  Conferences are a mainstay of most scientific disciplines, where scientists
of all career stages come together to share cutting-edge ideas and approaches.
If you do research, chances are you will attend one or more of these meetings
in your career. Conferences are a microcosm of their discipline, and while
conferences offer different perspectives in different disciplines, they all
offer experiences that range from a casual chat waiting in line for coffee to
watching someone present their groundbreaking, hot-off-the-press research. The
authors of this piece have attended our fair share of conferences and have
collectively mentored hundreds of students in understanding the "unwritten
rules" and pro-tips of conference attendance. As you head to your first
scientific conference, these rules will help you navigate the conference
environment and make the most of your experience.
  We have also developed a web portal which contains far more information about
these rules, tables of professional societies and conferences in different
disciplines, and other resources that may come in handy for first-time
conference attendees and their mentors. We encourage any reader to use, adapt,
and contribute to these materials.
