I have stated it a million times. Attending a conference is the most beneficial thing you can do for your PhD. It is a fantastic source of learning, networking, connecting, and simply having fun in the world.
I know there are the usual reasons for why people can’t attend:
I can’t afford it – actually, if done well, it will yield a higher return than you paid for it. Furthermore, the Conference Support Award (now the Research and Innovation Conference Fund) that Manchester Met can provide may pay the majority, if not all, of the expenses. You can also take advantage of early bird pricing, which offers a nice deal. Here’s a tip: wait until the last two weeks or so. A lot of people may drop out around that time, and you can generally get a pre-owned ticket for the Early Bird price.
I’m too busy – I try to make time to attend at least one, ideally two, conferences each year. It is not a waste of time if you adequately prepare for it and ensure that you gain a lot of value from it. Once you’ve decided to go, everything typically falls into place.
If you can, make attending a conference every year a research priority. I’ve been to about a dozen of them throughout the years, and I can assure you that every single one of them was completely worth it!
