Each of us has to defend a diploma at least once in a lifetime. This event brings a lot of stress and sleepless nights to our lives. How to prepare for someone with a diploma protection on their nose? What is needed to impress the audience, and especially the commission? Let's get it right.
In this article I want to consider two main aspects of this topic. The first relates directly to the
thesis, and the second is connected specifically with speaking to people.
So, you have your work in your hands. You wrote it yourself? Better if the answer is yes. I believe that such a lesson cannot be called studies, where essays, quizzes, term papers, and even theses are ordered and re-bought. This is not a study. But we are distracted. So, you wrote a work and you know it almost by heart. The defense of the diploma remains . As we know, this process takes about ten minutes, and at this time one standard sheet of printed text can hardly fit. Need to squeeze. You know what the work says, what kind of research was done, what conclusions were made. This is what needs to be told. First, you should declare the relevance of the selected topic, then talk about the work done and the methods used. But the main component of your report is the practical part and conclusions. Here it is worthwhile to dwell in more detail on several issues that the protection of the diploma involves. The presentation will be just the way.
It is good when there is also a
handout. Then all members of the commission will be able to have all the numbers in front of their eyes, it will be easier for them to catch the subject and essence of the speaker's words. If a speaker begins to notice that he has extra time left, he should just comment on the presentation slides a little longer, adding some generalizing phrases to his conclusions.
But what to do to someone whose upcoming diploma defense causes genuine horror because of the fear of speaking to an audience? Here, experienced psychologists advise the following:
- prepare for a speech in advance, thoroughly rehearse everything up to possible questions; if you have to defend your diploma in English, then properly “tighten” this language to a more or less decent conversational level;
- you need to be able to do without papers with the text: all information should be in the speaker’s head; and it is desirable that it be there in a systematic form, that is, a “refined" report plan is needed;
- to reduce the impact on your body of adrenaline, which is raging in it during stress, you need to quietly strain some muscles, for example, on your back or legs, to keep your posture;
- complacency is a great solution, but not always effective: here experts advise talking to yourself and convincing in the end that there is nothing to fear and everything is fine.
Bonus advice - practice. It is impossible to become a good speaker in one speech (whether it is a diploma defense or presentation of a project, a word at a parent's meeting or a toast at a wedding table). Try to “speak with the audience” more often - and she will gradually teach you how to behave.