I had to give a short presentation today on my final year project at University and was wondering how others dealt with them. I know that even just a few years ago I used to be very nervous speaking in front of people, but I've gotten much more comfortable with it in recent years. I still feel some nervousness, but it's more of worrying that I'll mess up because today it was worth 10% of my project marks, so I wanted to do the best I could. If I didn't have that pressure I don't think I'd feel nervous at all.

We were apparently being marked on our presentation skills though, so I made sure not to look at my slides on the screen too much and to make eye contact, trying not to stutter etc and I managed to make it last the full 10 minutes and then I answered a few questions from the staff afterwards, which we were told to expect. It helps to know the subject of course, which I do, as it is my project.

We were presenting to 3 staff - our own tutor and 2 others whom we didn't know, and also the other students of the group sat in too (4 per group, and 1 in ours didn't show up) and I was first, and I think I did well and hope to hear back soon. The guy who presented after me had a more professional slide show and from speaking to him before-hand he knows his stuff, but he was very nervous and stuttered and stammered a lot, though still got through it all, and the 3rd guy tended to put his hands in his pockets and look down at the screen and read many parts of his slides verbatim. Both of them knew their stuff and hopefully for their benefit the staff take how nervous we are into account, but if I were to be judged against them I think I perhaps came off the most confident, which will hopefully be good for me.