APTA Combined Sections Meeting
For the past few weeks, the APTA representatives from my class have been pushing for us to attend the annual Combined Sections Meeting in February, since it's likely to be a great academic experience. However, I am torn about whether or not to attend. The timing of everything couldn't be worse, as CSM will require us to miss three days of class during a very critical time in what's sure to be the hardest semester of the program. So while I recognize that it will be a great way to network and also represent our program, I just don't know if it's worth it.
For anyone who has been to CSM, particularly as a student, I'm wondering what your opinion is. Will the knowledge and experience that I take away from the meeting be worth the hassle when I get back to school? There's also some additional incentive to attend because one of my favorite professors will be presenting at the conference, and I'd love to see what she has to say.
If I wait until next year, I think the timing will be much better. But then I run the risk of having to travel quite a ways to get there. The trip to Chicago from Pittsburgh isn't too bad, and with my luck, the next location will be somewhere on the West Coast; i.e. very expensive and out of my "student budget." There are a lot of factors to consider, so any insight will be helpful.