I have given a number of presentations, however, up until recently presentations were something I would hide from and try to avoid at all costs because of my nerves. But thanks to my philosophy of science lecturer, I gave a presentation which gave me the confidence to fight the voices in my head that scare me away from giving presentations. So, I want to give you some tips that I've learnt along the way. This isn't to say that I'm 100% perfect at giving presentations, there is a lot I need to work on too, but these tips have helped me give good presentations that got good marks.
There are many ways to give a presentation. It doesn't have to be a PowerPoint and you standing in front of it. You can give out handouts with your presentation. You can forgo slides altogether and give a talking presentation or you can have both. Do what makes you feel comfortable.
SOME PRESENTATIONS WILL REQUIRE SLIDES, ALWAYS ASK YOUR TUTORS BEFORE MAKING ANY CHANGES TO PRESENTATION STYLE SO YOU DON'T WASTE ANY MARKS.
You want to keep them minimal, simple and absolutely do not fill the whole page with text. People are not there to read your slides, they're there to hear what you have to say.
I personally prefer to keep my slides as cues for what I'd like to say, have little to no text and images that can represent what's going to be discussed. Therefore, I won't depend on reading the slides and prevent sounding monotonous.
The presentation should have the same structure as a story. It needs a beginning (introduction), a middle (the aim/explanation of the presentation) and an end (conclusion summarising what you've said). This ensures there's flow and clarity to your message.
Why do we get these nerves? It's the fear of being judged when you have all eyes on you and focused on every single word you're saying.
In actual fact, NO ONE, I REPEAT NO ONE IS JUDGING YOU! Everyone will genuinely be interested in what you have to say or.... some people will be absent-minded.
What's the worst that can happen? Nothing! or you'll just get a grade you don't like!
Do you have any other tips on how to give presentations? Leave them in the comments below.
 |
| In the midst of giving my thesis presentation. I use my hands a lot to explain my work LOL. |
1) KNOWLEDGE
You will be giving the presentation, therefore you are the teacher now, so you need to fully understand the topic of your presentation so that when you are presenting you are confident in your knowledge of the subject and even if you forget your cue, you will know the gist of what you need to say. You will need to efficiently transfer your knowledge to your audience, so you need to be able to communicate it efficiently and without difficult jargon.2) PRACTISE
Practise makes perfect! (I'm sure you've heard this a million times already) You need to practise your presentation, what you're going to say exactly, how you'd like to present it and how long the presentation is going to take. The rule is always one slide per minute. So a 10-minute presentation will require 10 slides maximum. Use your friends, flatmates, course mates, parents to practise your presentation and use their feedback to prepare for the actual day.3) STYLE
What is your presentation style?There are many ways to give a presentation. It doesn't have to be a PowerPoint and you standing in front of it. You can give out handouts with your presentation. You can forgo slides altogether and give a talking presentation or you can have both. Do what makes you feel comfortable.
SOME PRESENTATIONS WILL REQUIRE SLIDES, ALWAYS ASK YOUR TUTORS BEFORE MAKING ANY CHANGES TO PRESENTATION STYLE SO YOU DON'T WASTE ANY MARKS.
4) SLIDES
What do you want your slides to look like?You want to keep them minimal, simple and absolutely do not fill the whole page with text. People are not there to read your slides, they're there to hear what you have to say.
I personally prefer to keep my slides as cues for what I'd like to say, have little to no text and images that can represent what's going to be discussed. Therefore, I won't depend on reading the slides and prevent sounding monotonous.
The presentation should have the same structure as a story. It needs a beginning (introduction), a middle (the aim/explanation of the presentation) and an end (conclusion summarising what you've said). This ensures there's flow and clarity to your message.
5) FEAR
Fear and nervousness are normal feelings to have when you need to present a presentation but they can sometimes prevent us from giving a good presentation. I have had nerves when I present a presentation, I feel shaky and have sweaty palms. But when I start presenting the nerves start to fade away because I realise that I am in control, I know my topic and there really isn't anything to worry about.Why do we get these nerves? It's the fear of being judged when you have all eyes on you and focused on every single word you're saying.
In actual fact, NO ONE, I REPEAT NO ONE IS JUDGING YOU! Everyone will genuinely be interested in what you have to say or.... some people will be absent-minded.
What's the worst that can happen? Nothing! or you'll just get a grade you don't like!
5+1) JOKES
If it helps, add in some jokes to your presentation (be careful with this) they will help lighten up with a mood of the room and make sure you have everyone's attention.Do you have any other tips on how to give presentations? Leave them in the comments below.
Comments
Post a Comment