Presentations

Just as I wrote last night about how every college student HAS to experience...and endure.....group projects, presentations are something else that you won't escape. Presentations have never been stressful for me personally. Yes, I have to prepare (even though I usually do better just winging it) and work for the quality of my presentation; however, public speaking has never really freaked me out or scared me. I know this is not the case for many people (and I am ever-grateful I am not included in this bunch). For those of you who hate presentations, just remember to 1. practice, practice, practice. In front of the mirror, in front of your friends and even in your sleep. 2. Research and study the information SO well that JUST IN CASE you mess up your lines, you can start speaking from memory. 3. Go to the room/site where you will be speaking before the planned presentation in order to be comfortable with the environment and maybe even do a practice run. 4. Try and look people in their eyes as you speak, but if you can't, look at their foreheads. It is not good speech-making etiquette to look over your audience. 5. Make flash cards or some sort of prompts. Most presentations allow for prompts to keep you on track and smoothly speaking. 6. DO NOT READ YOUR PROMPTS. These are not to be read. That would not be giving a presentation. That would be reading to your class, which anyone could do. And 7. Ask someone you respect, and who you know can be honest with you, to critique your presentation. There are always mannerisms and gestures that we make as we talk; however, we don't realize that we do most of them. So, it is good to get an unbiased and helpful point of view.

Any presentations this week? I have 2!!

Goodluck if so....knock em dead :)