Southwest PCA, Anyone going?

[iExcelAtMicrosoftPuns]

Exchange notes?
Split a car rental?
Gossip about, "omg I can't believe he wore that" ?

I'm in and it looks like I'll get funding.

[KGB]

I'm going! I'm presenting on the Ecocriticism panel, you?

[iExcelAtMicrosoftPuns]

Awesome! I'm presenting on espionage. I've never been to a popular culture conference - what should I expect?

[KGB]

I've never been either, haha. Looks like there is a lot going on though. This will actually be my first time presenting at a conference. I'm currently in an MFA program (PhD hopeful for Fall '15), so I imagine I will feel a bit like a fish out of water. Any conference presentation tips?

[iExcelAtMicrosoftPuns]

I've never been either, haha. Looks like there is a lot going on though. This will actually be my first time presenting at a conference. I'm currently in an MFA program (PhD hopeful for Fall '15), so I imagine I will feel a bit like a fish out of water. Any conference presentation tips?

The most eye opening observation I had at my first conference was: I'm the expert that they all came to listen to.

So relax. You know your stuff and they want to know it too.

:-D

[iExcelAtMicrosoftPuns]

Yay! The schedule is posted.


It always feels so special to see my name in (digital)print!

[emily.rose]

Question for you guys - I just graduated undergrad in May, going to be applying for schools in 2015. How do you find conferences to submit to? Or is that mainly something that happens when obtaining an MA?

 

May be a stupid question, but thought I'd ask! And congrats!

[Kamisha]

Question for you guys - I just graduated undergrad in May, going to be applying for schools in 2015. How do you find conferences to submit to? Or is that mainly something that happens when obtaining an MA?

 

May be a stupid question, but thought I'd ask! And congrats!

 

Not a stupid question. One of the best places to look is UPenn’s call for papers: https://call-for-papers.sas.upenn.edu

 

SW PCA/ACA is a fun one. I go every year. It’s a very friendly conference from undergraduates and grad students. 

[perrykm2]

this is some advice i wish i had gotten, though. if you have unlimited money or need conference experience now, go to every pca/aca anything. however, unless you study pop culture, though, and maybe even if you do, these conferences don't count much on your cv or with admission/job search committees. the experience is awesome and fun and you go to cool panels, but you don't really get great feedback or networking opportunities.  

 

i'm not spitting on them because i know this from going to… i don't know, 4-5 of them, including their national conferences. but it's something to keep in mind. 

[Kamisha]

The best advice I’ve ever gotten about going to conferences is this: make sure you pick at least one to attend regularly. When you do, people start to recognize you from panels and the consistency is where the networking happens. Pop Culture happens to be my field, but if it isn’t yours, find one that is related to your field and attending it every year. 

[ProfLorax]

Question for you guys - I just graduated undergrad in May, going to be applying for schools in 2015. How do you find conferences to submit to? Or is that mainly something that happens when obtaining an MA?

 

May be a stupid question, but thought I'd ask! And congrats!

Not a stupid question! Kamisha gave you an awesome resource, the UPenn list. However, as you will soon see, the list is a bit intimidating, with so many conferences and publication opportunities to swim through. I suggest also talking to your advisors. Depending on your interest, certain conferences will be a better fit for you. For my interests, the big four are CCCC, RSA, Feminism and Rhetoric, and Computers and Writing, but those may not be yours. Also, since you are an undergrad, I'd keep my eye out for student conferences, which provide a comfortable setting for students to practice presenting research.

 

To answer your second question, I didn't start applying to conferences until my first year of my MA program. If you want the experience, go right ahead! But as an applicant with a BA, no one will expect you to have presented at conferences. During my undergrad, I focused on producing good work, making connections with faculty, activisting in the community, working a million jobs, and having a blast with my friends. I wouldn't change anything in that recipe, but I am also not you! Talk to your professors to see if they think conferences should be on your radar and if/how they can support you presenting at them. 

[Kamisha]

Start attending conferences as soon as possible! As an undergrad, the expectation for you to present at conferences is less, but it is definitely still there. I’d presented at 6 national conferences before I graduated and it did me a world of good when I applied for my MA program; it knocks the socks of admissions committees to see undergrads engaging in professional behaviors. If you want to shoot for your PhD right after your BA, you really need conferences. 

[emily.rose]

Thanks for all of the advice! I actually just graduated in May, so I'm out in the real world right now working a full time job, so it's a little hard trying to find opportunities to bulk up my qualifications for MA/PhD applications. I do love the sound of a conference, though, whether it helps me in admissions or not! It's definitely something I will look into and I wish I had heard more about as an undergrad.