What will I do during the poster session?
What can I do to prepare a great presentation?
How can I join others talking about undergraduate research?
What will CCCC be like?
This page helps with these and related questions.
WHERE DO I GO?
The poster session typically takes place Thursday morning from 10:30-11:45 (Session A). Check the program for this year’s location. (You can visit the space to set up your poster Wednesday afternoon or Thursday morning.)
To get an in-depth view of both the poster session and the conference as a whole:
start with Megan Schoettler and David Halliwell’s comprehensive PDF, Navigating CCCC: A Guide for Undergraduate Poster Presenters. In Megan and David’s guide you’ll find information on
- What you’ll be doing during your poster presentation and what it will look like
- How you can prepare an effective presentation and how your faculty mentor can help
- Accessibility, self-care, and learning what’s happening at CCCC
For navigating the conference, a few basic tools will help.
- The Local Arrangements website, for information about food, attractions, and activities in the conference city.
- Getting the Most out of CCCC, a blog post by Ruth Osorio for graduate and undergraduate student attendees at CCCC.
- Accessibility Guide for CCCC 23.
- CCCC FAQ (for inside information on how the organization creates the conference).
- Follow and contribute to the conference’s tweet-stream by using the hashtag #4C23 on your social-media platform of choice.
- Download the app! You should have received an email from NCTE/CCCC with directions for downloading the Whova app.
- Find additional details and resources at https://cccc.ncte.org/cccc/conv
Three other suggestions for knowing what’s what at the conf:
— Download the PDF of the conference program and read the first 25 pages during your travel to the conference. You’ll learn more about this year’s conference there than anywhere. (The whole program is nearly 400 pages! You can download specific sections from the linked site.)
— Get a conference buddy. Perhaps your mentor, a fellow student, or a friend you make at the Newcomers events or the poster session. Many many conference-goers are introverts at heart, and it’s amazing how hard it can be sometimes to not be alone among hundreds of other people. But you’ll have a much better time at the conference if you have somebody to catch meals with, attend some sessions with, and cheer you on during your own presentation.
— Ask questions and talk to strangers with nametags. You will probably be surprised at how friendly people at this conference are and how willing they are to talk — that’s what we’re all here for! Don’t be afraid to strike up a conversation with someone you don’t know, and don’t worry about asking questions. Everybody has them.
Consider these events!
If this is your first CCCC conference, you might get a little dizzy. There are over 3,000 people choosing among nearly 50 sessions at a time, plus other group meetings, or finding each other for coffee or lunch or dinner. How do you decide what to do? Start by prioritizing the events below, if you’re interested in meeting other undergraduates presenting at the conference, or getting a good overview of how the conference works.
- Visit the Newcomer’s Station in the Action Hub, when you check in for the conference and get your name badge and printed copy of the program.
- Newcomer’s Orientation, Wednesday 5:15–6:15 p.m., Waldorf, 3rd Floor. You’ll get tips on how to navigate the conference and get the most out of conference activities.
- Newcomer’s Coffee Hour, Thursday 7:30-8:15 a.m., Grand Ballroom Foyer, 2nd Floor. Start your conference with meeting other new attendees and conference veterans with light breakfast fare (come early) and beverages. If you noticed that the time is not a full hour, take it as a sign of how busy you might stay at this conference!
- General Opening Session, Thursday 8:30–10:15 a.m., Grand Ballroom Lobby, 2nd Floor. This is the big show: Hundreds of conference attendees, a welcome from the locals who have arranged the conference, the presentation of several awards, and an address by the Chair of CCCC.
- Special Interest Group for Undergraduate Research, Friday, 3:30-4:30 p.m., Room 4C. Join other undergrad researchers, their mentors, and other advocates for undergrad research for an hour of discussing opportunities and experiences.