Having a firm understanding of a topic and having the ability to present it in front of a college class are two different skills. Students preparing to give an oral presentation must practice before the presentation. One method of practice is to present the oral report to anyone who is willing to listen. Ask friends, family members and coworkers to listen to the presentation. Make sure the information is clear to someone who hasn't been studying the topic. If no one is around to listen, practice the presentation in front of a mirror. Students can also tape record the presentation and play it back, or film the presentation and play it back to make appropriate adjustments.
Certain oral presentations will have a time limit attached to them. College students must time their presentation before delivering it to make sure it lands within the time allotted. If the presentation is running long, speed up the rate at which you speak or trim information that isn't crucial to the overall topic. Remember to leave time at the end of the presentation to field questions from either fellow students or the teacher.
Often, you learn more from a bad presentation than from a good one. A poor presentation will leave the class bored, uninterested and unmotivated to learn more about the topic presented. Students should make a list of the worst presentations they have sat through and write down why the presentation was so bad. These reasons can range from poor organization, lack of eye contact or lack of excitement in the speaking voice. Poor presentations also include verbal fillers such as "you know" and "um." Creating a list of these negative aspects allow students to do the opposite in their own speech.
The most important thing to remember when giving a college presentation, and perhaps the most difficult, is to relax. Breathe, speak slowly and clearly, and keep eye contact with multiple students in the room. Study the ease at which the college professor delivers his presentations for the day. Write down the oral presentation tactics he uses to keep the class involved and entertained. Always remember that your fellow students might be just as nervous as you are giving oral presentations. Knowing this allows you to relax more while giving your presentation.