Oral Presentations Guidelines

• Abstracts should contain the main points of the project and can serve as an outline.
• For text in visual aids, use at least 24 point sans serif fonts such as Arial or Helvetica. Avoid excessive italics or highly stylized fonts.
• A picture is worth a thousand words and can really add to a presentation. Make sure graphs are appropriately labeled.
• Always insert pictures rather than cut and paste. This is done from the insert menu at the top of PowerPoint.
• Use high contrast colors and a simple design. Limit use of animation/special effects.
• PROOFREAD the presentation files more than once.
• Avoid reading from slides; use notes sparingly. Eye contact is important!
• Have a back-up version of your presentation as a PDF file and any notes printed in hard copy.
• Make eye contact, speak clearly, and loudly enough for all to hear.
• Practice, practice, practice!