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At some time during your , you will be asked to present your work verbally with the aid of diagrams, charts and such like. This is more commonly termed a . A presentation can either be carried out individually, or in groups. Your presentation may be informal in front of your class, or more formal in front of your . This section deals with presentations and how best to prepare for them.

There are two general types of presentation, these are namely , and .

Individual presentations are those which are carried out by a single student. Individual presentations can be difficult to prepare for in view of the fact that they require the individual to carry out all research and organisation of the material themselves. On the other hand, by doing all the research yourself, you should have become very familiar with the subject matter hence resulting in a knowledgeable presentation.

Group-based presentations are those that involve more than one student. Group-based presentations are often less difficult than individual presentations, due to the fact that the work can be divided amongst group members and any problems can be resolved as a team as opposed to individually. For more information concerning how to get the best out of your group please check the Group Work section of this site.

• Research - You must ensure that you have researched your topic thoroughly. Quite often during the presentation you may be asked questions. The fact that you can not give a sufficient answer to the question may indicate that you have not covered all the areas of the topic that you were intended to. Also it is not uncommon that during the presentation some students will run out of material to talk about, in reality this should never happen if you carry out your research properly.
• Planning & organisation - This is another area where you should pay particular attention. It is all very well collecting a huge amount of research and material for your , but this alone will not mean that the presentation will be a success. You need to plan out what needs to be included in the presentation and in what order. Once you have decided this, you can then move on to shifting through the material that you collected through research and deciding whether it is relevant to whatever you have decided to be in your presentation.

  The type of presentation that you are asked to perform will dictate how you should approach it. If your presentation is formal, you should have clear-cut sections (i.e. an introduction, a middle, and a conclusion. If on the other hand your presentation is informal, then your language should be more or less the language you would use normally. With such an informal presentation you should still attempt to keep a structure to your presentation. However, there is a temptation to consider it as being less important because it is to your class that you are talking to.

• Practice - Independently of whether you are undertaking the presentation individually or in a group you must make time for practice. Practice involves finding somewhere quiet to undertake in front of an imaginary audience. Whilst you are doing so, you should keep a note of the time you are taking and the points that you have covered. In this way you can identify areas that need improvement, for example running over the time limit or forgetting to make a certain point. When you are comfortable you may even find it useful to practice in front of a live audience, for example your family or even some other willing students.

  During the time you spend practising you should also make sure that you familiarise yourself with all the tools that you need to use during your real presentation. The reason being that if you do not practice using these tools prior to the presentation you may have to use them during the presentation without first knowing how to use them properly. The commonest mistake students make is with the (OHP). Students attempt to put on a slide only to find that they have put the slide on upside down or back to front. You can probably get away with mistakes like this in an , but in a it may affect your grade.

There are a vast number of tools available for use in conjunction with your presentation. These tools are presented below:

• Index note cards - These are very useful indeed, and have come to the aid of many students during their presentations. The idea behind these small cards is that you write key words or phrases on them as a means of reminding you what you will say next. Index cards are of most help in view of the fact that that you can maintain eye contact with your class or almost 100% of the time.
• Diagrams - Diagrams are a very useful means of getting your point across. This is due to the fact that quite often students find it easier to remember a diagram, and through remembering the diagram they can associate the facts represented by that diagram. The main point that has to be made about diagrams is that they must be large enough to be visible at the back of the class in which you are required to give your presentation, and they must make appropriate use of colour where necessary.
• Using a black/white board - The black/white board is another presentation tool that is popular amongst students. Students often assume that they can use the black/white board properly, however this is never the case. Imagine that during your presentation you write something on the board only to realise that you have written it so small that only the students at the front can see it, it can happen, and it often does. Thus you must be sure to practice using the black/white board prior to the presentation in order to benefit from its use.
• Using an Over Head Projector - This tool is vital to almost every presentation that you will have to undertake, thus it is equally vital to familiarise yourself with it. The best way to do this is to practice using the projector in the room that you are required to give your presentation. To use the projector you will need to print your presentation material on acetate (translucent slides). Subsequent to doing this you can practice things like turning the projector on, positioning your slides correctly and adjusting the focus on the projector. After practising you should no longer find the projector intimidating.
• Using computer presentation software - The software most commonly used for presentations is . Using software like Microsoft PowerPoint will require no more preparation than using an overhead projector. If you do not know how to use the software properly you will find all the help you need within the contents of the help menu of the software. There are also many courses online which explain how to use such software. You must first check that your university has the facility to project the computer display, before you set about designing your presentation using software like Microsoft PowerPoint.

Try and remain as calm as possible during your , in view of the fact that nervousness will show. Your body language is important, so don't fidget or pace or make erratic movements that are unnatural, if possible try to stand in one place, and don't slouch. People will be able to hear you more clearly if you stand straight.

Another common sign of nervousness is talking too fast. Make a conscious effort to talk slowly with pauses to make your presentation clear. If you forget what to say during your presentation, look up your , and if you don't have any, try not to panic. Either skip the small part that you forgot, or go back, take a minute and if you have prepared well enough, it will come back to you.

Most importantly maintain eye contact with the audience or the . If you are simply speaking and staring at the floor then you give the impression that you lack confidence in what you are saying, and if you lack confidence in what you are saying, then you can certainly expect your audience to.

When your presentation is over you may be asked some questions. You should answer questions providing answers that are easy to understand, and more importantly you should not need to spend to long thinking about an appropriate answer to the question, as it will give the impression that you do not know the answer. Subsequent to answering the questions, leave showing the same confidence you did when you first arrived, and remain quiet whilst the other groups carry out their presentations. This will show your that you take the other student's presentations as seriously as you took your own.

When delivering a presentation it is imperative that you know your subject matter well. Nothing looks worse than someone who obviously doesn't know what they are talking about and is constantly scanning through their notes. Whether the presentation is formal or informal always dress comfortably, as it gives you one less thing to worry about. It is worth reminding yourself that you need to speak clearly and slowing pausing every now and again to maintain eye contact with your audience. Try to smile frequently, as it shows that you are comfortable with what you are doing and confidant with the subject, it also helps to make contact with our audience. They say practice makes perfect, and this is so true when it comes to delivering a presentation. If at all possible try and get someone to listen to your delivery and ask for constructive criticism, if however this is not possible practice on your own repeating your speech out loud.

The last word on presentations - speak slowly, clearly, breathe, smile and impress!