+++
author = "Dixi Yao"
title = "Random Thoughts on Academic Social"
date = "2026-01-01"
+++

First post of the new year. I want to share a few reflections from NeurIPS 2025 in San Diego from a PhD student's seat. Most posts you see are written by faculty; this one offers a different vantage point.

## Be Clear With Your Target
Socializing at large conferences is exhausting. NeurIPS drew over 30,000 attendees. Without clear goals, you drift. If you want a job offer (and it's tough right now), spend time with industry folks and at the expo. If you want to push research, stay close to posters and talks.

Your target can shift during the week. After a few conversations, you may lean toward academia or industry—adjust your plan accordingly. A new idea might send you back to posters to question authors and chase insights. Keep a target in mind, or you'll get lost.

## Meet New and Old Friends
I ran into classmates from middle school, high school, and college. I graduated from Shanghai High School in 2018 with about 300 classmates. Our WeChat group for the 2018 North America cohort already has 120 people. Shanghai Jiao Tong University also has a deep alumni bench at top universities, including many faculty. Conferences help me reconnect with these circles.

I met many new friends too. We often say, "If we get a chance, let's collaborate," and then nothing happens. Still, I learn what others are doing and notice interesting areas. Most real collaborations grow from long relationships, not quick chats. My goal is to create as many new connections as possible. I even started a small knowledge graph to track potential collaborators—memory fades after "permanent head damage" (PhD).

## Marketing the Research
Companies push hard to market and recruit at these conferences. PhD students should market our work too. A good test is how many people use and evaluate it. If more people read my papers and try my code or demos, I get stronger feedback. It follows a basic sales rule: let many people try the product, and some will stick. Social media helps, but conferences work better because people engage instead of just scroll.

## A Good Source of Information
I care about more than research updates. Conferences surface life-and-study stories about universities, research communities, and programs—some good, some bad. This context guides future choices. It also helps to know other students share similar experiences.

## Free Lunch
PhD students love free lunches. Our supervisors paid the registration fee, so we've already covered it. Free meals or drinks help with the goals above and save time. In daily life, "free" often costs extra clicks or errands; at conferences, free meals truly save time: no reimbursement paperwork, easier socializing, and no leaving the venue. Keep priorities straight—if an important meeting conflicts with free food, choose the meeting.

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I loved attending academic conferences, meeting people, and learning cutting-edge work. San Diego's views, food, and entertainment were great too. Here's to the next papers—mine and yours.