I’ve spent some time criticizing the ASA (and a few of its members) lately, but I actually did accomplish things in Atlanta that made the trip a success. Some of these were simple things like catching up with friends from grad school and getting up for 8:30 sessions despite late nights with said friends, but I also started to do a bit more to make a name for myself apart from my graduate institution. Some of my overall satisfaction following this year’s conference may be due to changes in the way I approached session attendance. In the past I attended a number of sessions with one or two papers that looked interesting and found myself suffering through the other presentations wondering why I was there. This year I was much more careful about the sessions that I chose to attend and the result was that I attended far fewer sessions that felt like a waste of my time. Another frustration in the past has been the role of discussants who I saw as taking valuable time away from Q&A. This year, the discussants that I saw, including the one in my own session, focused on providing feedback that actually seemed relevant and useful, though I still wish there had been more time for Q&A. In all, the conference seemed to be a success and I’m glad that I went. I am also thankful for the hamster tubes that allowed me to cover a relatively large area without going outside.
