Presentations make no sense...

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I have a really major oral report/presentation tomorrow and I'm really scared because for the last few days, everyone's been shouting at me. It's for a year's worth of research and everyone one just wants that A for this to pull up their grade. Everyone says I must be more alive and less stiff and awkward. My biggest problem at the moment is body language, especially hand gestures. They say do what's natural and that to me means holding my wrist with my free hand, which they say means I'm nervous, but I'm not.

How do any of you survive presentations?

I did 2 the other day that were 10 minutes each and i got top marks for both at university.

All I try to think of is that there is no such thing in a presentation as "TOO MUCH". Gesture wildly, Use a prop. Pace. Put on a kooky voice. Act as silly as you want almost. The people watching you are most likely more bored then you are nervous so any deviation means your talk will go well.

After having accommodations all through my undergrad to avoid presentations, now that I am in my Masters working toward becoming a professor, it makes no sense for me to no longer do them. I was "eased" into the first first month of my Masters degree with a whopping 45 minute presentation (and I was first!) I don't make eye contact (I do look up, I just don't focus my eyes on anything), worry act hand gestures, and other things like that. The only thing I try to do is to keep my voice in a good tone that makes the presentation interesting. It worked for me...

One trick for eye contact is to look at the top of people's heads. In a crowd situation, the audience will think you are looking at them in the eye, but you are looking just above it.

Another trick for eye contact is pretend no one, not even your professor is in the classroom by thinking that you're speaking to empty chairs.

^^
Was that sarcasm?

As for you reneeirena, another idea for eye contact
is to pretend nobody in your class speaks English.

No, AnonymousAnonymous. I really do enjoy your wit. I also try to avoid sarcasm when communicating with people on the spectrum. It would be a waste of words, most likely.

I have performance anxiety, so it's even more difficult to do mine. After years of avoiding them, about two weeks ago I put my foot down and said enough. I decided to try just a little bit of liquid courage to take the nerves off. According to research that I did, plenty of famous people do it. I made my first A on a presentation, and gave the best presentation I had ever given. Since I was slightly buzzed when I looked at people, I didn't really notice anything about them. It was like looking at faces that didn't have eyes, mouths, or noses. I made hand gestures and everything. I now feel a lot more confident about them, but I don't think it will ever be my "thing."

I have seen students begin speech class with an absolute dread. By the end of the course, they can successfully complete a well-developed speech. Do they ever look forward to public speaking? probably not. it gets easIER, but not neccesarily EASY.

Just please don't drive after the liquid courage.