Of all the many requirements in college, presentations prove to be one of the most challenging for many students. Projects can be completed by choosing customessayorder.com but presentations – well, let’s just say, no one can run away from this requirement. If one is assigned to do a presentation, then one has to be prepared to make the presentation.
Unfortunately, speaking in front of a roomful of people can be pretty intimidating, especially for first timers. In my case, my first presentation led to a full mental block – as soon as I stepped on the platform in front of the room, I forgot what I was supposed to say; my legs to turned to jelly, and my whole body shook. I stood for a full minute before I finally conceded and asked my teacher if I could just submit my writeup. This happened despite my weeks of preparation. From this first experience, I have learned that the content of the presentation is just one part of the equation. If one wants to make successful presentations, then one has to consider a number of things.
This tells you what your teacher’s expectations are, as well as how he or she will grade your presentation. It is a cheat sheet to designing your presentation – use it. As the speaker, you should be at the venue 15 minutes before the time. Use the time to setup and test your presentation, as well as prepare materials you may use. By coming in early, you can welcome your “audience”, or take a few minutes to breathe out and be mentally prepared for speaking in front of your classmates.
Set an agenda. Your audience will want to know what you will be discussing, so it is important to have an agenda slide as an overview. This enables your teacher to gauge how much time you will take to complete the presentation as well as remind you of the aspects you need to cover.
Keep it simple. According to Mark McGuinness, writer of “How to Create a Captivating Presentation”, a presentation needs “one big idea, three key points, one compelling story, one idea per slide, one clear call to action”. Presentations are not made as a word file, for a reason. Use your slides as a visual aid to remind you of what you plan to say, as well as drive your message across.
Slow down. Realize that most people who make presentations tend to talk fast so as to finish faster, unfortunately, this does not allow them to gather their thoughts and could lead to dead air, or worse, could lead to fillers such as “um” and “uh”. Practice in front of the mirror until you are comfortable with the material. But note that you don’t need to memorize what you have to say, this is not a speech, so you don’t need a script.
Address your audience. Most people agree that creating eye contact with the audience helps make the presentation personal. Look around the room to engage your audience, but don’t make too much eye contact with your professor – believe me, it can be pretty uncomfortable otherwise. Read and proofread your slides. Many a presentation have been sidetracked due to glaring typos. Moreover, choose design that is most appropriate for your subject matter. Just because you like a slide design doesn’t mean you should use it. Remember: your PowerPoint presentation is a visual aid – it must support the message you want to communicate. Use technology sparingly. software such as Prezi are all very nice to look at, but unless you can be sure that you’re using your own computer for the presentation, don’t use it. Also, save your presentation on another USB always even if you plan on using your pc. This way, you won’t have to worry about compatibilities and you can easily use another pc if necessary.
Cite your sources. Just like your term papers, presentations require that you cite key ideas and statistics you use. This adds to your presentations’ credibility and it enables your professor to know where you got your information. Close your presentation. It is always important to close your presentations by giving a brief overview of topics then give the call to action. Just like a term paper, you need a clear introduction, body and conclusion. Finish your talk and give your audience a chance to ask questions. Don’t leave them hanging, trying to grasp the gist of your presentation.
Do you have any particular practice that helps make presentations effective? Please don’t hesitate, share them in the comments field below!
