European Mineralogical Conference (EMC) 2024 in Dublin was very special for me, as it was the last conference of my PhD. In fact, this was my second oral presentation during my PhD, the first being at the GeominKöln conference in my second year and I was too nervous at that time. This time, I was determined to do better, and I am pleased to say that I did. I controlled the pace of my presentation and clearly expressed what I wanted to convey to the audience. Preparing for my presentation was intense. I spent two weeks creating the slides and practiced twice with my supervisor. Even on the morning of the presentation, my colleague and I had one last rehearsal by connecting to the hotel TV screen.

One of the most valuable parts of the conference was learning about some expanded knowledge related to my research, such as carbon storage. I learnt a lot about the basics as well as the latest research findings in the session on this topic, and my mind was flooded with new ideas from a biogeochemist’s perspective. Visiting the Giant’s Causeway was another highlight. I couldn’t help but marvel at the magic of nature (the wonders of science) when I saw the basalt landscapes. Our guide told us that it was formed between 50 and 60 million years ago, and it was then that I really realized that my studied soil was so young and that human civilization was so short-lived. Of course it would have been even better if I wasn’t in the middle of a raging storm.

After my presentation, I was grateful that people came to ask me detailed questions, which led to meaningful conversations with senior scientists. These interactions not only expanded my understanding of geology but also offered valuable career advice. Besides, I learnt some important presentation tips. It doesn’t matter if you speak slowly or can’t entertain your audience, the only thing you need to make sure of is to convey what you want to tell your audience concisely and vividly, don’t put too much text in your slides and don’t show many figures at once. I also picked up a trick from a professor who used “okay?” as a pause to gather his thoughts—something I plan to try in the future.