How To Design Outstanding Power Point Slides For Your Ph.D. Defence?

One may talk of an international conference, a small office presentation or even the PhD thesis defence, presentations are an indispensable part of the work. Well-made PowerPoint slides make half the battle won, as they do the job of powerful visual reinforcement to the verbal communication that you do with the audience. However, fulfilling that objective may not be as easy as it appears. Majority of the people are aware of the basic principle of keeping the text limited on each slide to make the presentation look effective and solve its objective. Designing good slides requires few more things to be taken care of, apart from this. To begin with, don’t get lured with putting fancy backgrounds on your slides. Go for plain black or white according to the best contrast you can create with the text on the slides. It is ok to go for subtle colors in the background if you wish to, but they won’t add much to the quality of the presentation in any way. The safest bet is either black or white. The next thing to remember is that the font you choose plays a very important role. The technical reason for this is that the screen on which you would display your presentation would be much larger than the screen of your laptop and in case of a complicated font, the individually visible pixels would make it look blurred and unclear. A font as simple as Sans Serif or Arial is advisable as it has sharp edges so even on a larger screen it appears as clear as on a laptop. How would you ensure that your text on the presentation is visible to the audience who would be sitting at the end of the room? One technique that can help you to ensure that whatever you are writing gets read by the...

Tips to Avoid Nervousness during a Defence Session

Presenting a PhD thesis in front of an assessment committee can be the cause of anxiety for any research student. However, it is also essential that you keep your cool while facing them during your defence session. Else, your presentation may be disturbed or spoiled. It is critical to answer the committee’s questions in a calm and thoughtful manner. Thus, here are some tips to make you avoid nervousness during such a significant session. Trust yourself and your knowledge During a defence session, simply believe that you know it all. In fact, you do know it all, because it is your research work and you have worked hard on every single aspect of it. You have done an intensive literature review and have handled every activity on your own. When you think that nobody else knows better about your project, you start feeling more confident. This confidence can take away your nervousness in a moment. Think of winning it Instead of having the fear of failure, start imagining yourself in a winning situation where you have dealt with every question confidently. This will boost your confidence in real. You will be happier inside. This will induce calmness within your body and mind. Be prepared Although it is not an instant trick, it is still the most beneficial way of nailing your defence session. Take sufficient time for preparation well before your session is scheduled. Perform some mock sessions with your friends and learn the entire content of your project well. You should also practice answering questions that your friends or fellow students may ask you. This built-up confidence will also remove your nervousness when you are actually facing your committee. Thus, eat well and read well before your session approaches and you will be able to come out winning...

Scholars and academic support

Those who are skilled at writing and editing and have a good degree from a reputed university find that their skills are very much in demand from academic support firms. There are so many firms these days that are in the business of helping students with their studies. Therefore, the demand for scholars and researchers is never ending. In many of these firms, the minimum requirement for entry is a MBA or a PhD. These firms do not want to dilute the quality of people who work for them. At the same time, many of the services that they offer is often only for post-graduates and doctorates. That is why it is logical that the staff they recruit is also well qualified with those degrees. Many scholars find that working in these firms is a great way to give back to the student community. After all, they themselves gained so much from the advice given by others. So it is only natural that they too help the future generations. It also allows them the opportunity to stay in touch with their field of interest. For many scholars, it is hard work trying to get openings in the industry that match their skill set. They are often forced to sacrifice their interests for the sake of a regular income. But academic support enables them to continue working in the discipline that they love. Many scholars do not even work full time at these companies. They are able to avail the opportunities provided by freelancing to not only be employed in a stable job, but also indulge in their passion and help the student community along the way. It is not just writers and editors who are able to find their calling in these companies. Statisticians are able to find work here as...

Defence Preparation

Defence preparation is a crucial part of dissertation making. A dissertation cannot be a success until and unless it is presented confidently in front of the authorities. The professors evaluate the effort done by the scholar, not just by the written manuscript but also by the knowledge gained, which is usually done by a viva. The scholars are always cautioned about the information included in the research. Anything, which is inexplicable from their end, should not be included. It is never confirmed what question can be framed by the interviewer from which portion. The formidability of the question will vary from person to person. To eliminate this fear of viva, a scholar should be well aware of each and every portion included in the research. He should be able to elucidate every section with proper examples. This will lead to an excellent impression over the interviewer and ultimately to good grades. The perfection can be gained by attending mock sessions or seeking expert help. All parts of the research such as data analysis method, methodology should be thoroughly studied before the final presentation. A strong preparation will end up a scholar defending his work, irrespective of the hardness level of the...