I will be attending my first computer science conference and after reading the advice for how to improve conferences I noticed the several suggestions were about grad students attending their first conference.What advice do you have for a grad student attending his first conference and what should his focus be.
Advice for attending my first TCS conference
soft question;big list;conferences
Talk to people, even if they are scary big names. Attend all the keynote/invited presentations.Attend the talks most relevant to you.Don't be afraid to ask questions.Attend the social events, meet other graduate students, have fun.Talk enthusiastically about your research. Make sure you have a 1 minute pitch describing your work, plus a 5 minute description, and also be prepared to enter into a more detailed discussion.Ask people about their research.   Simply asking what are you working on? will get the conversation started.Be open to possible collaborations, and follow up after the conference.