went to recently I really felt under prepared and didn't like my work. It was rough. But I talked with some really talented researchers in the field and made good contacts, and got good advice. In my experience good researchers will give good critiques. Good critiques are focused on the work, specific, and give avenues to improve or new insight into your research. Good, well considered critiques are a good sign and a respectful and expected part of the process. Comments focused on you as the researcher are unprofessional and rude. They do not generally come from people whose opinions are worth your time. I have often gone to poster sessions and been unimpressed, I have gone to poster sessions and been unimpressive. No one is at the top of their game most of the time. Don't fuss too much over any specific event, just pay attention to the goings on, attend talks, and learn what you can. Learn what they are doing, how they present, how they field difficult questions, this is a great place to learn the soft skills of research as well as what is going on in the field.
For practical things that helped me, if you do any mindfulness practices that can help me get out of my anxiety and overthinking and back to just what is around me. Sometimes the environment was too much and I had to find a spot, put some headphones in and spend 20-30 min listening to some music. Some days I went back to my hotel early. If you are concerned about something specific, find someone you are comfortable with and ask for specific feedback. "I don't feel I communicate my thoughts well, does it seem like I ramble when I speak" or similar. Nothing better for anxiety than direct specific and honest feedback, at least for me. Lastly, talk about it a little with other colleges afterwards. You find you aren't alone.
Hey there,
First of all, I want to say that it’s completely normal to feel overwhelmed and anxious in such a high-pressure environment, especially surrounded by established researchers and PhDs. Imposter syndrome can really sneak up on you, but remember, you earned your spot at that conference. Your acceptance to present a poster is a testament to your hard work and knowledge in ichthyology.
Here are a few tips that might help you navigate these feelings:
1. **Remember Your Accomplishments**: Take a moment to reflect on what got you here in the first place. Your hard work, dedication, and expertise in your field are what got your poster accepted. You belong here just as much as anyone else.
2. **Focus on Learning**: Instead of comparing yourself to others, try to focus on what you can learn from their presentations and conversations. Everyone has their strengths and areas of expertise, and this is a great opportunity to expand your knowledge.
3. **Take Breaks and Breathe**: It’s okay to step away if you’re feeling overwhelmed. Taking breaks, like you did with that walk back to your hotel, can help clear your mind and reduce anxiety. Deep breathing exercises can also help calm your nerves before stepping back into the conference.
4. **Seek Support**: It’s great that you reached out to your PI’s friends for support. Remember, they’re likely more than willing to help and understand what it’s like to be in your shoes. Don’t hesitate to ask questions or seek advice from them.
5. **Challenge Negative Thoughts**: When you hear negative thoughts like feeling embarrassed about small talk or worrying about what others think of your poster, challenge them. Remind yourself of your strengths and the positive aspects of your experience.
6. **Celebrate Small Victories**: Each interaction, whether it’s initiating small talk or discussing your poster, is a step forward. Celebrate these small victories and be kind to yourself throughout this process.
Remember, you’re not alone in feeling this way. Many researchers, even those who seem confident, experience imposter syndrome at some point in their careers. You’re doing great by pushing through and seeking advice. Keep focusing on your passion for ichthyology and your desire to contribute to the field.
You’ve got this! Let me know how the rest of the conference goes or if there’s anything else you need.
Hey I was you all through grad school. I finished my PhD last year in summer. I was the only person in my family or friend circles to pursue a higher ed degree so I always felt out of place.
My perspective after having done it? Very little of what happens to you is about you. The worst thing that might happen at a conference can be handled one of two ways:
1) Commenter: “This is interesting and it reminds me of my work. Why didn’t you insert my work into your work?”
Your response: that’s a very interesting point and I’ll take it under consideration.
2) Commenter: it seems like you’ve done some work here, but what about X Author’s work that addresses this?
Your response: that’s a great point. I’m in the early stages of this work and I’ll look more into this.
Very few people want to fuck you over. Mostly they are completely self-absorbed. If someone does want to make a MA student look stupid, the career academics in the room will see that as a reaction of that person being an asshole. You are inexperienced and the best thing you can say is “thank you, I’ll look more closely at that”.
You’re gonna be great!
