You’ve made it to New Orleans, you’ve picked up your name badge, now what? The ESA annual meeting can be simultaneously terrifying and exhilarating for student attendees, especially when you don’t know anyone. The objective of this special session is to welcome students and to provide them with the tools they need to ensure their ESA experience is positive and productive. We will begin with a short presentation discussing:

• How the ESA annual meeting is structured (e.g., the different types of talks, poster sessions, and social events)
• Strategies for identifying sessions most relevant to students’ scientific interests
• Sessions and events particularly of interest to students
• Effective and responsible uses of social media during the meeting
• Strategies for avoiding burnout by the end of the meeting

This session targets first time attendees, but advice and discussions are relevant to students at all levels as well as recent graduates in attendance. This session will be followed by a networking workshop and people are encouraged to stay.