NASPA | Ashley N. Robinson

I am fresh off of the NASPA Region 1 annual conference right now. (For the record, I had a GREAT time. I love NASPA. I consider Region 1 Conference to be one of my favorite holidays of the year). It’s only been 5 hours since we finished “Honoring Our Mission” in Mystic, CT and I’m probably safe in speaking on behalf of all 500+ conference attendees in saying that I’m pretty darn tired. I already took a power nap, in fact. But I’m still thinking hard about how to make the most of my conference experience because it doesn’t end when you go back to campus.

That’s right. The conference is not over. The point of these conferences, of course, is that we bring something back with us (by “bring back”, I mean more than a sweatshirt, t-shirt, coffee mug, PEZ dispenser, and 2 strips of photo booth pictures). I just spent 3 days meeting new people, reconnecting with friends and colleagues, thinking about the field, my career, the future, and the past. The amount of reflection, inquiry, discussion, and relationship building I did at this conference is rarely present in my day-to-day life, and I have no intention of just letting all of that effort fade away.

I’m going to hold myself to some expectations for making the most out of my Post-Conference experience, starting right now, and I challenge all of you to do the same. Here are some of my tips for doing so:

The road to hell is paved with ignored business cards. Does anyone ever give you a business card at a conference and say “Hey, here’s my card, I hope that you throw it in the bottom of your bag and accidentally find it next August during RA Training and think about how you never emailed me”? No? Well then, don’t do that. If you had a good conversation with someone, follow up. Do it now before you forget what the heck you talked to that person about. Shoot them an email just to say “Hey, it was great to meet you/ see you again/ talk about (_______)”. Look them up on Twitter or LinkedIn. Short conversations at conferences can be the beginning of great relationships that expand your network, help to make friends, and benefit you throughout your career.
Read your notes and your program. I take lots of notes during sessions. I jot down questions, answers, important points, and valuable information. Now is the time to go through those notes, match them up to the name of the session and presenters from the program, and consider if you have any further questions or want more information or resources. Don’t wait until you have a vague memory of hearing a great idea somewhere but have no clue who said it or in what context. Make the connections now.
Fill out the Evaluations. Seriously. Do this. I’m looking at you, Mystic attendees who said “I’ll do the online session evaluation on my phone/laptop/tablet” and never actually got around to it. I know you’re out there! The feedback on sessions is extremely valuable to this year’s presenters and will help to improve the quality of sessions provided in our region each year. Also, make sure to fill out the conference evaluation when you get it in your email.
Volunteer for something that interested you. This is especially important as a new professional. Join one of NASPA’s 26 Knowledge Communities. Contact the Regional KC Chair and say you want to get involved (they are probably going to say “Yes”). Actually go to the Volunteer Central website and fill out your profile. Do this now before you forget about the cool stuff you found out about at the conference, because if you don’t, you’ll regret it when you are reminded at next year’s conference.
Share your learning. Not everyone in your department went to the conference, which means that you now have some awesome knowledge to share with your colleagues at home. Suggest a new approach or program and back it up with the information you learned at the conference. Approach your own institution with a fresh perspective. Make sure that the learning and reflection you experienced at the conference doesn’t just go to waste.

What tips do you have for making the most of your post-conference experience?

I am a graduate student Higher Education and Assistant Community Coordinator for Residence Life at the University of Maine. I am interested in orientation and new student programs, residential education, first year student development, and diversity and social justice on college campuses, specifically related to social justice ally development, access to higher education, and transition and retention of traditionally underrepresented students.

I am also an active member of the National Association for Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA), as a Graduate Associate, Region I Conference intern, and member of the Maine Association for Student Affairs Professionals. I enjoy sharing my love of the profession with aspiring undergraduates, increasing awareness of professional opportunities, and sharing knowledge with my peers.

I am a native Rhode Islander and adopted Mainer with a love for cooking, college hockey, and the outdoors. I am a proud Gamma Sigma Sigma alumna and a Black Bear at heart. My philosophy in life is to ask myself every day if I have helped someone.

This blog is the next step in my goal to use the online world to the best of my abilities in my work. I have gained incredibly from the online Student Affairs Communities on Facebook, Twitter, and Tumblr, and I am excited to take the next step with an official website of my own.

So, should you choose to follow my adventures here, what will you find? I can promise lots of insights about change and transition, loosely detailed chronicles of my job searching, musings on social justice, privilege, and oppression, the trials and tribulations of residence life and working with first year students, and anything else higher ed that crosses my path. A bit of a grab bag, isn’t it? You can’t blame me, though, because I’m the new kid. I’m still figuring this all out!