If you’re a student who has been assigned a project that involves giving a class presentation, then there’s no doubt you’re feeling a bit nervous and anxious. Everyone wants to deliver that engaging and exciting presentation that not only gets great marks from the teacher, but also captures the audience. Of course, this is usually easier said than done. That’s exactly why we have put together a list of top tips for giving a student presentation.

Don’t Read off Note Cards

One of the biggest mistakes you can make during your presentation is reading off note cards. When you are looking at the cards you aren’t making eye contact with the audience, you aren’t reading the room, and you’re missing out on opportunities to really engage. It can also make you look unprepared, since you need to read your notes rather than just be comfortable enough to talk about the content.

It is recommended you practice, practice, and practice so that you know the content well enough that you can share it in a conversational manner.

Add Humour and Personality if the Topic Allows

Obviously not all topics are going to allow for humour, but if it’s a light enough topic then it’s wise to inject your personality and humour into the presentation. It will help to relax you and the audience, which will make for a smoother presentation all around. It will also help to keep their attention, even at the parts that may be more content-heavy.

Don’t Overload Your Audience on Facts and Figures

Another mistake that students can make is to overload their audience with facts and figures. This is even more common if you have slides and visuals in your presentation. Try to keep things simple and clean looking so that the audience absorbs the information and doesn’t tune out. Bullet points are excellent to use on slides, but again limit yourself on how many you add. There is nothing wrong with having white space on the slide.  If you do have a lot of information you want to provide, consider handing out these facts in a presentation folder.  You can buy these from showcasecreative.com.

Don’t Get Frazzled by Interruptions

Interruptions can end up doing a real number on you and leave you feeling frazzled. Go into the presentation expecting to be interrupted and if and when it happens, go with it and use it to your advantage. Perhaps it gives you a chance to elaborate on the content you are presenting, maybe it’s a chance to recognise another point of view, and then again maybe it’s just an icebreaker. If you stay relaxed looking, your audience will feed off your cues and do the same.

Encourage Audience Participation

One of the best ways to grab the attention of your audience is to have them participate. Ask them questions, move around the room, and basically acknowledge that your audience is there.

A Stellar Presentation is Possible

By following these tips not only is a stellar presentation possible, it’s pretty much a given. So with a little work you’ll be well on your road to perfecting the art of presentations.

We welcome your feedback to our work.

Email:  General Information   |   Prof. David C. Pecoraro

Thank you!

Daniel & David

###

      Top Tips for Giving a Student Presentation