So last week I was busy trying to finish up my Poster for SERMACS (South Eastern Regional Meeting of the American Chemical Society) which I why I was super MIA!!!! I literally had my poster printed at 3pm Tuesday, and I left for Atlanta at 7:30pm. Let's talk about cutting it close!

So now onto the College Advice for this week--- Head to a conference any chance that you get!

Here are my five reasons why I believe heading to a conference is a great idea!

1. You get away from school, and the school pays for you to go- WIN AND WIN! Now getting away from school for educational purposes is considered excused absences, so no strikes on your attendance. As for having your trip paid for, I know for schools that I went with, as long as I presented I get reimbursed for it! Now the best part is, WCU doesn't require receipts they just give me money based on the days that I was there. This means that my 'extracurriculars' (aka the BAR) is all covered! Even bigger WIN.

2. You get to go out with Professors and students in a setting that probably wouldn't happen at school. Having a drink with a professor was on my to-do list before finishing college, weird I know but don't hate on my goals. Also going out with friends in a new town is always exciting!

3. You meet people in your field that could: give you advice on your project, advice on grad schools (or trying to get you to apply for your group),  possible collaboration work, or potential job opportunities. Going to a conference with people who do the same thing as you, gives you so many opportunities for your future, so take advantage of it.

4. Conferences look great on your Resume, and the better your Resume seems, the more people will consider you for jobs, awards, or school. And no matter how small the conference, it still goes on there and looks fantastic!

5. You get tons of free stuff! So in case you don't know I am a chem student, so at chemistry conferences, they give away nerdy stuff (NMR Tubes, periodic tables, sticky note pads, etc.). Now yes you may be saying that shit sucks, but us nerds love it all! And you can never have too many sticky notes! But for a non-nerdy conference I know a couple of Interior Design students who headed to a showcase a few weeks ago, they got some AMAZING reusable bags, like 5 or more of them.