How to Ace Your Class Project

Are you worried that you might fail your project due to laziness, procrastination, or the fact that you're shy when it comes to giving oral reports? Have no fear, wikiHow is here! Steps: 1. BE PREPARED. How will you pass your project without anything to show your teacher? Most teachers take off a chunk of points for late projects. Procrastination is one of the worst things that can happen when it comes to projects. Try getting to work on it the day or the day after it is assigned. Even if all you do is type up the title on the computer... that's still progress. Do a little bit each day. Don't overwhelm yourself. PLAN AHEAD. Planning ahead will keep you more organized and more focused on what you want to do. Let's say it is October 5th and your project on the history of France is due October 26th... three solid weeks of work. Break up your project into a schedule. Make two columns. Write down each day from the day the project is assigned to the day the project is due in the left column and what you plan to accomplish in the right column. Make sure you're consistent with this and follow your schedule, otherwise you will be lost and confused. 2. FOLLOW THE GUIDELINES. If your teacher gives you the guidelines for your project, make sure you do EXACTLY what it says to do. Try not to overlook anything. Your teacher probably wants it in a specific way so it will be easier for him/her to grade it. Nothing says, "I didn't read the guidelines and I don't really care," like a messy project with half of what you need missing. Even if you do not get everything because you couldn't find it, your teacher will give you credit for trying, as long as you can show them you did. 3. LOOK YOUR BEST. If you fix yourself up a little more than usual the day you give your presentation, you will feel more confident about yourself. Feeling and looking like you just rolled out of bed late on a Monday morning will just add twice as much stress for you. Fix your hair in a different way. Wear your best outfit. Splash on your favorite perfume/cologne. If you be the best you can be, you will feel at your best. 4. VOLUNTEER FIRST. Really, who likes presenting first? But the thing about being first to present means you get to get it over with as soon as possible. Some teachers even give bonus points to students who are brave enough to present first. The day you're supposed to present, volunteer to give your project first. You will definitely feel a lot better after it's over. Think about it... would you rather let everyone else go before you, with the thought, "I'm going next! I can't believe I have to present next! I don't want to do this!" floating around in your head? You will just be putting more pressure on yourself. Don't be afraid. Remember, it's just a project. 5. SPEAK LOUDLY AND CLEARLY. How many times have you watched your classmates presentations and noticed how quietly they spoke and how their heads were hung low? I bet you can name a few. Don't do this. For one thing, major points will be taken off. Second of all, you will give off the impression that you're unprepared, which will take off even more points. Stand up straight; keep your shoulders back at ALL times. This will help you speak louder. Make sure you speak loud enough so the students in the back can hear you. You don't have to yell. Pretend you've given this project dozens of times already. Also, make sure you don't get too nervous and start speaking too quickly. There's no rush. Relax. 6. GET INTO YOUR AUDIENCE'S POINT OF VIEW. This trick helped me out the day I presented my Global Studies project: get into your audience's head. Use the time you spend watching other people present to your advantage. What do you think of the person you're listening to? Are you paying more attention to them or their project? Project, right? The audience doesn't care how you're dressed or how many times you're messing up. Do you care how many times a classmate messes up or how they are dressed when they present? I would guess no. Most people worry that they're judged when they go up in front of a bunch of people. The truth is that they're not. Do you judge other people when they present? I would hope not. Just remember, they are not focused on you. Actually, half of them are just zoning out into their own fantasy land. Their eyes are on the project 90% of the time and on you 10% of the time. 7. HAVE FUN WITH IT. Your project doesn't have to be boring. Get animated and really get into your project. Throw in a joke or two if it's appropriate. Add in some interesting facts to keep your class (and teacher) interested. Your teacher will be impressed and you will earn more points. Tips: • Make sure you smile occasionally and give eye contact to each person at a time. DO NOT look at the floor or at the walls. This will make it seem like you are not prepared, and you may receive a lower grade. • If you're having trouble making eye contact with people, try making eye contact with people who aren't paying attention (people who are looking at their desk, out the window, etc.). Just don't stare at one person, though. Glance at every person who is not looking at you. Occasionally turn to your project and talk, then return to the audience. • Whether you're doing a poster board or a PowerPoint, make sure it looks neat and well-done. You don't need to go over-the-top with sound effects and glitzy neon colors. This will distract you and the audience from the project itself. Don't go black and white, either. Your project will be boring and lifeless. Instead, find a happy medium. Decorate your project according to the subject. If it's about China, decorate it with Chinese dragons, symbols, and landmarks such as The Great Wall. If it's about Adolf Hitler, include clear pictures of him, his book Mein Kampf, and the Nazi symbol, for example. Random colors and effects won't make sense and are distracting. • Remember that it is just a class project. You're not giving a 3-hour long speech to the president. Unless someone likes being a real jerk, nobody really cares if you mess up or look like you've rolled out of bed, even though it doesn't hurt to look better. I'm sure every one of your classmates makes mistakes while speaking. • Even if you do mess up badly, nobody will remember it the next day. Nobody is going to tease you about it. You might remember it and regret something you may have said or done, but just keep telling yourself over and over again that everybody makes mistakes. It's no big deal. I have yet to see someone give a "perfect" presentation... and I'm entering my third year of high school! • If you still feel uncomfortable, try practicing your next project in front of one friend. Then do the same with two. Then three. Then four, etc. In this case, practice makes perfect! Warnings: • Be nice and do not tease anyone for messing up their oral presentation. They probably feel the same way as you, and it will only make them feel worse. • Don't be too hard on yourself if you're not as good as you hoped you would. At least you had the guts to try! • Don't spend too much time and money on your project. It's important to devote an hour every night to work on it, but becoming obsessed with it will lead you to intense disappointment if you don't get the grade you hoped for. originated by: FoxySocksx, SuperBrad09, Teresa, Yoshi Source: www.wikihow.com