It’s likely you’ll have to do a presentation at university. Don’t let presentation nerves get the better of you by trying out these tips.
If you’re someone who isn’t confident speaking in front of others, first of all, you’re definitely not alone. Having to present to your lecturers or peers can be really daunting, so it’s perfectly normal to be nervous. Sometimes a little bit of nerves isn’t a bad thing. It can show that you care. However, you don’t want presentation nerves to get the better of you.
Be prepared
If you go into your presentation not really knowing what you’re going to say, then it’s likely you won’t do amazingly. If you require a PowerPoint or something similar, create it in plenty of time so you can go over it before the big day. Even better, use the notes function or write yourself some note cards to prompt you. Just reading off a slide can be a tad boring, so having separate notes will not only help you know what to say but will liven the presentation up too.
Find Out As Much As You Can
Find out who you’ll be presenting to, how long it needs to be, and what you’ll be marked on. Having as much information as possible will calm those presentation nerves. You’ll know exactly what you have to do and who for, so there will be no surprises on the day.
The Morning Of
Waking up already feeling nervous is never nice – it’s really consuming. If you can, book your presentation in for as early as possible to get it out of the way. This means that those presentation nerves won’t pester you for the whole day. Even better, plan something for afterwards so there’s something to look forward to. It can be as small as going out for a coffee and some cake or taking an hour or so to read your favourite book. If your presentation is unavoidably later on in the day, do those nice things beforehand! If you’re prepared, then cramming the morning of will just make you feel worse, so try to distract yourself instead.