Computer science is one of the most developing subjects in today’s era and continuous developments are being made in the field daily. One of the best ways by which you can come to know about these developments is by attending the conferences held on the subject. Every year loads of conferences are being held around the world on computer science, which, apart from making you knowledgeable, also provides you with an opportunity to share your findings with the world or to discuss the raging problems of the computer science industry with your equals so that you can come up with a probable solution to it. Ok! So now you know that your career is going to benefit a lot from the conferences, but the real question is: how will you prepare yourself for a conference on computer science so that you get maximum benefit out of it? In this article we will provide you with some basic tips which will help you to be ready for such a conference.
- Getting Thorough Knowledge: The primary job you need to do in order to get prepared for a conference on computer science is to get a thorough knowledge about the topic of the conference. Since computer science is a vast subject, so you have to be well versed on the conference topic in order to grasp it fully. Get to know about the topic of the conference well before hand and study it. This will provide you with insights as well as doubts which you can clarify with the pioneers who will be speaking at the conferences.
- Paper Writing: Once you have selected a conference which you intend to visit and you are thorough with the topics and rules and regulations, it is now time to sit down and write your paper which you will be presenting at the conference. Select a topic which you are comfortable with (preferably the one you are researching on). It is best to write it well ahead and get it checked so that you can present a flawless paper in front of the audience. Make sure that your paper is short, crisp and filled with data which are relevant to the project you are doing. Lengthy papers often bore people.
- Presentation: The next big job is to prepare your presentation. This is a bit tough as you have to make it responsive and engrossing so as to capture the complete attention of the audience. As it is a conference on computer science that you are preparing for, so your presentation should include the data that your research has provided you with, in the form of charts and graphs so that the people understand it better. Also, it is best to include around two to three slides per minute of your talk.
- Preparing for Speech: Along with the presentation you also have to give a speech to explain the data that you have provided on your slide show. This is not an easy job because speaking in front of such a big audience can be quite stressful. It is thus best to write down the speech and practice it multiple times so that you are at complete ease and very fluent with the same. This will provide you with the confidence to speak and give an awesome presentation.
- Be Confident: When you are presenting your paper or facing questions of the audience, always keep in mind that you are the pioneer of your paper and no one knows it better than you. Answer your questions or give the presentation with confidence. It may so happen that you are not knowledgeable about certain aspects. In such cases do not be afraid of the situation. Just politely say that you will get back to them at the end of the whole presentation.
- Workshops: Workshops are a must visit in the computer science conferences as they display the upcoming technologies. So plan to visit the workshops or even better, participate in one. Keep a pen and paper in handy, so that you can jot down the ones which left an impression on you along with the contact details of the presenter so that you can catch up later to discuss the ideas. If you are visiting on behalf of your company, this is an opportunity to gain some plus points, as the workshops could contribute to your company’s developments.
- Job Opportunities: Computer science is the largest growing industry of the recent times. Hence, it is quite obvious that it has some major job opportunity. When you visit a computer science conference, be sure to carry your resume and if possible some business cards which you can hand out to people you are interested in working with or who may be interested in working with you or your project. Before visiting the conference, check out the companies which will be visiting it so that you can prepare yourself accordingly.
- Have Fun: Computer science is one of the most fun and interesting subjects which leaves a lot of room for experimentations. Similarly the computer science conferences are a lot of fun to attend too. If you really want to learn from the conference, the key is to have fun. Getting too serious with the conference will stress you out and you will end up not gaining anything from it. Pay attention to the speeches made by the keynote speakers. This will help you think with a new perspective toward a certain problem you might be facing and thus you may even come up with a solution to it.
We know there’s a lot more than just the above tips when it comes to preparing for a conference. However, this should provide you with a head start so that you can concentrate more on the vital aspects of preparation and also to guide you in the process. We hope you extract maximum benefit out of the process.