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Presentation Tips for Students: How to Conquer Anxiety
By Jane Playdon
Updated January 5, 2015 Updated January 5, 2015Find yourself reaching stratospheric heights of creativity and cunning in order to avoid just a few minutes of speaking in class? Would you rather sabotage your grade average or fail the module entirely than give the required presentation? Then you need these presentation tips for students.
As a student, you will almost certainly be asked to give a presentation at some point – and unless you’re one of the lucky few blessed with the poise and self-assurance of a cat, you’ll probably be at least a little nervous about this. Follow these presentation tips to get past the nerves and become a confident public speaker…
1. Pick an interesting topic
If you pick an interesting topic, you are more likely to focus on what you are communicating rather than on others’ perception of you. Fear of public speaking is often caused by a fear of unfavorable evaluation by others, so the more strategies you use to deflect that imaginary evaluation, the better.
If you’re enthusiastic about the topic, the audience will pick up on that – and you may even find yourself enjoying the presentation! If it’s not possible to pick just any subject that interests you, see how you can find your own angle within the topic assigned.
2. Harness the power of positive visualization
Good preparation goes a long way towards handling public speaking anxiety, so make sure you practice giving the presentation, and harness the power of positive visualization. If you can imagine the presentation going well, it really is more likely to run smoothly.
Try to mimic the actual presentation setting as closely as possible. Wear the outfit you intend to wear on the day, and place yourself either in front of the mirror or a movie camera (the latter is preferable because you don’t usually see your reflection when you speak). Practice repeatedly, concentrating on speaking slowly and clearly, because public speaking anxiety often causes people to speak faster.
Another technique that uses visualization is hypnosis, which can be very effective for public speaking nerves. According to the UK’s National Hypnotherapy Society, hypnotherapy directs “imagination in such a way as to bring about intended alterations in sensations, perceptions, feelings, thoughts and behavior”, and “is also used to enhance performance in several areas such as sport and public speaking”.
3. Use props to deflect the ‘spotlight effect’
Hate that feeling of being ‘in the spotlight’, with everyone staring at you? According to the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, the spotlight effect is actually due to each of us “being at the center of our own universe.” This results in a disparity between our own perception of the way our behavior is noticed by others, and how it is actually seen.
The journal also says that a “misreading of a crucial passage of a prepared speech… may seem shameful and unforgettable to us, but they often pass without notice by others”. So basically, while you’re stammering and sweating, chances are the audience members are all too busy worrying about their own presentations to care or even notice!
But just to be on the safe side, you may want to use some props or supporting materials, such as handouts for the class, a slide-show or a movie. This should make your presentation more engaging, and also has the cunning side-effect of deflecting attention away from you!
4. And finally…
Look at your audience. It will help them to engage more with what you’re saying, and you may even get a smile or two – especially if you smile first. People are funny like that.
Do you have any presentation tips to share? Join the discussion in our student forums >
This article was originally published in August 2013 . It was last updated in January 2015
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Jane Playdon is a TopUniversities.com author and blogger.
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