Public Speaking

[JFKvsNixon 11]

Maybe you could pursued your GP to prescribe some beta blockers, for the Viva. They'll defiantly help to feel calmer. They are sometimes prescribed for stage fright.

[Bludragonfly 10]

Good luck to both of you as you face your viva's.

 

There are some really good suggestions on here so I hope you find a few things to help you.

 

Have you considered asking your GP for Cognitive Behavioural Therapy via the NHS' IAPT services. There will be a waiting list but if you ask now there might be time to get some therapy to help you build your confidence

[medusa 16]

Hi Jas4

 

Public speaking was part of my last job, most days, for an audience of up to 40 or 50 people, all hospital doctors or GPs, and I started off dreading it. We were sent on public speaking courses and in my opinion they were a waste of money because what they taught us boiled down to a handful of easily memorable rules:

 

1. Dress appropriately but don't put anything in your pockets, including your hands. If that means that you need to carry a bag then do it
   
2. Stand/sit up straight and don't fidget or play with anything (I found a palmstone comforting to hold)
   
3. Look at every member of the panel at least once every 2 minutes and once you've done that (however fleetingly) you can look down to notes or away
   
4. Write a presentation which you can memorise with canned explanations for the hard to explain bits, and memorise it carefully
   
5. Write a couple of cards with bullet points or reminders (just a word or a phrase) in marker pen- no filling the card with words- to prompt you the key points of your presentation
   
6. Deep breath, slow down, animate your voice like you're reading a story to a child
   
7. Smile- not all of the time, but when greeting people and when it's natural
   

 

It sounds odd recommending you to write a presentation when you won't need to actually make a presentation for your viva, but if you have a presentation that explains your research and you've got a script which has explanations in it for the technical bits then you can use any or all of those as the basis of answers to questions, and if you've got those bits decided in advance then you can feel a lot more confident about the answers you are giving.

 

I'm sure that there are science graduates on here that would hear you out with an explanation of your thesis and ask you the questions that your explanation leaves out, which would help you to frame your explanations optimally

 

EDIT- and that includes me BTW (biochemist/molecular biologist here) but I'm really busy until the new year I'm afraid.

Edited December 14, 2014 by medusa

[Jas4 10]

Thank you all again

 

@Medusa, those were extremely helpful points But please clarify for me what you mean by "- no filling the card with words- to prompt you the key points of your presentation". I am bit confused about it. Thanks

 

If you like to hear about my research whenever you or any other science graduates are free in the future to listen to me ramble on about my thesis then feel free to contact me My viva isn't until June in the new year.

[Mossway 15]

I speak in 'public'' on many working days.

Many inexperienced public speakers speak far, far too quickly. Speak slowly to get your point over or to argue with whatever is asked of you.

You need a crib sheet even if you never use it ( remember Ed Milliband fotgetting the 'deficir')

Take your time, feel free to ask the questioner to elaborate on his/her question thereby giving you another minute or two to formulate the answer,

An interview is somewhat different from standing in front of several dozen listeners and should not (really) intimidate you as much .

Fight your corner, courteously, be modest and accept that on some aspects 'you don't know' when they ask the smart@rse trick question.

Good Luck

[smithy266 21]

Ingot all my public speaking experience with the Sheffield Junior Chamber of Commerce, now known as Jaycees Sheffield. Do a google, and meet up with them.,I would NOT advocate the use of beta blockers or drugs of any kind.

[JFKvsNixon 11]

Ingot all my public speaking experience with the Sheffield Junior Chamber of Commerce, now known as Jaycees Sheffield. Do a google, and meet up with them.,I would NOT advocate the use of beta blockers or drugs of any kind.

 

Why not????

[biotechpete 10]

Your postgraduate tutor should be able to help you. The U of Shef used to offer postgraduate courses in presenting as most universities do. I would hope your PhD supervisor and research group would also have been giving you plenty of opportunity for practice.

[medusa 16]

Thank you all again

 

@Medusa, those were extremely helpful points But please clarify for me what you mean by "- no filling the card with words- to prompt you the key points of your presentation". I am bit confused about it. Thanks

 

If you like to hear about my research whenever you or any other science graduates are free in the future to listen to me ramble on about my thesis then feel free to contact me My viva isn't until June in the new year.

 

OK- if you have cards with you and you write whole sentences or much of your presentation on the cards then you will have to write so small that the only way that you can read off them is to look down and properly read off them. That will cause you to stop speaking naturally and start reciting- and that's not a good way to sound knowledgeable or immediate.

 

If, however, you have your segments of presentation and individual explanations memorised then all you need is some prompt words to make sure that you aren't missing any of them out.

 

3 or 4 words written out clearly and well spaced on a card in marker pen can be read just by flicking your eyes down momentarily onto the card, more as an aide memoire than something you read from.

 

That way, when you are talking you can be confident that you won't be missing any of a group of something or an important aspect of your argument out of a list, but the key to this is that you will already know what you're going to say about all of the prompt words on the card.

[Dan_Ashcroft 10]

Your postgraduate tutor should be able to help you. The U of Shef used to offer postgraduate courses in presenting as most universities do. I would hope your PhD supervisor and research group would also have been giving you plenty of opportunity for practice.

 

Both universities have loads of dedicated training and support for PhD students

 

 

UoS: https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/ris/ecr

 

SHU: https://shardprogramme.wordpress.com/ (Presentation Skills listed under PR under Communicating)

[biotechpete 10]

Both universities have loads of dedicated training and support for PhD students

 

 

UoS: https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/ris/ecr

 

SHU: https://shardprogramme.wordpress.com/ (Presentation Skills listed under PR under Communicating)

 

Yes I suspected they would as we offer a myriad of courses on public speaking and confidence building for postgrads...but it's been 5 years since I was at Sheffield Uni.

[gNil 10]

Most departments will offer you a mock viva if you ask for it. Could be useful and would give you a chance to practice in front of people you know and are already comfortable with.