Writing imparts different types of knowledge into a student’s mind. The skill set also becomes more advanced, and the student not only knows how to write but also to express his ideas orally. Most importantly, some assignments do not require writing alone. They involve a lot of oral presentation to make a point. The idea of using presentations is to not only equip the student with good writing skills but enhance his confidence in public speaking as well as in the way he discusses his points. A student has to ensure that he is well prepared for such academic activities beforehand.

With oral presentation rubric, the student goes beyond reading a paper or a set of slides to an audience. The delivery of the presentation matters a lot and is important to be effective while communicating your message.  You have to be good at whatever topic you are handling because, in the course of your presentation, there will be questions coming up. You must be ready to answer them to the best of your ability. Now, doing a presentation in class can be intimidating especially to a student who has never been in such a position before. However, it does not have to be as such. A presentation only needs enough preparation for you to nail it perfectly. A few pointers will help you in making sure you are well prepared for this important academic fete.

Planning your Presentation

Your presentation needs a plan.  This is how you prepare for it:

  • Writing index or note cards

Use the index card to write your main ideas without any details. You can include some fun facts, interactive questions and other interactive activities on these cards to share with your audience. Remember that in this case, your audience is your fellow students. Write down keywords or main ideas because you can use these cards for consultation purposes. Remember, you are not going to read each word, but you only need to get the information. Putting information on index cards helps in remembering information, and even as these cards are no as mandatory, they are good security just in case you forget.

  • Practising

In any form of oral presentation, it is easy to tell, a person who has practiced and one who has not. You have to work on what you are going to say and how you are going to say it. You become more confident when doing the real thing and it eliminates all the stutters as opposed to those who try to ‘wing it’. You can practice in front of your friends and family, in front of a mirror. The best thing is to do it in front of people who you may not know well because it will help in replicating the feeling of being in class.

Ask them for feedback after you are done with your practice. Find out if it was long enough to overshoot time or not. As about your eye contact and if you stammered as well. You have to make a critique of how you performed during your oral presentation practice. This will help you to improve on the things that you are not doing right. By the time you finish, you will feel extra confident knowing that your efforts were not in vain.

  • Do adequate research on your topic of the presentation

If you want to do a serious and engaging oral presentation, you have to be knowledgeable about what you are talking about.  You do not have to be an expert on the topic or read every book or website concerning your topic.  However, you ought to have the knowledge required to answer such questions from your classmates as well as your supervisor. You also need to get reliable quotes from sources. This makes your presentation look smart and shows that you spent time thinking about what others said about your topic.

Ensure that all your sources are trustworthy and reliable.  If you have facts, you will be more confident arguing your points out.  Of importance to note is that you need not to trust everything, you read for the internet. Sift through the information to ascertain, that which is not factual.

Delivering the Presentation

You can get enough information about oral presentation online to help you in knowing the best way to deliver on this assignment. During the oral presentation:

  • Keep smiling at your audience

Your audience will be drawn to your presentation if you have a god well-fashioned smile. Smiles are infectious which makes it hard for everyone not to smile back. It helps your presentation flow without a hitch.

  • Be confident about your presentation

When giving your class presentation, your professor is having you take his job for the few minutes you will be there. As such, you have to ensure everyone understands everything perfectly. You have to pay attention to how the professor does his lectures because, for one, he is a perfect presenter.

Most importantly, visualise success before, during, and after your oral presentation. You have to be humble about what you do and imagine yourself successful at all times.  Your confidence plays a big role in the information that you are delivering an as such; you have to exude it at all times

  • Maintain eye contact

The audience enjoys a presenter who maintains eye contact with them. To do this, you need to relax. The audience consists of friends that you talk to everyday. You can look at every person at least once. This makes them feel like you have engaged them at a personal level.

  • The inflexion in your voice is important

While engaging the audience, you have to animate your voice. You can talk about it like it is the unique thing in the entire universe.

  • Make a good conclusion

Your conclusion is the final impression your audience is going to have. You have to make it more interesting. You can tell a story that has a personal note or asks a provocative question. This will get your audience to think about your oral presentation interestingly.