Welcome to today's Tip Tuesday! I am so excited to share with you my first time ASHA experience in Chicago. I really had no idea what to expect or how to prepare for this journey, so I thought I'd share with you some tips I learned along the way!
1. Do plan ahead
Before I left for ASHA, I pre-planned my entire schedule, so that I could make sure to attend all the lectures I wanted and not scramble around the convention center getting lost. I used the Program Planner on the ASHA website. You can search for lectures and add them to your schedule! You can also download your schedule to your iPhone of iPad and it will automatically add events to your calendar. So helpful!!
2. Don't forget to share
Though I got to attend all my "must have" lectures, there were a few I regretted not attending (like the adult rehab lectures). The group of friends I went to ASHA with decided to split up for a few lectures. That way we could email each other notes and information from a missed lecture! Even though you won't get CEU's for this, it was still helpful for me to catch up on some adult dysphagia information that I desperately wanted!
3. Don't forget snacks
If you're like me and need to eat every few hours, make sure to bring snacks! The lines get overwhelmingly long during lunch hours and other breaks throughout the day. I made sure to pick up my morning coffee before the convention and brought a few granola bars. Also, allow yourself at least an hour lunch and dinner, because you will most likely stand in line for 30 minutes just to purchase a meal!
4. Don't be late
Arrive to the lectures early! I would try and get to a lecture at least 20 minutes early to make sure I got a seat. Others who arrived late or even on time were asked to leave due to space shortage!
5. Do allow extra space
Make room in your suitcase for extra goodies and freebies! I gathered a lot of free speech therapy items (my favorite being chewy tubes) and had a hard time packing. I actually had to check my bag for $25, because it was too full!!
6. Do bring your iPad
Make sure to bring an iPad or laptop computer. The lecturers do not provide handouts and you are expected to either print out the notes beforehand or view them on a portable device. I really liked using my iPad, because I could make notes right onto the lecture, email, and print them out! This was great when sharing lectures with my friends.
7. Don't forget your charges
If you do bring your iPad or iPhone, bring your charger too! You would be surprised how fast your battery runs out when your tweeting, emailing, texting, and writing notes!
8. Don't forget comfy clothes and shoes
I brought a mix of comfy clothes and dressy clothes for the conference. I ended up only wearing my comfy jeans and boots every day! Unless you're going to ASHA to network, get interviewed, or present, I would advise you to wear very comfortable clothes and shoes. You will be doing a lot of walking!
All in all, this was a fantastic experience and a fun way to get all of my CEU's! Chicago was amazing and I did get some time to enjoy the city, especially a lot of shopping on Michigan Avenue (oops)!
Did you go to ASHA? What are your tips? Leave a message below and come back for next week's Tip Tuesday!!
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