How to feel confident in a Presentation?
Preparation
Before any presentation, you should practice speaking to a group of people so you can feel more comfortable when people are staring at you or judging your words. In general, try to improve on consistent speaking(pacing) and concise, clear words without unnecessary stuttering or words such as um, ok, and whatever. For some presentations, there is a time limit guideline, so use a stopwatch on your phone and don't force yourself to speed up or slow down because this is subject to change due to nerves. Never go on an off-topic tangent if you are just stalling for time and if you forget on the spot, just speak about relevant information about your topic that you can remember.
Mindset
Everybody feels a little nervous when standing in front of the class, but if this scenario scares you to the point of stage fright, try to think from a different perspective. Remember that everybody else isn't paying close attention to your tiny mistakes during your presentation and some are probably reciting their speech in their head. Nobody in the class can say constructive criticism during your presentation to derail your concentration so ignore the eyes and spotlight.
Focus
Don't be distracted by random noises or the teacher taking notes about your presentation. Instead, try to pace from one side to the other side of the classroom if you constantly move when you're nervous. Maintain eye contact with everyone if this doesn't add more anxiety. To follow most rules, never directly read off of your PowerPoint because you will most likely lose points and you won't be able to face your fear. During your preparation, you can manage your volume by asking a family member or friend to sit far away and trust if they can hear your voice. It should be common sense that taking off a the mask will increase volume.
Conclusion
Don't underestimate your speaking skills and only add humor if this presentation is a personal topic about you such as an All About Me presentation at the beginning of the school year. Don't lose your momentum if nobody laughs at your jokes either because only some people share the same sense of humor. In general, never speak similarly to your debates because speaking too fast will lead to less clarity of your argument or topic.
Sameet T is a current student majoring in architecture. He created Schooller Education alongside with Aniq S bringing his years of experience in high school to help students achieve success in high school when he didn't get a chance to know a lot about it.