Getting Ready For A PhD Dissertation Defense: 5 Top-Notch Hints
After you’ve submitted your dissertation, you’ll have to defend it in front of your committee. This is where a lot of students get very nervous because not everyone can give good speeches on public. However, defending your paper isn’t very difficult if you’ve learned your topic and prepared a good presentation.
How to Get Ready for Your Dissertation Defense
- Write your speech and make your slide presentation.
- Practice your presentation.
- Get ready for questions.
- Don’t get distracted.
- Take care of yourself.
It’s advisable to start working on your overall presentation as soon as you can. Your speech should not only follow the structure of your actual paper but also be synchronized with illustrative slides. Ask a creative friend to help you in order to make your presentation both informative and interesting.
You should know your speech almost by heart and feel comparatively relaxed during your defense. To achieve such results, you should practice your presentation regularly. Practice in front of a mirror, your family members, and your friends. The more you practice, the better your speech will be during the actual defense.
It’s very likely that some of your committee members will ask you questions after or even during your defense. You should predict the majority of these questions and be prepared to give clever answers to them. Remember that if a committee member asks you a question that you don’t have an answer to, it’s better to tell the truth than try to come up with something hurriedly.
It’s advisable not to engage in other activities until you’ve successfully defended your dissertation. Different distracting factors might ruin your focus and you won’t be in your best shape when the day of your defense comes. You’ll have plenty of time for relaxing and celebrating afterwards.
It’s very important to feel healthy during your defense so that nothing distracts you from your goal. One week before your defense day, you should start eating only healthy food. It’s also advisable to get plenty of sleep before the big day in order not to feel tired performing your presentation.
Getting Help to Prepare for Your Dissertation Defense
If you feel that you need some advice, you may approach your friends who have already defended their projects. They should provide you with useful tips.
If you want your presentation to be perfect, you may hire a tutor who will teach you how to give speeches and create outstanding slide presentations. They should also help you with preparing to answer unexpected questions.