I sat with Arwa Zaman who presented her Senior Project in early March to ask her questions about her project and the advice she would give other students in order to navigate the presentation.
- What is the best advice you would give someone who is about to present?
“Don’t procrastinate because eventually it catches up to you. Also pick a topic you would actually want other people to know about like for example my senior project was about South Asian women’s health because it is an actual topic I want others to know about and that few know about.”
- What was the hardest part of the Senior Project for you?
“The hardest part for me was I had a pretty early presentation date so It was hard for me to prioritize Senior Project over other classes. In the end it all catches up and if you keep prioritizing you will see the results you want.”
- Specifically in terms of presenting, what is the best advice you would give others for their presentations?
“Practice a lot. Don’t be nervous. Be confident. Know what you’re saying and always talk about what you are going to learn from your Senior Project because I think that is what the panelists are most interested in. In the end they want to know most about what you learned and how it has changed you as a person. Set a timer and practice your presentation and see how much you can talk. Usually presenting your project takes like about 20 minutes so make sure your presentation takes about that time to present. Make note cards and write down things that will help you out.”
- What is the best way to go in terms of choosing a google slides template for your presentation?
“One of the criticisms about my presentation was that it was too pretty and didn’t go with my project. So I think others should pick a template that goes with the theme of the project. If your project is about meditation or journaling you should pick a template that is light-hearted. On the other hand if your Senior Project is about a, for example, humanitarian crisis, choose a template that is more serious because since it’s visual the template you use for your presentation actually counts.”
- Who are the best kind of people to choose to be on your Senior Project panel?
“I think picking someone you know will advocate for you no matter what. Make sure that person likes your presentation and answer any of their questions beforehand.”
- What should you wear when you present your Senior Project?
“I have seen a lot of my friends, particularly my guy friends, wear suits to present, but honestly just wear something that is a little bit formal. And most importantly choose something that is comfortable.”
- What questions should you expect the panelists to ask?
“That honestly depends on how much you talk in your presentation about your project and how much information you cover in your essay because I didn’t receive a lot of questions because I was very detailed in my presentation and in my essay. Some questions I can think of off of the top of my head that they ask are things like, what did you learn from this, or asking clarifying questions. Make sure your presentation is going smoothly and be specific, don’t just say like ‘in objective 3’ instead state what you did in that objective when referring to it. “
- What things are you glad that you did for your presentation?
“I smiled a lot. I think smiling a lot helps because when you smile it just makes you feel better but also the people looking at you feel a sense of comfort and if you are just stone-faced it makes it seem like you don’t care as much about this project.”
Thank you Arwa for agreeing to interview with me. Thanks for your helpful advice!