Why you should look through the abstracts before the meeting.

Plan your schedule before.

• Things get hectic during the meeting.
• Many meetings provide WEB SITES which allow you to search topics of interest and arrange a schedule.

Plan to attend some review type talks.

• You are just beginning your career. Get a feel for where science is going in areas outside your current field of interest.
• Perhaps there is something out there that fits your interests and aptitudes perfectly.
• The large review type talks are ideal for this.
• They also break up the day nicely and let you take the weight off your feet.

Think of a few good questions to ask.

• By reading the abstracts in your field before hand, you can formulate questions on things that you might not have fully understood.
• Listening to a poster is a lot more fun when you have questions to ask (presenting a poster is also more fun when questions are asked).

What are the main players in your field up to?

• When presenting a poster it is useful to recognize who your visitor is, what their interests are, and how your work relates to theirs.

It is never too early to start planning the next step in your career.

• Think of what skills/techniques might be useful in your future.
• Schedule a visit to these posters/slide shows.