By Guest Blogger Rachel, Esri UC Student Assistant
When I got on the plane heading from New York to San Diego, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I knew there would be a lot of maps, and I knew I would be on my feet a lot, but “student assistant” was still a pretty vague term in my mind. Once I arrived, I quickly learned why – being a student assistant means many different things. From getting a behind-the-scenes look at the conference to learning what a banner stand is (and going on a scavenger hunt throughout the conference center to find them) to meeting thousands of fellow geogeeks, the week was an incredible whirlwind of people, activities, and – of course – maps.
While the first few days helping with set up and pre-registration were exciting, when Monday morning hit there was magic in the air. As the doors to the plenary opened and people started streaming in, all eager for the week ahead, the excitement and anticipation were contagious. Walking around the San Diego Convention Center (which, by the way, is an activity in itself – that building is enormous) and knowing that simply by being there you have something in common with 16,000 other people is a ridiculously cool feeling.
The entire conference was an unreal experience, but my favorite part was working at the Esri Store. Now, you may think that’s kind of weird and not really related to the conference. But in the store I got the chance to meet so many people, got to chat about things that may not have come up otherwise (conversations at checkout are the best kind of conversations!), and got to see people geek out over the same things I do (Superman GIS shirt, anyone??).
If you’ve been to the Esri UC you’ll probably nod your head at these, but for anyone who hasn’t been, here are some lessons I learned:
• It’s not the place to break in new shoes – no matter how comfortable they are.
• There is no way you can see everything. Sometimes the best way to choose a session is to go to the room closest to where you are. Eeny-meeny-miny-moe works too.
• It’s probably impossible to meet all 16,000 people at the conference, but social media means you can at least see how much fun they’re having!
• The map gallery is a giant room full of maps. Full. Of. Maps. Spend some time there.
• The student assistantship program is a fantastic way to get to a conference you may not otherwise have the chance to go to.
• If you’ve never been to the Esri UC and you get the chance, do it. Just go. You won’t regret it!
We’ll soon begin accepting applications for the 2015 Esri UC Student Assistantship Program. Stay tuned!