It was my first oral presentation in NUS, 6 April 2009.
I can't deny I fared badly on that fateful Monday, at least failing my own expectation.
I looked through the slides the night before, tried to formulate my speech in my mind, wrote down how to deliver my points and rehearsed with my group members on that fateful Monday morning. What exactly went wrong?
I thought I was prepared. I don't have to memorise my script word by word, I just have to try to deliver my points smoothly. I faced the audiences with some courage, started with a 'Good Morning' and a smile. In the midst, I started to stumble with my words and panicked when one of the slides moved ahead of me. All eyes looked at me and many gave me the 'OH NO' look. I ended it tragically.
I hope that I was clear overall even though I struggled to present my points. I might not have been very effective in delivering as I carried a straight face after I got nervous and occasionally used fragmented sentences, with probably many grammar mistakes. I had in mind which words I want to stress on to create an impact of my presentation, but I was overwhelmed by my nervousness.
I have no problem with speaking out loud. I might have spoke too quickly when I panicked. I faced the audiences with my head up, trying to look confident even though I was really nervous! I had some appropriate gestures to aid in my presentation. I hope most of the audiences understood what I was trying to deliver.
In life, I always panic and get struck by unforeseen circumstances. I am not open-minded to changes, rigid, always sticking to the plans I have in mind, accepting only the things that I expect, running away when things 'go wrong' or 'are different'. This is one big area where I have to improve on. I have to be adaptive and confident, no matter how prepared I might have felt. This presentation has made me realise the urgency of improving some of my greatest weaknesses.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Hi Sze Hui!
ReplyDeleteI could tell that you were extremely nervous right from the start, which is quite understandable since who doesn’t right?
Nerves aside, you did make it a point to maintain eye contact with the audience. I have to say you chose a perfect spot to stand. The entire “stage” was focused on you rather that on the slides. You sounded a bit monotonous at first but your voice picked up towards the end. Also, you had a controlled expression throughout the entire presentation (perhaps a smile or two would be good. This way, you can engage with the audience little bit better and maybe help to overcome your nervousness! =D) Other than that, your hand gestures were appropriate and you complemented your speech with the slides well. I felt that you have definitely put in a lot of effort into preparing for your presentation.
Overall, you did a commendable job for your presentation. Nice work Sze Hui!
Speaking of which, I AM EXTREMELY NERVOUS FOR TOMORROW.
Our group feels that your group have presented the overall summary on your recommendations well during the presentation and added appropriate pictures which are eye-catching and prominent. This helped in illustrating your points well.
ReplyDeleteAlso, our group liked where each of the group members stood during presentations as it did not block the slides and it was an appropriate distance from the audience. It was also good that your group asked questions to get the audience involved and the presentation was more dynamic.
However, we have picked out some points which your group could improve on in your presentation. Firstly, your group could have avoided looking at your scripts during the presentation as it would cause you to have lesser eye contact with the audience and it may give the impression that your group did not know your content well.
Secondly, the presentation of your slides could be improved by using a darker background to avoid your slides from blending into the background. This can create a better contrast and grab one’s attention.
Lastly, during Q & A, our group felt that it could be improved by providing more team support to each other. There were certain times when one group member was answering and another group member seemed distracted.
Hey Nadiah!
ReplyDeleteI was really nervous! Especially after a group that did so well! Thanks for the encouragement!
I chose to stand at that spot after the previous group's presentation as I realise that some of them were blocking my view of the screen.
I hope to improve from this experience.
(=
Hey Hui Xia!
ReplyDeleteYes I agree that looking at script is really bad for the presenters and the audiences. I got so caught up in making sure that I would not miss out any word that once I did it, I panicked. Being an audience myself for our group presentations, I realise it's more comfortable having the presenters to engaging and not 'in their own world'.
We didn't realise the white background would blend into the background. A point overlooked. I thought that white is more soothing to the eyes. I guess the choice of colour depends on the venue!
Thanks for the comments! I will try to improve for my future presentations!
(=
Hey Shu Juan!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the constructive feedback! I agree that having notes will make me look unsure of my content. I thought it would make me feel more secure but I ended up trying to depend on it!
After I saw some 'OH NO' faces, I was a bit afraid to look at the audiences as it might discourage me further. I guess I ought to be more brave in this area and be confident of myself!
SMILE! I know I look scary when I don't smile! I think we're too focus and forgot to keep a relaxed face. Think through more experiences it can be improved!
I really need to stay calm and confident. I think nervousness leads to many other mistakes! Calm and confident are the key to a good presentation.
Thanks for the encouragement! I'll try to work hard and not fail myself again!
(=