Tag: Public Speaking

4 Tips for Building Confidence in Public Speaking

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Hey there, friend! Welcome! Today we’re discussing how to build confidence for public speaking events. If you’re like me, then public speaking doesn’t always come easy. It has taken me years of practice to feel comfortable talking in front of a crowd. So today, I am going to tell you my top 5 tips for public speaking, easing public speaking anxiety, and building confidence. 

For the tips in this article to work the best, I recommend having your presentation finished at least two weeks in advance. This isn’t to say that you can’t continue making changes, but it helps to have the main points set.

*You can still use these tips though if you have less than two weeks!

1. Finish the Presentation

Personally, I find that a lot of my stress comes from not having a presentation finished. So finishing the presentation is my first tip for public speaking success. After you finish the presentation rough draft, walk away for a few hours and come back to it. You’ll want to read through it again to make sure there are no spelling errors and that your slides are arranged how you want them. 

2. Read Your Presentation Aloud

Second, I want you to read your presentation out loud in your house or in your parked car if you have roommates or just want to be alone. Take the time to edit clunky words or sentences. After you do this, I want you to put it down for a day or two. 

3. Time Your Presentation

After a few days, I want you to time yourself giving the presentation. Set a timer on your phone or computer and make the screen go dark. I want you to read your presentation just like you would for the group you are going to be speaking to. Remember to not speak too fast. You’ll be nervous on the day of your presentation so practice speaking slowly and enunciating your words. 

BONUS TIP: NEVER go over your presentation time limit. It is always better to be under by a few minutes or right on time. 

4. Practice Giving Your Presentation to Someone

After you’ve got the timing down for your presentation, I want you to find someone to give your presentation to. They’ll be your practice audience. This can be in person or on the phone. The more people you can practice on, the better. Your confidence will grow each and every time you give your presentation and if you give it enough times you might even start to memorize your lines. 

Try to practice your presentation in the outfit that you want to wear. This can help you feel more comfortable. Personally, I practiced my presentation in one pair of shoes and realized that I couldn’t stand still and had to change to a different pair of shoes! 

BONUS TIP: If you can memorize parts of your presentation it allows you to make more eye contact with your audience which allows for a deeper connection. 

Concluding Thoughts

After you’ve practiced your presentation, I want you to put it aside for another few days. You just have to believe in yourself and your abilities now. You know your work, you know the research, and you know what kind of people will most likely be in the audience. You will speak what you know to be fact and there’s nothing else you can do. You’re going to do great! I believe in you! 

I hope you found something helpful today! I know public speaking can be difficult, but if you practice these tips and tricks for public speaking then you should grow more and more confident each and every time! For more tips on how to give a great presentation check out this article next: 10 Tips to Nail Your Next Presentation. 

I’ll talk to ya soon! 🙂 

10 Tips for a Virtual Thesis Defense

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Congratulations, you’re almost done with your degree! The only thing standing between you and that diploma is your thesis defense… *cue the dramatic music* 

You might be terrified, excited, overwhelmed, or a combination of all of these things! But don’t worry you’ll do great. Relax, read these tips, and get ready to rock your thesis defense presentation. 

1. Make sure you set a time that works for all of your committee members. 

It can be difficult trying to align three to four people’s schedules, but it is crucial that everyone be in attendance. Remember to take time zones into account if you have committee members from different universities or if they are traveling for research purposes. 

2. Ask your roommates or family to be quiet during the meeting. 

Most thesis defenses are scheduled in blocks of a few hours so make sure to ask your family or roommates to be quiet during this time. It’s even better if you could have the house or space to yourself, but I know that’s not always possible. 

Personally, my thesis defense was scheduled in a two hour block. This allowed me to give my thesis presentation and allowed my committee time to ask questions. Thesis defense questions will vary based on your subject and university’s requirements. 

3. Clean up your background!

Make sure that the background of your room is as clean as possible or use a screen filter. This is a professional meeting and you want the background to be neat!

4. Set up good lighting. 

Make sure that the lighting in the room or area you are in is good. You don’t want to have shadows on your face if you can help it.

The best place to sit is in front of a window. This provides great natural light! If you don’t have a window, try using a ring light or a lamp! Always make sure that the light is in front of you and not behind you. 

5. Make sure to dress professionally. 

You want to dress your best for your thesis defense. This is a professional occasion.

Ladies, if you want more tips on professional outfits see this article next: Business Outfit Ideas For Women

Bonus Tip: Make sure that you clothes don’t blend into your background. Also, try to avoid super crazy patterns if you can. 

You can set up your phone to test out different outfits or FaceTime a friend. They can give you an honest opinion on what looks best on the screen. This is important because on screen outfits and in-person outfits are two totally different things… 

6. Have your thesis defense presentation ready to go.

If you use slides or data, upload the presentation ahead of time and ensure it is ready to go Make sure you know how to turn on your video, audio, and how to share your screen with other people. This will help things go much more smoothly on thesis defense day. 

