Presenting at a Regional Conference for the 1st Time: Experience, Etiquette, and Tips

-By Alana Gregoire ’11, Psychology Content Tutor

What is it like to present at a regional conference for the first time? Prior to a month ago, I wouldn’t have had an answer. However,  I recently attended my first psychological conference. Dr. Vozzola and Professor Rondinone (two of our very fabulous psych professors here at SJC) encouraged me last fall to submit a proposal to the Eastern Psychological Association (EPA) to present my summer research findings. I was honored, but slightly intimidated. Prior to this experience, I had absolutely no idea what it was like to present at a regional conference. Of course, I wanted to do it, so submitted the proposal. As it turns out, I  was accepted. Unfortunately, no one from  SJC was able to make the conference this year.  It appeared as though I was on my own: embarking on new territory. In the end, I dragged my mother along to 81st Annual Meeting of the EPA at the Brooklyn Bridge Marriot. This is the deal: unless you happened to be a professional, key-note speaker, your research findings are presented in poster format. Basically, what that means, is that they reserve a large spot on a portable wall for you to hang up your poster. The poster is essentially an out-lined version of your research (there are professional agencies that can help you make one). Poster sessions last approximately an hour and a half, in which you are expected to stand by your poster and answer questions as people walk by.

The EPA Experience

As it happens, my time slot was the first “session” of the weekend; Saturday morning from 9-10:30 a.m. Thus, while my mother finished putting on her make-up, I proceeded down the elevator alone (not quite knowing what to expect) into a large room with many isles composed of posters tacked on portable walls. The posters weren’t just student posters either; professors and professional researchers were there to share their findings as well. Furthermore, many of the presenters were in groups of 2 or more, and there I was; little undergraduate me from a small private college. I must admit, initially I was a bit intimidated by the whole scene. After all, I really didn’t know what to expect. As soon as the clock hit 9 a.m.,  people began to approach my poster. I waited eagerly for their questions. I wasn’t exactly versed in conference etiquette, however.  In other words, I wasn’t sure if it was “appropriate” to speak to people about my research unless they asked a question. After all, it seemed rude to interrupt someone who appeared to be reading so intently. Unfortunately, the first couple of people who approached me failed to ask any questions. I recall thinking, there has to more than this. Why aren’t they asking any questions? Aren’t they interested in my research? It involves drugs: aren’t people interested in drug abuse? A few minutes later, I made an important observation. Rather then waiting patiently for people to “finish reading”, other presenters simply offered anyone who happened to approach them the option to be “walked through” the research. Finally, an ice-breaker! As soon as I adopted this method, things picked up. The awkward, academic silence lifted, and I found myself answering many questions. People were interested in my research. In an effort to save a future presenter 15 minutes of awkward uncertainty, I decided to share a few tips.

TIPS ON HOW TO HANDLE YOUR FIRST CONFERENCE

1. Familiarize yourself with (i.e., review) your research prior to the conference. That way, you will be prepared to answer any questions. This should increase your confidence level.

2. Don’t hesitate to offer to “walk spectators through your research”. It isn’t necessary to wait for people to ask questions first. Plus, it’s good practice to explain your research to fellow students and professionals in the field.

3. Bring hand-outs. Many people requested additional info regarding my research. In such cases, supplemental hand-outs and contact info can save the day. Plus, it will make you appear more experienced than you really are.

4. Don’t be afraid to peruse the room, and ask others about their research. Not only can this be interesting, it can be educational.

5. Network. Do not be afraid to make conversation and possible contacts with others in the field. These contacts may be beneficial in the future for both grad school or employment opportunities.

All in all, it was a great experience. Below is a sample abstract of the research I presented. After you read the abstract, I will “walk you through” my research.

The Effects of Negative and Positive Life Events on Substance Use Relapse

The present study examined the relationship between stressful life events, perceived stress, substance availability, and substance use cravings and/or relapse. Life events were categorized as negative or positive stressors. Participants included 44 opiate-addicted individuals enrolled in a methadone maintenance treatment facility. Results suggest a positive correlation between negative life events and substance use cravings and/or relapse. In addition, positive stressors may function as buffers against relapse.

-For those of you who are unfamiliar with methadone, it is synthetic opiate agonist used to treat heroin, oxycontin, and other chronic opiate addictions. As it happened, I had unusual access to this population.

- My primary objective was to examine the effect that perceived stress had on substance use relapse.

- Participants were administered a life-events checklist including 41 events that were categorized as either positive or negative stressors. Participants were instructed to rate on a 4-point scale “how stressful” they perceived each event that they had experienced within the past year, along with the effect that the event had on their recovery.

