My first talk at a national meeting provided me with a great educational experience — and a bit of stress. The day before I left for the meeting, my adviser asked me to add some new details. This initially threw me, because I had thought my talk was set — adding more details could push me over my allotted time limit.
Apart from this, I was also worried about the question-and-answer session, because this is where the unexpected can happen. I was concerned that no one would have any questions or that someone would ask something I couldn't answer.
Both those concerns led me to practise and perfect my talk — meaning I didn't have so much time to take detailed notes on other speakers and poster presentations.
In the end, my nerves worked to my advantage. After I cut out some flashy but unnecessary animations, my talk finished on time. My preparation for the question-and-answer period paid off, too. I fielded several great questions about issues that I had thought about and so could address confidently. That felt really good. And focusing on my own talk stopped me from rushing to as many sessions as possible. Instead, I attended only those talks and poster presentations I felt were essential. The whole experience gave me fresh inspiration — and ended without trauma.
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Lee, A. First–night nerves. Nature 434, 1050 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1038/nj7036-1050a
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nj7036-1050a