Your thesis defense powerpoint presentation is a way for you to showcase your work visually. Make it unique, but professional. Pictures and data charts are great examples of what work well! 

PowerPoint and Canva are great tools to make eye-catching presentations with! I love both of these programs. 

7. Keep a bottle of water next to you during your presentation just in case you need it!

It doesn’t have to be water, it could be coffee, tea, or juice. Just keep something next to you in case your mouth gets dry. 

8. Look at the camera when you are speaking and remember to speak slowly.

Look directly at the camera when talking during your thesis defense. The camera is essentially your committee members and if you were in the same room with them you would make eye contact – so look directly at the camera. 

Remember to speak slowly and enunciate your words. It’s easy to get nervous and start speaking faster than usual. But don’t worry if you catch yourself doing this, simply take a deep breath, smile, and slow down. Your thesis committee wants to hear what you have to say about your topic because you are the expert in the room. 

If you would like to read more tips on how to give a great presentation, check out this article next: 10 Tips to Nail Your Next Presentation 

9. Thank your committee for working with you on your thesis.

Please make sure to thank your thesis committee during your presentation. You couldn’t have done it without their help and guidance along the way. You can decide whether you want to thank them at the beginning or at the end – or you could do both! 🙂 

10. Remember to celebrate when you are done! 

You can celebrate alone or with some of your close friends and family. Researching, writing, and defending a thesis is a BIG DEAL. You deserve to celebrate all of the hard work you accomplished. 

BONUS TIP: Make sure to get some sleep as well! You’ll be tired 🙂 

Concluding Thoughts

I hope these tips for a thesis defense were helpful for you. Good luck! I know you’re going to do great! If this article was helpful – drop a comment below and let me know how your thesis defense went! 

I’ll talk to ya soon! 🙂 

10 Tips to Nail Your Next Presentation

Posted on Posted in Grad School Tips, History Class Tips, Professional Skills, ResourcesTagged , , , , 2 Comments

Hey there! I’m assuming you have a presentation to give sometime soon! That’s awesome! Today, I am going to give you several tips to give an engaging presentation. 

I have presented my research at multiple conferences – winning prizes at four of them! I love public speaking and engaging with the audience. My public speaking career began when I spoke in front of my FCA club my freshman year of high school. So, I guess you could say that I have had some time to practice. Let’s go ahead and get started. 

1. Make sure that you are dressed for the occasion.

You want to look professional and put together – no sweat pants or hoodies. Make sure that you’re wearing comfortable shoes too! 

2. Organize your equipment.

Double check that you have all the equipment you need for your presentation. This can include a computer, pointer/clicker, adapter cables, flash drive, hard copy of your presentation, etc.

BONUS TIP: Make sure to take a water bottle with you! 

3. Try to stay relaxed as possible when you’re in front of the room. 

Some conferences have chairs for you to sit in while other places will have you stand behind a podium. Just keep your body relaxed! 

4. Make eye contact with people in the audience. 

Sweep your gaze around the room and make eye contact with people in the audience. If you make eye contact with someone – smile at them! They’ll most likely smile back at you and this will help you feel more relaxed. 

5. Speak with confidence. 

You are the expert in the room once you start talking. Everyone is there to hear what you have to say! You put the hours into this presentation and should feel proud of your work! 

6. Don’t worry if you stumble over your words! 

Nobody is judging you, I promise. Bonus points if you are able to laugh at yourself. This will show other people in the room that you are still human and comfortable with yourself! 

7. Speak slowly and enunciate your words. 

Sometimes it’s easy to get nervous and you might start speaking quicker than usual. This makes it really hard for people to understand you. Just remember to take a deep breath, speak slowly, and enunciate your words. 

8. Make sure that you are projecting your voice. 

This is especially if the room doesn’t have a microphone set up for you to use. You might even start your presentation by asking if the people in the back of the room can hear you. If they can, that’s great! If not, you’ll have to speak louder. 

9. Make sure to thank the audience for their time and attention. 

Depending on the presentation this would be the time to ask if the audience has any questions. Try to answer as many questions as possible. Don’t make up something if you don’t know the answer to an audience member’s question. Simply tell them that it was an excellent question and that you don’t know the answer to it. Make a mental note of the question or write it down quickly! Audience questions can make your presentations better over time. 

10. After the presentation and question time is over, you can ask any friends or colleagues in the audience if they have any critiques of your performance. 

These need to be trusted people that will give you good advice that will make you a better professional speaker. 

Concluding Thoughts

*At conferences or symposiums: Carry a pen and notebook in your bag. You will want to take notes during other talks. I have learned so much from other people’s research. You can also take note of how other people present their research/talks.

I hope these tips help you out on your next presentation. You’re going to do great! I just know it! 

I’ll talk to ya soon! 🙂 

(Left) 2nd place finish for American History Graduate Students. My cohort swept the prizes for US History that year!
(Right) 3rd place finish for American History Graduate Students. Shout out to my friend for snapping the picture of me speaking!