Would it be pretentious to submit an abstract for a conference?

[ThomasRichard]

Asking on here as I'm a bit embarrassed about approaching my tutor about it in case it's definitely not the done thing and makes me look ridiculously arrogant. Please be gentle!

I'm an undergraduate in my 5th year with the OU on a social sciences subject. There's a small conference coming up on the exact topic I've chosen to write about for my end of year project. The conference is after the submission deadline but the topic something that brought me into studying in the first place as it's an area I'm very interested in and where I'd like to move my career and make a difference. It's an under-researched area that's only starting to make it onto the agenda in the field.

They're currently calling for papers. As an undergraduate who doesn't work in this field I don't have hands-on experience to share but I'd be happy to make a poster and share my research findings. Would it be a very bad idea for me to submit an abstract?

Nope, completely fine. I did this between undergrad before completing higher degrees so basically at the same level. Will be excellent for CV and potentially good for networking. If you want to go further academically you might be able to identify supervisors through noting who else is involved at the conference.
Mention it to your tutor, they may want their name on it too and may support you in the process.

Thanks, that’s reassuring. I’ll muster the courage to contact my tutor about it.

I did! And my abstract was accepted, first draft. My tutor and subject led both had to re-write theirs

Go for it. It is quite an exhilarating feeling...

Haha! Brilliant. You must have been thrilled!

Thrilled, terrified and excited.

Then I went to deliver it and was incredibly disappointed by the closed mindedness of one academci who kept harrumphing because he didn't like my use of a dictionary definition / commonly understood meaning of a word when dealing with members of the public!

Apparently he was well known for it.. something I reminded him of a few years late when we worked together

Goodness. Of course submit one! And apply to give a presentation, not just a poster (though posters are arguably more work...).

I've encouraged undergraduate students to apply, and helped them find funding to go to major conferences. American undergrads who are ambitious are increasingly attending to present junior theses too.

One of the first things I had to learn was the confidence to present good ideas and good findings without having had a lot of time to prepare. I was stunned at first that senior colleagues often wrote their presentation on the train, and often on the basis of just a few weeks' work. I believed that you had to have years of expertise before being 'allowed' to opine.

In practice, you will know as much about your subject as anyone there. Go for it.

Please do it - and let us know how you get on!

I did it and they said yes! I’m so pleased you all gave me the confidence to go for it.

Now I just have to write the thing...