Oral Exam Advice

[hwedin]

I'm needing some advice about oral exams etc. I have my end of MSc oral tomorrow, which will be the most important hour of my life so far and I'm freaking out about it.

I've got to do a presentation and then answer questions on my project thesis. The issue is I totally bomb when it comes to presenting in formal situations and when someone puts me on the spot, I completely lose all faith in my own abilities and lock up.

How do I stop this from happening? Does anybody have any tips on staying calm?

I've done the research, I've done the work. Surely I should be confident but I'm scared.

 

[jamesspo]

Unfortunately, I can't think of much that's going to help on such short notice. You get better at speaking by speaking a lot. I'm surprised you haven't already been put in a lot of speaking situations.

That said, I think you should focus on getting a good nights sleep, and probably don't dwell on the subject over the next 24 hours. I'm sure you don't need to "cram" or anything, so just don't think about it at all, or look at the materials (again, assuming you're "done"). Take some deep breaths, walk in there and do it. One thing that I find that helps from a practical standpoint is concentrating on speaking more slowly. If you let your brain just run away unchecked, you'll talk too fast, and you'll appear more nervous to others. Take it slow, easy, and deliberately.

 

[ouch]

They say the number one fear amongst adults is having to speak in public, so you're not alone.

Assuming you really know what you're talking about (and I'm sure you do) you should already be familiar with objections and counter arguments to your premise. Practice some buzzwords and expressions to use when challenged. When someone asks a tough question, say "Good point", and restate their argument. This way, you've put them at ease by recognizing the validity of their statement and demonstrating that you've already considered this point (even if you haven't). Then you can address how your research indicates otherwise. Always try to redirect the conversation to areas in which you are most comfortable. Remember- you did all the work and you spent a lot of time doing it. You know your conclusions are correct, and you should welcome challenges to them. Your attitude should exude a calm "ask me anything the hell you want."

Additionally, they want you to succeed. When they present a tough question, they're actually opening the door for you to respond in a lucid manner, and a reflective and steady approach will go a long way to quell any fear you may have.

Good luck!

 

[Hunter]

Well get a good night sleep, have a good breakfast, have a glass of water up with you. When talking I usually look above the heads of the audience. Smiling helps calm you down. When you are being asked questions be sure to look the person in the eye, repeating their question back to them is also helpful for giving you some time to think about how to say the answer.
Good Luck

 

[YetiDave]

The best tip I had was to spend a few minutes of quiet time with your eyes closed, picturing yourself walking into the exam completely calm. Try and repeat this a few times, it really helped me

 

[mheusler]

Just understand that you're going to be awful and probably fail because of that.......

I'm kidding, of course. If you know what you're talking about it will be fine. Some doctors will prescribe beta blockers or anxiety medication and that can help, but I have the same problem and what helps me is to just understand that this is far and away not going to be the most difficult moment of your life. In a year, it's going to be long over and you're going to be dealing with other issues. And if you're lucky it will be this again. Your life is going to go on and this isn't going to affect it. Relax.

 

[knlgskr]

You have received excellent advice and would not have progressed this far if you were not competent in your field of knowledge and you and those conducting the exams are aware of this. Be confident in yourself and remember that those conducting the exam have also experienced what you will be experiencing. You have earned the right to that exam by competence and diligence and all of you are aware of this. I believe in you, believe in yourself, fortune favors a prepared mind.

 

[WetWhiskers]

How do I stop this from happening? Does anybody have any tips on staying calm?

Walk in with an awesome shave. If you've got that covered, the rest of the day will work out.

Best of luck brother!

"Break a leg"

Ww

 

[hwedin]

Thanks everyone for the advice and positive thoughts.
I'm just going to spend the next few hours keeping calm and collected

Walk in with an awesome shave.

Sorted! I had a good one this morning

 

[ouch]

Knock 'em dead.

 

[hwedin]

Well it's done now

And it went well, it was much more informal than I was expecting so I was able to be myself which helped me relax and just get on with it. And the parting shot from the examiners was 'you should get this published'.

So, afterwards I went and bought some new shaving gear and had a few beers

 

[Shaving_CHENG]

Well it's done now

And it went well, it was much more informal than I was expecting so I was able to be myself which helped me relax and just get on with it. And the parting shot from the examiners was 'you should get this published'.

So, afterwards I went and bought some new shaving gear and had a few beers

Congrats, enjoy a few room-temperature ones.

 

[WetWhiskers]

AWESOME!

Congrats And Relax The RestOfThe Week.

Ww

 

[Hunter]

Great to hear!

 

[ouch]

Great news. Have a Samuel Smith on me, and send the bill to Nick.

 

[jamesspo]

Congratulations!

 

[knlgskr]

Congratulations! You showed them the miles on the way to Dundee. However you choose to observe your success; make it memorable and remember how you performed if there are subsequent exams. Sae Sans Gael!