Being a student means doing tons of fun stuff and taking part in many activities. One such activity is presenting a slideshow in front of classmates. Whether you are presenting in front of your class as part of a group or individually, or you are supposed to present in front of a larger audience. It can be fun or full of anxiety, and it depends on how much you love public speaking.
But no matter what personality you have, there is a bit of nervousness in the air. You want your presentation to be the best, informative, and above all not boring at all. Because as students, we have sat through tons of mind-numbing presentations and speeches. So, we do not want our slideshow to be like that. Also, most of the time, that presentation is a test, and you get half a grade for presenting and half to make the slides. Thus, knowing the secret to do both well is imperative if you want to get a standing ovation or at least not make any student sleep.
So, let’s take a look at a few tips that will help you give the best of the presentation.
1. Keep the slide to the point
Students should remember that slideshow appeals to people because it is short and to-the-point. You cannot explain a topic in three slides, because no one has time to read that much. Keep one issue limited to one slide, and write the text in bullet points. Even the number of bullet points per slide should be limited to five for better visibility.
2. Design of the slideshow matters
The slides are your support system. They inform people about what you will be talking about so that they can pay more attention to it. Also, for a student, creating an appealing slideshow is half a grade, and it matters to the other students who are taking notes. So, keeping it clean and readable while making it attractive is crucial. Tips:
- Whichever tool you are using, like Canva slideshow maker or power-point presentation, make sure you use the right template. It should match your topic.
- The colour of the background of the slide should not overpower the text or its colour.
- The font should be readable and not funny looking.
3. Be prepared for questions
Expand your knowledge of the topic by learning more than just the parts you have in your slide. The teacher or the other students may have tons of questions regarding it, and as a presenter, you need to be able to answer them.
Also, when you have more data about the topic, you can form a better opinion and talk more confidently and smoothly.
4. Take time and slow down
When you are nervous, you tend to rush things. You finish your presentation in a single breath, or you speed up things. It is never a good idea to do this as it may be distracting for other students who are your listeners.
5. Practice but don’t be afraid to improvise
All students show practice giving their presentation as it helps them deliver it smoothly and confidently. But you should not come across as someone who is giving a lecture without evoking emotions. So, move around and use hand gestures to make your point. Use your muscle memory and never look at the slide for more than a second.
Also, improvise your presentation. Maybe you have remembered an interesting fact about the topic or have a joke that fits perfectly, use it as long as it doesn’t distract or disturbs the presentation. Having a presence of mind can keep you out of trouble when your presentation doesn’t work correctly.
6. Use visuals
Visuals are integral to a presentation. Use images to explain a topic rather than text. Or support a fact with data using graphs or tables. Just use high-quality images, and do not clutter a slide with visuals.
7. Never read from the slides
The slides are there to support your presentation. So, use that as your talking point. But if you continue to read and add every detail in it and use it for presenting without making eye-contact then it is wrong. It will not have any impact on your classmates or teacher, and you do not want that.
Remember these tips and you will give a mind-blowing presentation.
