Hydrozoan staff at ForBio 2022 annual Assembly

Do you keep in mind that feeling of dread earlier than it’s essential to current in school a few subject you didn’t actually examine for? Your thoughts racing, attempting to scramble a coherent story to inform the ocean of eyes mounted expressionless on you and your powerpoint? We imagine all of us have not less than one reminiscence of this from our days in faculty.

That was an identical feeling to what we felt on November 28^th, 2022, after we had simply landed in Trondheim and had been on our technique to the Norwegian College of Science and Know-how (NTNU) for this yr’s ForBio Assembly, a 3-day gauntlet the place we are going to current the Grasp’s initiatives we’re at present engaged on. Besides this time, we weren’t presenting in a small classroom stuffed with uninterested youngsters fascinated about tik tok dances, however in an auditorium stuffed with fellow researchers who work in your similar subject, and who will in all probability have extraordinarily tough questions on the finish of your speak. Being the primary time we current in an surroundings like this, one can’t assist however think about all of the worst outcomes

And so we’re sitting there, watching the hours and the talks go by, pondering to ourselves “I ought to/shouldn’t strive that for my speak!”. At lunch, all we take into consideration is our talks. After we’re performing some mild sightseeing in Trondheim, all we take into consideration is our talks. We’re laying in our beds the night time earlier than, and all we take into consideration is our talks. “How will I make my subject sound as skilled and educated as I need to?”, we expect to ourselves.

The day arrives, and once more the dread begins setting in, proper till the second they name every of our names. At our each flip, we stroll down the steps, seize the microphone, and begin speaking. Apart from some purpose, this time it looks like we’re in management. The phrases circulate effortlessly; we even crack a joke or two, and the viewers laughs. There’s no stumbling across the phrases like these faculty days.

As a result of this time, we’re not the typical seat-warming pupil. This time, we’re those which have spent chilly and raining hours on a analysis vessel or diving to get our samples; we’re those who’ve spent hours working along with our supervisors, studying and studying about our matters; we’re those who’ve spent hours trying down a microscope attempting to determine our organisms. This time, we’re those who know what we’re speaking about, and the viewers is there to be taught from us.

After every of our talks, we give our acknowledgements, and everybody claps. The questions thrown at you might be answered effortlessly, and the second is completed with a thumbs as much as our supervisors, returning to our seats smiling.

Probably the most thrilling half for us was displaying to specialists what we do with our favourite invertebrates: Hydrozoans. These organisms are an not easily seen class within the phylum Cnidaria that most individuals ignore. Our job was not solely to current what we do with them, however to indicate what they’re, what they do, how fascinating they are often and why they’re essential. And we expect that we did a very good job.

Now we’re lastly free to benefit from the world well-known Trondheim bike elevate (and the Nidaros Cathedral too), closing the night time with burgers, beer and mates.

The whole lot has been nice on this journey and we are going to at all times keep in mind the recommendation from different professionals; how completely different or comparable the work of every one is; and the sensation that you’re a part of a bunch of specialists who’re excited to share their information with others. However, above all, we have now realized why these conferences are essential: Realizing what different researchers are doing provides us the possibility to collaborate collectively and assist one another, as a result of working as a staff is how science strikes ahead.

Pedro, Ana & Håvard