5 Tips for the Nervous Presenter

In my first year of university I had to do a handful of presentations and I completely loathed it. For a while it even made me want to change programs. I got so brain-numbingly nervous during the week prior to a presentation, which resulted in absolute insanity on the day I actually presented and a whole lot of self hatred post-presentation.

I remember doing my first solo presentation, I was so nervous about it that I tried to forget that it was actually happening and didn’t do the work until my friend forced me to do the research and make my powerpoint (AKA he basically did it for me) about 12 hours before I was set to present. As you would expect – I failed. I got up there and I had absolutely no idea what I was talking about, spoke for about a minute of the five minute requirement and my face was comparable to a perfectly ripe tomato… I think I even swore at one point.

All in all, my nervousness got the best of me.

In my second year, I learned to deal with the anxiety and nervousness I felt about presentations. I’m still not an amazing presenter and I definitely still get nervous, but I’ve learned to cope with it and control how much it affects me.

Here are a couple of tips that have helped me:

1. Know your stuff – Do your research and understand the topic that you’re presenting. Knowing as much as you can about what you’re talking about makes it a lot easier to be confident about it.
2. Don’t procrastinate – Okay, you’re probably rolling your eyes thinking “ugh, everyone says that” but seriously, doing your work in advance gives you a chance to understand what you’re talking about (see tip #1), make any necessary changes, and be physically calmer and more confident when the time to present comes around.
3. Know that a bad presentation isn’t the end of the world – Think about how you can improve but don’t be overly self-critical. Actually read the graded rubric you get back from your professor and ask them for feedback so that you can do better next time.
4. Don’t save any work for the day of the presentation – Have everything you need completed before the day of the presentation, that way you can relax before you present and reduce your stress levels. I even lay out my clothes and pack my bag the night before so I don’t have to worry about what to wear or if I’m forgetting something on the day of the presentation.
5. Take care of yourself – How you feel before you present plays a huge role in your confidence. The night before a presentation I always make sure I get a chance to relax and do something nice for myself. Whether it’s painting your nails and putting on a face mask or taking a couple of hours to watch that movie you’ve been dying to see, put yourself in your best state of mind.

Overall, presentations can be a tricky thing for some of us and there’s nothing wrong with that. We all have different strategies that work for us, it’s all about learning from your mistakes and finding what works for you. Hopefully these tips help you out!