Completing your PhD thesis is not enough to allow you graduate. Every department requires you to make a dissertation defense presentation in front of a panel of academicians. The presentation will also contribute to your overall score. Even with a captivating paper, your defense presentation could cost you the graduation. This calls for thorough preparation. How to prepare and make a captivating presentation? How should I write my dissertation? Here are the tips to consider.
Understand Your Paper Thoroughly
PhD. dissertation defense is about the content of your paper. The panel is evaluating how well you understand your paper. Unless you can make a confident presentation, it will be a huge disaster. The panel will think that the paper has been written on your behalf. Any stammering will cause you to be chased out in order to redo the work. You should not misrepresent any information in the paper because you will also be penalized for it.
Work With Your Supervisor
The supervisor also forms part of the assessors of you work. Supervisors are in place to guide you through the processes. You supervisor has been part of doctoral dissertation defense committees in the past. He or she understands what is required. By working with the supervisor, you will gather insights and make your presentation better. Your supervisor will never mislead you because of the moral obligation laid on his or her shoulders. Luckily for you, you do not pay the supervisor and he or she will always be available in school.
Learn From Other Students
There are other students in your department or other departments who are making their presentations as well. Attend these presentations with the aim of gathering insights. Take note of dissertation defense questions asked and how the students handle them. Notice how they manage their time and the response given by the panel. You will have a similar experience when it is time to make your presentation. However, each presentation is unique. You should therefore not copy blindly what you see the other students doing.
Do Not Memorize
Preparing for a dissertation defense should not involve memorizing the content of your paper. Memorizing is restrictive because you have no idea what to expect. You might be asked a question that is not among what you have memorized. This will throw you off balance, causing the panel to think that you did not do the work. You might not remember everything you have memorized. This will send the wrong signal. You need to understand what is in your paper to make your presentation captivating.
Feel Confident
Defense presentation is about confidence. Your voice, tone and composure will contribute a lot towards approval. Go through your dissertation defense PowerPoint before making the presentation. Know the speed and content of what is in the PowerPoint presentations. The confidence you show will be reflected in your presentation.
The best dissertation defense tips also include making a mock presentation. It gives you a feel of what to expect on state. It can be done with your peers or even with the supervisor. The actual presentation will not find you anxious.