Reasons to Attend Conferences as Early as Now

With a lot of information that you can access right at your fingertips, you might think that attending a conference seems like a waste of time. After all, why would you need to travel if practically everything you need is just a Google away? 

Here’s the thing.  You have to change your mindset right this very moment. As early as now, you must attend various conferences and get the benefits sooner than you thought. 

Start Building Your Professional Network

This is already a given but it’s worth reiterating that conferences can help you connect with different people. You can even join in the round table discussions if approaching random people seems overwhelming. 

When you attend conferences, it is not only like-minded people that you are likely to meet. Even the industry leaders and authorities are there. Most likely, they will conduct talks. And if you are lucky enough, you can meet them in person. This brings us to our next point.  

Get Inspiration

Meeting the BIG names in the industry and hearing their stories is more than enough to get motivated and to be inspired. You get to learn from the successes and even failures. These things cannot be learned within the confinements of the classroom. Even if at some point you get to watch them online, nothing beats being just meters away from them and hearing their stories first-hand. 

Learn the Latest Research and Tools 

Here’s a fact. Most books that we are using today have been published years ago. And with all the changes and technology, some of the information might be obsolete. 

Usually, the first avenue to hear updates would be from conferences and conventions. And if you are there, you can get ahead of the competition. You have advanced knowledge of what things could be in the future and you can leverage on that as you apply for jobs. Simply put, you can refine your knowledge just by going to conferences.  

It’s a Different Learning Experience 

When you are in college, you would often take lessons inside the classroom. If you have an online course, most likely you are taking it at home. Over time, it gets repetitive and boring. Going to big events and conferences is another way you can learn and could be a break from your routine. 

In addition, there are several side activities that you can join like workshops. These are interactive and perfect if you’ve been drowning yourself in books and reports.  

Conferences are Your Investments   

Many people are discouraged to attend conferences because of the fee. To begin with, not all events require payment. But if you stumble upon one that you need to pay for, try to assess if it is worth it. 

Look at the list of activities and even the speakers. Perhaps, the learnings and experience you’d get from it are highly exclusive. And with that, you are putting more value on yourself. Apparently, this fosters personal growth, and once again, you can use it to your advantage while job hunting. In fact, you can always include these in your CV. 

Discover Yourself More 

Going to social events is another brilliant way to know yourself further. The more you expose yourself, the more you get to understand what you want, your strengths, and even your weaknesses. And from there, you can work on your shortcomings and be prepared once you step out of the university. 

Showcase Yourself and Your Work 

At conferences, you can also take the opportunity to introduce yourself to the industry. Perhaps you have written a research paper that could help a current study. Or maybe you have amazing art skills. Events and conferences could be a great venue to show it. 

If there are options to become a keynote speaker, then submit the requirements. Who knows if you will get accepted? If not, you can still go as a participant and talk to as many people as you can.    

If you are in college, we understand that your schedule might be filled with reports and study sessions. But you can always choose the best conferences according to your preference. It doesn’t have to be every week. If you can attend one every quarter, that’s a good start. It’s a great occasion that you shouldn’t miss while you are still studying.