15 Strategies for Giving Oral Presentations 15 Strategies for Giving Oral Presentations | Page 2

4-Star Tip. It's always a good idea to try out your presentation on your professor
(or TA) before giving it in class. Office hours work well for this.
2. Play the parts. Good presentations are structured in sections. Many presentations
need only two or three main points. Organizing your points into a few main parts
and telling your audience what these parts are–both before and as you go through
your presentation–can be the difference between
a winning presentation and a loser.
3. Do a dry run. It's always good to do a run-
through (or even a couple of run-throughs) the
night before the presentation. This can help with
both
your
timing
and
your
manner
of
presentation. Be sure to make mental notes if you
went on too long or got nervous or stuck. Some
people find it useful to have a friend pretend to be the audience: He or she can build
up your confidence and maybe even ask a question or two.