Nerdify Reviews 6 Tips for Completing Prep for a School Presentation
Public speaking is a daunting experience for most, as having all eyes on you in front of a group of people can be quite intimidating. While there might still be some anxiety, properly preparing yourself for an upcoming presentation will ease some of the stress you experience while presenting. Our Nerdify reviews experts have compiled some tips that will help get you ready to speak in front of the class.
1. Assign Sections if Presenting in a Group
Students on Reddit say one of the worst moments while in front of the class is the awkwardness that comes when classmates presenting in a group fumble back and forth, trying to figure out who should be talking when. To avoid this situation, Nerdify reviews team recommends talking with your groupmates in advance and assigning specific topics or presentation slides for you all to speak about exclusively. This way, you won’t interrupt or stare at one another while waiting for someone to speak up.
2. Don’t Read Off Your Slides
There isn’t really any importance to your speaking if you aren’t going to add anything and instead read straight from your slides. Your professor likely would be harsh on grading your presentation, say students on Reddit, as professors regard it as a lack of effort put into the project. Not only can your classmates see your slides themselves, but reading directly from the screen makes you seem unprepared. Slides should serve as a tool for helping you stay on-topic and move logically through your content, not as a script to recite word-for-word.
3. Make Notes to Yourself for Each Slide
If you are representing electronically, many presentation slide applications like Microsoft PowerPoint or Google Slides allow you, the presenter, to have hidden comments at the bottom of each of your slides. This way, you’ll not only be able to organize your thoughts but also have information concealed that adds to your exposition. Don’t write exhaustive paragraphs in these notes, though, as you won’t be able to pause and read large blocks of text during a presentation. Rather, suggest Nerdify reviews experts, jot down a few keywords or studies concerning the topic of discussion, as those only need a quick glance before being discussed.
4. Time a Mock Presentation
To get an idea of how much more or less you need to say during your talk, time yourself doing a mock presentation with a stopwatch. If you have a set amount of time in which to present, and you initially go over, look back at your slides. Is there anything that can be cut? Any superfluous sentences, facts, or maybe even entire slides? If two or more slides closely relate to one another, you might be able to delete those, as you can combine their information and touch on both topics in a shorter amount of time. It can be frustrating to cut back on slides you spent time creating, but you will have a more effective presentation in the long run if you can convey your points concisely.
5. Practice With a Trusted Friend
The thought of stepping in front of a class for the first time can be very daunting, so running through your presentation beforehand is a great idea. Many people try practicing in the mirror, but that might make you overly self-conscious and nit-picky looking at yourself. Presenting in front of a roommate, friend, significant other, or even your parents on the phone, is a better choice, if possible. You’d not only be able to get any jitters out of presenting in front of someone else, but they’d also be able to give you invaluable feedback. They can help you build your confidence, making you feel more comfortable when you’re due to speak.
6. Anticipate Questions
Though most students don’t ask questions at the end of presentations — likely because they don’t want someone to ask them questions, in turn — professors will likely have feedback. Nerdify reviews experts say that as you work on your presentation, think to yourself about common comments that might be brought up. This requires you to truly know your material, both to anticipate these questions, and to think of answers to them. If your presentation takes an argumentative stance, think of probable counterarguments for your position, and evidence for why your argument is nevertheless superior. If you are secure about the content you are presenting, most questions will be a breeze.