-”Effect on recovery” was also rated on a 4-point scale: 1=no effect, 2= wanted to use, but did not due to ‘willpower’, 3= wanted to use, but did not due to inability to access drugs or alcohol, 4 = used

- Results suggest that the nature of the stressor may play a more critical role than perceived stress in determining the likelihood of substance use relapse. For example, negative stressors such as “troubles at current place of residency” were associated with high levels of perceived stress and a high incidence of substance use cravings and/or relapse.

- Meanwhile, life events categorized as positive stressors perceived as highly stressful (i.e., “seeking employment” and “changes in work or school responsibilities”) may initially induce substance use cravings. In the end, however, such events were associated with a low incidence of substance use relapse.

-  In addition, positive stressors such as “going back to school” and “outstanding personal achievement” received variable stress ratings, but were associated primarily with either no desire to engage in substance use or a desire that was curbed due to “willpower”. These findings suggest that positive life events, regardless of the level of perceived stress, may function as buffers against relapse.

Answers to previously posted trivia!

Answer to A Chemistry Puzzle…:

It’s a Ferris wheel!

Get it? If not go check out a periodic table.

Answer to Chem 240 Thinking Questions:

These questions were concerned with protein. You may be a wee past this subject in class, but it never hurts to practice critical thinking for the final. So, why doesn’t your hair dissolve in the shower?

Substances that dissolve in water are soluble. Water is polar, so soluble stuff must be polar/charged. Think of what happens to NaCl when it dissolves in water as an example. Okay, hair is made out of protein. What kind of protein? Fibrous. What does this mean? What kind of R-groups are located on the exterior of fibrous polypeptides? Hydrophobic R-groups! Put the pieces together, and the solution is quite simple.  Hair exposed to water is composed of hydrophobic proteins. Hydrophobic substances do not mix with water, and therefore will not dissolve.

Moving on to the next question…what causes the characteristic shape of RBCs in Sickle Cell disease? The condition is caused by a mutation of hemoglobin within RBCs. A hydrophilic amino acid is replaced by valine, a hydrophobic alternative. Why would this be significant?

Hemoglobin is a globular protein.  Polypeptides that fall into this category tend to harbor hydrophilic amino acids on their exterior, while hydrophobic are located on the interior.  Valine certainly would not be happy if situated among hydrophilic neighbors. It would much rather dwell among other hydrophobic R-groups. This amino acid moves toward the interior to find a more favorable position thus causing the characteristic shape known as sickle-cell. A protein’s function is dependant on its shape. Sickle cell alters the conformation of hemoglobin, thus compromising the ability of RBCs to take up oxygen.   

Here’s a bit of genetics trivia related to the topic discussed above:

Sickle cell anemia primarily affects African-Americans. The disorder has persisted within Africa’s continent for centuries. Why has natural selection not driven the extinction of this phenotype? In other words, what potential advantage does anemia provide to people dwelling within this area?

 

Let the web be your tutor….

-Molly Reid, Chemistry Content Tutor           

I found a great website on the internet called Nobelprize.org. It’s split into the various Nobelprize categories such as physics, chemistry, medicine and literature. The website is full of games, simulations and videos as well as readings on topics specific to that area.

            I was particularly interested in the chemistry section since I am a content tutor for chemistry 170. One the games had to do with chirality and mirror images. It was a mix of pictures all with a match somewhere in the board that was either chiral or not and the point was to pick out the images (example being your hands) that were chiral molecules. There were 2 cartoon snails on the screen that would explain why the picture you chose was chiral or not.

            This is not the only website of its kind. The internet is full of tools and interesting ways to learn and understand topics from any subject. There are even cliffs notes for chemistry that summarize the major points of a single topic. Reaching out and accessing these other resources can be useful if you are struggling to understand something explained in class or in the book, and some of these sites get really creative in the way they approach topics so it’s worth a shot!

101 Great Books

College Board created a list of 101 great books to read for incoming college students. The list is by no means exhaustive, but it is a great resource for students looking for a solid foundation of classic texts to read. I had a good time going through the list and seeing how many of the books I’ve read over the years in high school, college or on my own (I thought 34 out of 101 wasn’t bad!!).

It really does help to have a background in a variety of different classic, scholarly yet enjoyable books - you can relate new readings to them, see patterns of tone, style and theme among different literary periods and refer back to the books in papers for your classes. Look through the list and see how many of the books you’ve read and consider adding a few of these books to your summer reading list!

College Board’s 101 Great Books: http://www.collegeboard.com/student/plan/boost-your-skills/23628.html

- Alyssa Chmura, English Content Tutor

How to Tackle a Political Science Class with Dr. Long

 

 -By Theresa Rametta ’10

            As a college student, you discover some major differences between High School teachers and College Professors—most notably, college Professors are often given more freedom with their teaching styles. This was a big transition for me, as it is for most students, and it is often something that you have to gradually adapt to in the College setting. When I was a freshman, I took my first Political Science class with Dr. Long, and it was with this class that solidified for me the transition from high school to college.