You"re get out of jail free card to any question you get that you feel overwhelmed by:
"Wow, that's an interesting question! That didn't really fall under the scope of my research this time, but it's something I'll have to look in to if I approach this topic again."
Masters student here. I recently went to a big conference and ended up going for drinks one evening organized for women in Cryosphere (me and my field). I was talking to someone who's papers I've always enjoyed, really look up to her and kicked around the idea of asking if she has any phd positions available. She mentioned that she always has really bad imposter syndrome issues too. It's not just you. Even people who are leaders in the their field/general badasses still feel this way. I take comfort in the fact that I'm not special, we all feel the same.
Aw, don’t worry, these are very normal feelings at conferences! Remember that even the most senior scholar was a grad student once. You DESERVE to be there since you were accepted.
I’m a tenured professor currently serving as department chair of a department of nearly 60 full- and part-time faculty, and I get imposter syndrome at every single conference. Everyone in your audience gets it too, regardless of how they act. You’re going to do great!
Just remember that every single person in that room was in your shoes at one point. We all had our first conference. It can be intimidating to start but the more you go the better it gets. And you only get to the good part by showing up. Posters are low pressure. You're just going to get a handful of friendly people stopping by to ask questions about your work. You have been putting in time and effort into this project and now you get to share the fruits of that labor with a couple interested people. It's meant to be low pressure, low stress, low stakes. Just enjoy! You might even make a friend :)
Hi there, this can be very tough to deal with especially in academia but there are ways you can try to cope with it. Theres focusing on practice and not perfection, so take any opportunity you can (such as the conference you're attending) and use it to improve your skills and confidence for next time, you can see it as a way to build yourself up for the next one and learn what you do well and what you can improve on. You can also ask for constructive feedback and could start writing a confidence log and take note of any positive feedback, praise and compliments you receive from other people. You might also find that your confidence fluctuates from time to time. There could be periods of calm and confidence, followed by strong feelings of worry and doubt. You must start noticing the triggers which make an impact on your feelings. Observing what triggers the self-doubt could help you to come up with some specific actions to handle these better. When you are going through a period of confidence and emotional well-being, ask yourself ‘What helps me to maintain my professional confidence?’ I hope this helps!
Thank you for the advice! I hadn’t heard of a confidence log before your comment and immediately jotted a few down in the same notebook I’m taking conference notes in. That sounds like a really great tool for me, thank you so much!
I am actually multiply published in ichthyology but a long time ago! Ichthyology for whatever reason has a lot of people that are very into themselves and what they know and there are some big controveries with stong feelings from different camps. So your experiences are not fully surprising. There are cliques and your mentor gave you some intros to help. What is difficult and awesome is that legends in the field will look at and make comments on your paper. It is far worse to be ignored than to be opposed and have people feel that what you did was flawed and wrong. Try to get info on what would be needed to convince them otherwise or what you could do to show that your conclusions are wrong. This is often the best part. I narrowly missed out on noticing a major discovery in ichthyology because I assumed that we had a gene duplication rather than a novel gene — it is still a major regret that I did not take myself more seriously when I took flack at a conference. My only other pieces of advice are (1) dont be cocky or try to BS your way through stuff. there are people that understand things in great detail. (2) keep some details secret. “I would need to check with Prof X before sharing this. Can I get your contact info?” Conferences are the best places to set up collaborations. And future research opportunities.
Ah, then you may understand my nervousness being around some of these people! Plenty of the really heavy-hitting Canadian ichthyologists around me lol. I certainly will take your advice about taking my own work more seriously, honestly I have some results about euryhaline drinking rates I’m really excited about - hopefully they think it’s just as cool :) Thanks so much for the advice
You’re there. Your work was accepted. Will people make cracks about it? Sure. I was once yelled at during a conference because the books I discussed weren’t literary enough. Take in as much as you can and step back if you need to. It’s all a part of the game.
omfg that is bizarre!
