Some notes that Chip drew up for students attending their
first national astronomy meeting.  

1) AAS Meetings are large and overwhelming, even for those of us that
have been to many.  You have to pick carefully what sessions you attend
to avoid brain overload.

2) My experience is that 5 minute talks in general sessions are
useless.  Avoid them.  I only go to general session talks if someone I
know is giving their PhD thesis defense.

3) Special hour-long invited lectures usually held at 8:15 am and 11:30
just before lunch, and again some late afternoons, are often very good,
and worth attending.

4) Special science sessions with invited talks that are 30 minutes in
length can be quite good if you are interested in the topic.

5) Posters are the best bang for the buck.  Spend plenty of time looking
at posters and take notes in a small notebook on interesting posters. 
Pick 2-4 per day that relate closely to your interests and spend time
there talking with the authors.

6) It's ok to not know everything.  It's ok not to know everything. 
It's ok not to know everything.  You're beginning students and people
understand that.  It's better to thoughtfully and humbly tell people
what you've done so far and why you are doing it than to make apologies
and excuses and BS something trying to sound impressive.  Most
astronomers are very nice and eager to help promote the career of a
student.  

7) On your poster day, spend at very least the coffee sessions in the
morning and afternoon at your poster to talk to people.  Be enthusiastic
about what you're doing, but humbly seek advice.  The whole point of
being there is to let the field know what you are doing and to seek
advice and suggestions from experts who will probably wander by and be
interested in your work.  DON'T UNDERESTIMATE THE VALUE OF A 2-MINUTE
CONVERSATION WITH SOMEONE!  Almost every paper I've ever written I can
trace to a conversation at some meeting which I did not deem significant
at the time, but in retrospect was a formative point in my career.   Ask
questions of any experts that stop by...people love to give
advice...make it work for you. 

** Chip's #1 rule for meetings:  Make it your goal to meet 2 new people
each day.   Meet them at their posters and have significant science
conversations with them about their work.  Go out to lunch with them. 
Meeting people and making contacts is the main reason to go to meetings!

** Chip's #2 rule for meetings: Hang around with people from your own
institution as little as possible!  I know it's hard to go to meetings
when you don't know many people, but force yourself to meet students
(and faculty) from other institutions and have meals with them as much
as possible.  Students are easy to meet and generally very friendly. 
Before you know it, you'll be connected with grad students and
astronomers all over the country who may become your
peers/employers/students/best friends/collaborators/spouses (yes, it
happens).

** Chip's #3 rule: Let the meeting inspire you rather than overwhelm
you!  Come back pumped up and enthused to finish your own projects given
what you've seen going on in the community.  That way, you can go to the
next meeting, see your new friends who will by then have become old
friends, and participate in the life of the astronomical community!

For what it's worth,
Chip