Oral Presentation Guide for Students

What's an Oral Presentation?

An oral presentation is your chance to tell the story of your research in front of an audience. Think of it like giving a mini-lecture about something you've worked hard on and are excited to share. You'll stand at the front of the room and walk people through what you discovered, why it matters, and what you learned along the way.

The Goal: Spark Conversation

Your presentation should do more than just inform - it should make people curious! If your audience leaves with questions they want to ask you, that's a good thing. It means they were engaged and interested in your work.

Before you can present, each student (or group) needs to complete an abstract submission form. You'll find it on the right side of this page.

How long do I have? You'll have 12 minutes to present the core of your research. That's enough time to cover the important stuff without rushing!

Do I need PowerPoint? It's not required, but we highly recommend it! Slides help your audience follow along and make your presentation more engaging. Most presenters use PowerPoint or similar software (like Google Slides).

What should I wear? This is a professional event, so dress in business attire. Think of it like a job interview - you want to look polished and confident!

How can I prepare? Keep an eye on your email! We'll send information about practice sessions where you can run through your presentation and get helpful feedback before the big day.

Practice, practice, practice! Go through your entire presentation multiple times. Practice in front of a mirror, record yourself, or present to friends. The more comfortable you are with your material, the less nervous you'll feel.

Notes are okay! You're absolutely allowed to have notes with you during your presentation. Many people use note cards or printouts of their slides with speaker notes.

Connect with your audience: Make eye contact with people in the room. It helps you engage with your listeners and makes you seem more confident (even if you're feeling nervous inside!).

Speak clearly and take your time: Nerves often make us talk faster than we realize. Take a breath, slow down, and speak clearly. If you're using a microphone, test it beforehand so you know how it sounds.

Keep it visual: Your slides should support what you're saying, not repeat it word-for-word. Use images, charts, graphs, and bullet points rather than paragraphs of text.

Make it readable: Everyone in the room should be able to read your slides easily. Text and images need to be visible from about 6 feet away (roughly two arm-lengths). That means:

  • Use large fonts (at least 24-28 point for body text, larger for titles)
  • Choose high-contrast colors (dark text on light backgrounds works best)
  • Don't cram too much on one slide

Font choices:

  • Headers: Try Helvetica or similar clean, bold fonts
  • Main text: Times New Roman or other easy-to-read fonts
  • Rule of thumb: If you have to squint to read it on your laptop, it'll be even harder to read from across a room!

Use quality images: Include high-resolution photographs and graphics. Blurry or pixilated images look unprofessional and are hard to see.

Less is more: Each slide should make one main point. If you have too much information, split it into multiple slides. You want people listening to you, not trying to read paragraphs on the screen.

Be clear and concise: Use simple, straightforward language. Remember, your audience may not know much about your specific topic, so avoid jargon or explain technical terms when you use them.

Your presentation should tell the complete story of your research:

  1. Introduction - What's your research about and why does it matter?
  2. Research Question - What were you trying to find out?
  3. Methods - How did you conduct your research?
  4. Results - What did you discover?
  5. Discussion - What do your findings mean?
  6. Conclusions - What's the takeaway? What's next?

Your slides should help your audience follow this story and give them something visual to engage with while you're talking.

Poster, PowerPoint, and Video Design Discussion

PDF Printout

Need Help?

If you have questions about your oral presentation, reach out to: Dr. Kelly Davidson at kfdavidson@valdosta.edu

Final Thoughts: You've Got This!

Public speaking can feel intimidating, especially if you've never presented research before. But remember - you know your research better than anyone in that room. You're the expert on your project! The audience is there to learn from you and support your work, not to criticize. Take advantage of those practice sessions, prepare thoroughly, and trust yourself. Every researcher started exactly where you are now.