Do you find your knees shaking, palms sweating and a fear building inside of you at just the mere mention of class presentations? Well Radar is here to give you some pro tips to hopefully reduce the stress of saying your piece for that all important grade!
Presentations can either be your best friend or your worst nightmare. If you dread going to the front of the class to give a presentation - whether it’s a minute long or an hour long – Radar is here to help!
Take a deep breath
One thing that we would recommend is quite simple but effective: take deep breaths before you present and throughout your presentation. If you take a breath before you speak, you will find yourself less likely to be gasping for air and more likely to speak clearly to your audience. It can also help to reduce your nerves and to prevent them from going out of whack.
Bring something that is valuable to you
Bringing a good luck charm of some sort such as a special ring given by a relative can decrease your levels of anxiety. It can also be a great reminder that people such as your parents or grandparents will always be proud of you no matter what happens.
Keep practising your presentation
“Practice makes perfect!” This well-known saying is quite true in the sense that practising your lines for the presentation will improve your speaking abilities and the presentation flow itself. Lecturers do not expect you to wing it and Radar certainly would not recommend you do so, even if you are the type of person to do just that. The more you practise, the less you will look down at your notes and the more you will remember what you have to say.
Make some presenter’s notes
Many lecturers and students with a wide range of experience on presentations will most likely point out the importance of having some notes on you while speaking. People do not expect you to memorise everything which is why it is vital that you make some good notes to have with you. Just in case you forget your train of thought. Do not write down every word, stare at the words all the time and recite it. Instead, try writing only a few words or lines that briefly describe the order of the presentation. Finally, try looking at the audience as much as you can with some good body gestures and facial expressions to top it off.
Focus on one person in the audience who you know
If you imagine that everyone will laugh at you for your presentation, then those thoughts will not help your mental state before and after the presentation. The chances are that people will either: a) be interested in what you have to say as they might learn from the presentation themselves or b) they might be in the same boat as you and will likely sympathise with you. Focusing on one person in the audience who you know and supports you, can make your experience of presenting way easier.
With these tips at hand, you will hopefully be more equipped to conquer your fear of presenting in front of audiences. Hopefully you will be to take our advice as your sword and your courage as your shield. So you can defeat the evil that is presenting in front of audiences and make you ready for any future ones too!