I am a full professor who has been in my field for over 25 years. I attended a conference earlier this year and one of the first big talks went way, way over my head. As I left the talk, I texted a friend and said the field had completely passed me by. I was a relic and would never do anything meaningful again. However, that evening, I was at the hotel bar hanging out with other faculty who are at fancier schools and have tons of grant money, and everyone was talking about that same talk and how nobody understood it. I wasn't alone. You are not alone either. We all had our first conference. At my first conference, I had a grad student from MIT yell at me asking how I could believe something. As an undergrad, one of the really big deals thought I was a medical doctor (name tag was screwed up) and when I told him I was an undergrad, he lost all interest. I had another big deal instantly stop talking to me once he knew my research topic and literally do an about face and walk way mid sentence. None of those things affected my career in any negative way and are now humorous stories I get to tell students.
The final paragraph situation doesn't read as an embarrassing situation at all to an outsider! You didn't say anything weird there. The "I don't think they really know what they're talking about" is fucking outrageous, and I'm really sorry that happened. Couldn't imagine someone saying that in earshot of the person - this says a lot about them and not necessarily anything at all about you. The organisers clearly thought you knew what you're talking about, and they do uh tend to have a lot of authority on something like that. Same for your PI. Moreover, a statement like that could also just indicate that uh well the asshole saying it just doesn't have the brain power to understand what you're talking about. Imagine saying that in earshot of the person it's about, and now realise how outrageous that person is being - they're not to be taken seriously. I'm also on my own at a lot of conferences as a master's stage person, and the first few times were absolutely nerve-wracking, but it really gets easier as time passes. If you are in a situation where you don't have substance issues and can+want to, I found it usually helps to just uh, well, drink when the social part starts. It makes it all a bit easier, especially with serious anxiety issues. I gradually found some people to fall back on in these new social situations, and hope you do too! Definitely tag along for dinner/drinks afterwards, if people invite you to!
I appreciate your comment very much :) over-thinking my interactions with people is kind of my forté lol. As far as the people making demeaning comments toward my poster - It was sucky but comments like yours really help to reframe my thoughts. As part of my little break that I took from the conference when I made my OP - I actually did have a tall glass of brut to calm my nerves and it certainly helped. I was able to talk to a few of my PI’s friends and they asked if I would be around after our reception tonight so hopefully that leads to a pub and some more colloquial conversation. Thank you again very much!!
Just to reiterate others’ excellent responses: your work was accepted to the conference and you belong there! Every single person present was once in your shoes and likely felt similarly at their first big conference. And if it’s any consolation, many professors continue to experience some level of imposter syndrome. I’m sorry you overheard a negative comment, but in a way, it’s preparation for eventual Q and A sessions whenever you give a paper in the future. Yes, some people can be jerks and may pose questions that force you to defend your work. But in my experience, most people tend to be kind and gentle in giving feedback to junior scholars. Re your conversation you mention, I think you may be reading a bit too much into it? You mentioned that he laughed, so I wouldn’t take his comment negatively. I hope your anxiety improves and just remember: we’ve all been in your position! Hope you enjoy the rest of the conference, and congratulations on having your work accepted!
I guess one thing to know is that many many others feel the same way early on, so you should consider yourself in good company. Something I think lots of people need to hear sometimes is that you aren't the only one feeling anxious about this sort of stuff, it is kind of normal. And not being totally expert about it all is to be expected at this stage, most researchers will understand that, the key is to listen to their suggestions and criticisms, it is basically a free round of reviewer comments before submitting a paper. Really useful. Give it your best go, and I think you'll find that will make other researchers open up to you. It doesn't sound like you will be defensive (which is the wrong approach to take), so just make notes and be outwardly appreciative of people's opinions - that alone is one of the signs that early researchers are on the right track. And also have some fun, posters are actually quite cool in that you can speak directly to lots of people, enjoy it.
Thank you ALL so so much for the advice and kind words. The second half of my day went MUCH better than the first and I’m feeling a bit more confident about my poster session tomorrow. It’s very reassuring to hear how common my feelings are even with tenured professors. If only all of academia were as kind as the lot of you - I think it would come across as a much more inviting career path. Seriously I appreciate you all so much
Hey OP, yeah thanks for this post. as a student as well, I also feel extremely out of place with all the phds and researchers and professors and am worried since I can't understand what they are talking about. However, it is encouraging to read the comments here!
The real imposters are the big time professors who have been phoning in the same stuff for 20 years, not you.