            My first class with him was at first a little scary, as his teaching style can sometimes be a difficult adjustment. Regardless, I knew I had to figure out a way to succeed in his classes, since I intended Political Science to be one of my minors. After practically bombing the first test and struggling with my first paper for him, I eventually discovered how to properly approach his classes. While it was a challenging adjustment, it was a valuable one because I knew that if I could adapt to that, I could adapt to any situation presented to me in the classroom. Since a lot of you have come to me for help with his classes, I’ll share with you some tricks and tips I learned along the way that I wish I had known for that first class.

• Note Taking. Since Dr. Long’s classes are usually primarily lecture based, effective note taking is absolutely key. When I say lecture, I don’t mean the traditional type wherein the professor accompanies it with PowerPoint or writing on the board—this is extremely rare in his classes.

 

His lectures are literally just that—lecture. Often times you won’t be able to write down every single word he says on paper, but don’t sweat it—just jot down the major thoughts and important words.  He talks fast and doesn’t usually pause very long between thoughts, so if you’re not a fast writer, tape recorders are often very helpful (you can pick one up for cheap at any WalMart, Target or the like).

Once you’ve recorded his lecture, then go through it later on and copy it into your notes. I find this extremely helpful because you’re more focused on his lecture in class, and re-listening to it later and copying down major points will help you memorize the material better. This will make studying for the exam much easier later on.

• Exams. Once you’ve figured out how to effectively take notes in class, the next challenging part is figuring out how to prepare for the exams. They are always short essay based, and he’ll usually ask you to answer 4 out of 6 or 6 out of 8, whichever ones you want. This is helpful because it gives you the opportunity to choose questions you feel more confident answering and leave the questions you’re not so confident out.

 

The good news is he always hands out a study guide with all the information he wants you to know for the exam, but I know these can be daunting. How do you do with this huge list of names/dates/events into something that will help you prepare for an exam?? The following are some steps I go through in order to prepare for the exam.

1. Usually, he will give you the study guide two weeks before the exam—this timing is crucial. Before the next class, you should go through the study guide with your notes/tape recordings and create your own study guide from this. While it may seem repetitive, but jotting every point down in detail will help you remember the information, and he wants exactly what he said (or as close to it as possible) as an answer on the exam. Often there will be pieces of information on the study guide that you’re missing in your notes, but don’t panic—you have time to ask!

 

1. In most cases, he will reserve half or more of the next class meeting to review the study guide and answer any questions you have about the exam. This is your chance to fill in any blanks you have on your study guide—jot down his answer word for word and/or record it, and you’ve got yourself the answer for the exam.

 

In rare cases, he will give you the study guide the week before the exam. This is not an ideal situation, but there are ways of dealing with it. Go through the study guide as you would in step 1, but in this case, it is up to you to e-mail him yourself with anything you’re missing from the study guide. If you’re only missing one or two small pieces of information, he’ll usually answer it via e-mail, however, if they are more complicated questions, you’ll probably have to arrange for an office visit so he can go over the information with you verbally.

1. Once you have a completed study guide, review it over and over as you would study for any other exam. While everyone has a different study method, I find it helps me to re-write the study guide over and over, and sometimes making flash cards can also be helpful.

 

The most important thing to remember about taking an exam with Dr. Long is that he doesn’t like fluff—answer the question at hand succinctly because if you try to incorporate more information than necessary, you run the risk of getting a piece of that answer wrong, which he will mark you off for. Some of his essay questions can literally be answered in one or two sentences, but other times certain questions require greater depth.

• Papers and other projects. What he expects for exams is pretty much what he will expect for a paper—no fluff. He will however expect a bit more in terms of fluidity and clarity of expression. In some classes, usually in International Politics, he will assign a journal project. Most of the time, he requires you to pick one newspaper article per week and write a short, one page write up about it and how it relates to the topics you’ve discussed in class. The same to-the-point writing applies, but my other piece of advice is this: don’t wait until the last minute to gather newspaper articles, because you’ll never get it done on time and you won’t have the same quality to your work, and it will show! It is so much easier to do one article per week, and it will result in a better project overall.

 

 

Overall, Dr. Long is a great example of one of many different teaching styles you will run into and have to adapt to throughout your college experience. While his classes can be intimidating at first, they are extremely helpful to those interested in political science and foreign affairs, and the knowledge you gain from them is extremely valuable. My classes with him have been a good way to expand my horizons and get a greater variety of opinion and information from various political spectrums, making me a more well-rounded student in general. I hope that the techniques I have shared with you will help you be more successful in his classes. Best of luck!