Giving Effective Presentations: A How-To Guide

As college students, we've had good teachers and not-so-good ones. Some where knowledgable, but lacked the ability to present class lectures clearly and effectively. This is where power points can come in handy.

At one time or another--regardless of your major--every college student will have to give a presentation, and knowing what makes a good one can really help you take it to the next level. Here are a few things I have learned along the way:

1) Keep them simple. You don't want too many words on a slide.
2) The audience can read faster than you can speak, so try not to speak directly from your slides. By the time you're done talking, they've already finished and you've lost their attention.
3) Don't use pictures from a generic clip art folder. Everyone's seen them before and they are boring.
4) Try to limit the effects you use. Too much will just cloud your presentation. Only use it to emphesize a key point.
5) Don't look at your powerpoint. Doing so causes you to keep your back to the audience--and they are the ones you're supposed to be communicating to.
6) Reherse, reherse, REHERSE! I can't emphesize this enough. It seems like the most obvious thing, but trust me--you can never be too prepared.

For more helpful tips, check out Scott Stratten's article about the Dos and Don'ts for Power Point Presentations. He had a lot of great things to say.