Defense of the thesis: 4 rules of peace

thesis

“Defending thesis” – from this phrase, most people throw in a cold sweat and begin to shake hands, especially if this event is on the nose. But, over time, violent emotions recede and only pleasant funny memories remain: how they did not sleep at night and did not allow the scientific leaders to sleep, how they drank valerian after the defense after the champagne, how they were glad that you could finally sleep off.

Rule 1. Everything has its time

Perhaps this point is the most important. Writing a paper in a week, concocting a presentation in an hour, and sketching a report in 10 minutes, of course, you can. But! Teachers have not been working for the first day, they recognize this “approach” once or twice and do not forgive such impudence. They will certainly make the would-be student get nervous, even after a bottle of “Barboval”. Therefore, the first rule is: “Everything has its time.”

A certain period is given to work on a thesis project – use it. The work must be ready for the defense at least a few days in advance. Not written, but ready for delivery: printed, stitched, glued (everything by the requirements of the educational institution). So that one day “X” you do not sit on it as a “fifth point” with the hope that everything will stick together and not fall apart in the hands of the commission.

Report and presentation. They are the main tools. Nobody will read the work itself on the defense – just look. It is better to write the text of the report in 2-3 days, calmly and without haste. Design your presentation to match the presentation.

Handout materials (diagrams, tables, pictures) should also be done in advance. If you see any mistakes, there will be time to redo, or reprint.

Technical points. Pre-check if the presentation, video, and infographics are launched from the laptop that will be protected – if something does not go according to plan, stress is provided for you.

Forewarned is forearmed. And armed is not so scary, is it?

Rule 2. Practice

Remember how in childhood we recited poems and sang songs while standing on a stool in front of relatives? Or as we were told in the kindergarten at the matinee that those who recite the rhyme will receive a gift from Santa Claus? So, consciously or not, we were prepared for public speaking and for the fact that as a result we will be rewarded. In our case, a report is a “rhyme”, and a gift is a coveted diploma. It remains only to rehearse and take the well-deserved prize.

If, nevertheless, you cannot fall asleep – read your report. But just the very last time! It’s not worth going back to this in the morning

Read the finished speech aloud several times, practice in front of a mirror, and arrange a trial speech in front of parents, colleagues, or friends. Try not to “learn by the teeth”, but to understand and delve into it. If you understand the essence of what you are talking about, you will not go astray. During your speech, you may be interrupted, asked to clarify, or explain something: memorized text will not help here! You can make yourself an outline of the theses so that the story is structured.

Gestures and facial expressions are also important. The monotonous story of the stone idol is unlikely to impress anyone. Established eye contact with the audience, smooth gestures, and calm, clear speech with intonation is the guarantee that they will listen to you, which means that additional questions will be asked “on the topic”, and not from the general program.

If you have a pre-defense – ask to speak (in some universities it takes place without an oral presentation of the work). Also, if possible, you should go to the “alien” defense, and watch the commission and the speakers. You will be able to see how the teachers behave, and what questions are asked.

Rule 3. Tired toys sleep

Red eyes with huge, like the rings of Saturn, dark circles under them, pale skin, and a rumpled appearance will not add you confidence in protection. And the commission, most likely, will take this as a sign that you were preparing on the last night, which means that you have treated your work in bad faith.

A deep 7-8 hour sleep will provide you with a neat appearance and a good mood. But on the night before an important event, it is usually very difficult to fall asleep: in my head, there is a porridge of material mixed with terrible scenarios of the upcoming defense. This is another reason not to postpone everything until the last day – leave yourself a free evening.

Take a walk in the park, read your favorite book or watch a movie, go to a cafe or play sports – give your brain time to “sort” information and put it on the shelves. Before going to bed, have herbal tea and listen to soothing music. And drive away negative thoughts!

Rule 4. Calm down, do not worry, relax

On the “cherished” day, 90% of the students get nervous, even if they are 100% prepared! To find peace of mind, try one or more of these tips:

  • Get ready without haste, calmly. In the evening, you can prepare clothes so as not to bother with ironing in the morning.
  • Eat – a hungry swoon, of course, will add expression to the performance, but will not affect the assessment.
  • A positive attitude, faith in yourself, and knowledge are the best support. Do not think about the possibilities of failure – you have already done everything you could and what depends on you. All that remains is to believe in yourself.
  • Do not deal with blowers. The excitement of others is highly contagious. It is better to avoid talking to someone who can throw out their fears and worries on you.
  • Breath calmly: straighten your back, take a deep breath, hold your breath for a few seconds, exhale and repeat everything several times.
  • Smile – it will improve your mood and those around you.

But you should not resort to such techniques:

  • “Presenting the commission in underwear” will only distract you from the main task and nothing more;
  • “Speak very loudly.” You don’t need to whisper to yourself either. Remember: calm, steady pace with intonation!
  • “A joke in the forehead.” Before joking, make sure your audience is prepared for it. Plus: you know your teachers – some appreciate humor, others don’t.
  • “Active movements”: vigorous waving hands and a pointer, walking from side to side only distract. The Commission will rather think about not poking anyone in the eye with a pointer than about what you say.
  • “Buy new clothes for protection.” A neat tidy look is very important at such a significant event, but it may happen that in a new thing it will be uncomfortable and this thought will be distracting. It is better to choose something in which you feel confident and look appropriate.

The hardest thing before public speaking is for people with stage fright. They practically freeze, the brain refuses to work, knees tremble, throws it into the heat, then into the cold. In such a situation, all knowledge and skills disappear.

So, you learned or reminded yourself of how important it is to start preparing for your thesis in advance and get everything done on time, familiarizing yourself with a lot of ways to calm your nerves and deal with stress. You are completely ready to perform and will get a good grade. Relax, get enough sleep, believe in yourself, if necessary, use the advice of a professional writing serviceand go for it: you will succeed!

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