On December 6, UNH Manchester held the Winter Symposium, an annual event which gives students from all majors an opportunity to present their academic efforts, experiences and knowledge to the community.
“The Winter Symposium is a great place for an undergraduate to celebrate and showcase one’s efforts, achievements, knowledge and experiences in a professional setting,” says Nick Mian, associate professor of psychology. “It’s easy to forget how much students work. Events like this remind me of how much our students accomplish.”
Winter Symposium at a glance:
- When is the Winter Symposium? The event is held ever December. Watch for deadlines to register!
- Who can participate? Any undergraduate student from any major.
- What can I present? Your work and knowledge! For example, your research, an internship experience, creative work or achievement you’d like to share.
- How can I present? You can present a poster or take the spotlight with an oral presentation.
- Who’s the audience? The Winter Symposium is open to the public, although the majority of the audience is from the UNH community.
Here's what students and faculty say about the event:
I’m not comfortable presenting, should I participate?
- “Don’t think about messing up. I kept in mind that it was my own work that I was presenting, so I knew what I was talking about. The Winter Symposium is about owning what you did.” - Alison Dyke '19, neuropsychology major and student ambassador
- “The Winter Symposium has a professional yet relaxed environment to it. The audience is encouraging, interested and open to the presenters. It’s a great place for an undergraduate to work on presentation skills, minus the pressure and stress. - Daniel Seichepine, associate professor of psychology and neuropsychology
- “To look at it, this is a rare opportunity for you get to talk about your efforts, your knowledge and your achievements to people who are more than willing to listen and appreciate.” - Me! Vishnu Soni '22, neuropsychology major
- “Presenting made a huge difference in my own knowledge about my topic. Verbalizing and explaining told me how much I knew, and how much more there was to it. It felt rewarding and gave me something new to work on too.” - Sarah Picard '20, neuropsychology major
- “I found this to be an opportunity to connect with others with whom I shared my interests and endeavors. It was great to know what’s happening on campus." - Andrew Wasylyna '22, biotechnology major
Any tips for preparing?
- “I practiced in front of my family and a few friends, which made me more confident and allowed me to improve some things too." - Anthony Tosane '19, computer information systems major
- “Less is more if you’re presenting a poster. Small chunks of easy to understand and interesting info makes a great poster. Also, keep in mind that your audience knows nearly nothing about your topic, you’ll need to shape your explanation accordingly.” - Kevin Mandro '19, biotechnology major
- “Practice casually talking about your work, it’s what you’ll be doing! I found it beneficial having an open structure to my explanation. I used pictures as notes just to keep in mind what I wanted to talk about.” - Ava Parr '20, neuropsychology major
In all, the Winter Symposium is an experience you shouldn’t miss. It’s a great opportunity to improve your presentation skills and socialize and connect with others who share their interests with you. Even if you’re not planning to present, next year, be sure to stop by to acknowledge the efforts of the Wildcat community.
