Are you geraing up to give a big presentation in a course or at a conference? Feeling worried or unsure? Presentations can be nerve-wracking. Here you’ll find a few confidence-boosting tips to help you prepare.
Did you know that the academic coaches at the Centre for Academic Communication (CAC) are available to help you practice your presentation? They love listening to student presentations and can offer constructive feedback and encouragement as you gear up to take the stage!
Book an appointment with an academic coach at the CAC.
Be aware of your time
Whether you’re giving a presentation in a course or at a conference, you’ve probably been given a time limit. Staying within that limit is important because it demonstrates preparedness and professionalism. In a conference setting, you may also be cut-off mid-sentence by a panel moderator if you exceed that limit.
How much material should you prepare?
- it takes roughly 2-minutes to read a double-spaced page of text in a 12-point font
- a 15-minute presentation translates to about 7 or 8 pages of text
Practice
Nerves and adrenaline typically push us to speak more quickly, which can make it tricky for listeners to follow what we’re saying. If we’re reading from prepared notes or a paper, nerves can also keep our eyes glued to the page in front of us, which isn’t particularly inviting to audience members.
What are the benefits of practicing?
- it will ensure you’re calmer and more confident on the day of your presentation
- it will help you moderate the pace of your delivery
- will help you learn when you can comfortably make eye contact with your listeners
Share your presentation
If you can, try your presentation out on friends and family and have them offer feedback. Have your friends time you.
Ask your practice audience if:
- could they follow along with your ideas?
- did you speak slowly and clearly?
- did you make eye contact at least once every minute or so?
Remember your context
Even if you’ve written up and plan to read your presentation, oral communication functions a bit differently than written communication. Whereas a reader can re-read a complex sentence multiple times to comprehend it fully, an audience member can’t ask you to pause and repeat yourself.
Tips for your script:
- keep an eye on the length and make-up of your sentences
- are your sentences quite long with lots of subordinate clauses? If yes, consider streamlining them for additional clarity
To learn more about this topic and to get help
Book a free in-person or online appointment with a Centre for Academic Communication academic coach today!