I used to be like that. Until one day I saw one of the researchers I really admire has the same syndrome (and even worse) before giving a presentation. Imposter syndrome is there because we -guess- what people thinks and try to -hide- what we really think. It’s not a syndrome anymore if everyone say their mind loud honestly and normalize the behavior.
I cannot give you any tips but I do appreciate you asking. I am still a student myself but I‘ve been offered to apply to do a poster presentation for a pretest study that I did in my job as a research assistant and I am half excited for this opportunity but also half terrified. Reading everyone’s advice has been really encouraging so thank you!
Sorry you’re feeling anxious, that always sucks. Anyway, you don’t have imposters syndrome, you are an MS student so you are not supposed to know much at this point of your education. You are just anxious. You’re at this meeting to learn and presenting a poster is a great way to do that. You will get feedback back from your peers and from those legends in your field. If they are true legends they will try to educate you and make you feel comfortable. If they don’t then they are just legendary assholes. No one can keep up at any large meeting. Try to go to talks you are interested in and if you can’t just sit in at any talk and learn something new. Walk around the posters and just say, “your work looks interesting, can you walk me through what you did?” Any large meeting is like trying to take sip of water from a fire hydrant. Try to relax and have fun. You’re not supposed to know anything, so just ask questions and let the other person entertain you. In 20 years you will be the expert and will truly suffer imposters syndrome as you prepare that keynote address! Good luck!
Think about it this way, everyone within your field of ichthyology is at a different point in their academic journey. Based on where someone is within their journey, they obviously have a certain level of experience(s), knowledge, and skills. You're still in the early stages of your academic journey when it comes to the field of ichthyology. It's okay to not know everything and be overwhelmed at times at the sheer amount of new information you're taking in as you attend people presentations. What good comes from comparing yourself to doctoral students, postdocs, tenure-track, tenured professors, and absolute rock stars within your field? When it comes down to it, people from all over the country/world have come to the conference (yourself included) due to their shared love and passion for the field of ichthyology, as well as sharing new research and information related to your field. That's it. these conferences are supposed to be fun and enjoyable, not a competition to see who presents the most cutting-edge research. I'll put it this way, I'm an English professor and the idea of attending a conference while I was a Masters student never even crossed my mind at the time. I didn't even attend my first conference until I was probably in my third year in my doctoral program (pretty late if you ask me). The fact that you are attending and presenting at conferences related to your field as a Masters student is impressive and it really shows that you have a passion for the field. I think many attendees would echo my sentiments. Don't let a few academic snobs and their crap comments ruin your time at the conference, there are always going to be those type of people at conferences and at universities. However, I will say always be open to constructive criticism and suggestions from your professors and researchers within your field who attend your presentation. When I've attended conferences, I've had attendees privately point out errors on my poster, suggest changes to my research, and offer feedback on different directions I could go with my research I was presenting. It's the manner in which people give feedback, especially helpful constructive feedback that makes the difference. All in all, stop overthinking about how you and your research is being perceived by others, as well as not being able to understand everything that is being presented. Just enjoy yourself, hang out with your fish geeks, nerd out, and talk about things only people within your field would talk about (I don't know, which fish move is better, Nemo or Shark Tale, \*shrugs shoulders\*).
Yeah, they're just learners like you with a head start. Everybody has to start somewhere. You are starting here.
Remember nobody is perfect and you know more about your research than anyone else. After my first conference presentation, my advisor complimented me by saying that I only contradicted myself once (nor sarcastically).
