Give presentations? For most, this prospect ensures sleepless nights and stage fright. To stand in front of the whole class and to give a lecture on a topic - not only do you fear this idea, many of your classmates are determined as much as you.
We'd like to give you some tips to make you fit and confident for your next talk:
Presentations - preparation is everything
To be well prepared for your presentation, it is important that you start early enough. It's best to set a schedule for yourself. Think about exactly what you have to do everything: Where do you get your information from? Do you need to design a poster or create a presentation with a handout? Set fixed deadlines for the individual work steps and (very important) stick to it! Nothing is more stressful than doing everything at the last minute. Especially when you have to lecture, you should start as relaxed as possible in the day, since you will be a little nervous anyway.
A first overview
What does everything really belong to your topic? Make a mind map and just write down: Which questions should be answered in your presentation? Are there any aspects that interest you personally in this topic? What information would you expect from your teacher if he gave a lecture on your topic? Can individual points be summarized? Try to create a first outline by forming a top and bottom points.
Information search
When researching a paper, most people immediately turn to the Internet: online sources like this are quick and easy to find and are mostly free. But you should absolutely make sure that the sources are trustworthy: is it a known page? Who wrote the text? Especially on political topics, you will find many false reports on the Internet, so-called fake news.
A visit to the library is also worthwhile: Here you will find specialized books and journals on most topics. The staff of the library will certainly help you to find something.
Sometimes it's a good idea to do your own research: In doing so, you'll find information for your lecture yourself. For example, when it comes to opinions or eyewitness accounts on a topic, you can create questionnaires or conduct interviews.
The day X
Always be in the classroom earlier if you need to give a presentation. Then you have enough time to make necessary preparations. Make sure you speak loud and clear and look at your class during the presentation. Many people start talking much faster when they are nervous. So try to control your speech speed.
Invite classmates to ask their questions at the end of each section, if they have one. So you make sure that no one shuts down because he did not understand something right at the beginning, and still will not be interrupted.
- Tyler Lampe's blog
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