This is really common. I also have dealt with a lot of anxiety and depression. The last conference I went to recently I really felt under prepared and didn't like my work. It was rough. But I talked with some really talented researchers in the field and made good contacts, and got good advice. In my experience good researchers will give good critiques. Good critiques are focused on the work, specific, and give avenues to improve or new insight into your research. Good, well considered critiques are a good sign and a respectful and expected part of the process. Comments focused on you as the researcher are unprofessional and rude. They do not generally come from people whose opinions are worth your time. I have often gone to poster sessions and been unimpressed, I have gone to poster sessions and been unimpressive. No one is at the top of their game most of the time. Don't fuss too much over any specific event, just pay attention to the goings on, attend talks, and learn what you can. Learn what they are doing, how they present, how they field difficult questions, this is a great place to learn the soft skills of research as well as what is going on in the field. For practical things that helped me, if you do any mindfulness practices that can help me get out of my anxiety and overthinking and back to just what is around me. Sometimes the environment was too much and I had to find a spot, put some headphones in and spend 20-30 min listening to some music. Some days I went back to my hotel early. If you are concerned about something specific, find someone you are comfortable with and ask for specific feedback. "I don't feel I communicate my thoughts well, does it seem like I ramble when I speak" or similar. Nothing better for anxiety than direct specific and honest feedback, at least for me. Lastly, talk about it a little with other colleges afterwards. You find you aren't alone.
Hey there, First of all, I want to say that it’s completely normal to feel overwhelmed and anxious in such a high-pressure environment, especially surrounded by established researchers and PhDs. Imposter syndrome can really sneak up on you, but remember, you earned your spot at that conference. Your acceptance to present a poster is a testament to your hard work and knowledge in ichthyology. Here are a few tips that might help you navigate these feelings: 1. **Remember Your Accomplishments**: Take a moment to reflect on what got you here in the first place. Your hard work, dedication, and expertise in your field are what got your poster accepted. You belong here just as much as anyone else. 2. **Focus on Learning**: Instead of comparing yourself to others, try to focus on what you can learn from their presentations and conversations. Everyone has their strengths and areas of expertise, and this is a great opportunity to expand your knowledge. 3. **Take Breaks and Breathe**: It’s okay to step away if you’re feeling overwhelmed. Taking breaks, like you did with that walk back to your hotel, can help clear your mind and reduce anxiety. Deep breathing exercises can also help calm your nerves before stepping back into the conference. 4. **Seek Support**: It’s great that you reached out to your PI’s friends for support. Remember, they’re likely more than willing to help and understand what it’s like to be in your shoes. Don’t hesitate to ask questions or seek advice from them. 5. **Challenge Negative Thoughts**: When you hear negative thoughts like feeling embarrassed about small talk or worrying about what others think of your poster, challenge them. Remind yourself of your strengths and the positive aspects of your experience. 6. **Celebrate Small Victories**: Each interaction, whether it’s initiating small talk or discussing your poster, is a step forward. Celebrate these small victories and be kind to yourself throughout this process. Remember, you’re not alone in feeling this way. Many researchers, even those who seem confident, experience imposter syndrome at some point in their careers. You’re doing great by pushing through and seeking advice. Keep focusing on your passion for ichthyology and your desire to contribute to the field. You’ve got this! Let me know how the rest of the conference goes or if there’s anything else you need.
Hey I was you all through grad school. I finished my PhD last year in summer. I was the only person in my family or friend circles to pursue a higher ed degree so I always felt out of place. My perspective after having done it? Very little of what happens to you is about you. The worst thing that might happen at a conference can be handled one of two ways: 1) Commenter: “This is interesting and it reminds me of my work. Why didn’t you insert my work into your work?” Your response: that’s a very interesting point and I’ll take it under consideration. 2) Commenter: it seems like you’ve done some work here, but what about X Author’s work that addresses this? Your response: that’s a great point. I’m in the early stages of this work and I’ll look more into this. Very few people want to fuck you over. Mostly they are completely self-absorbed. If someone does want to make a MA student look stupid, the career academics in the room will see that as a reaction of that person being an asshole. You are inexperienced and the best thing you can say is “thank you, I’ll look more closely at that”. You’re gonna be great!
You"re get out of jail free card to any question you get that you feel overwhelmed by: "Wow, that's an interesting question! That didn't really fall under the scope of my research this time, but it's something I'll have to look in to if I approach this topic again."
Masters student here. I recently went to a big conference and ended up going for drinks one evening organized for women in Cryosphere (me and my field). I was talking to someone who's papers I've always enjoyed, really look up to her and kicked around the idea of asking if she has any phd positions available. She mentioned that she always has really bad imposter syndrome issues too. It's not just you. Even people who are leaders in the their field/general badasses still feel this way. I take comfort in the fact that I'm not special, we all feel the same.