I find that a lot of my friends are having trouble with handling seminars. They get really giddy when they are asked to take seminars. They usually avoid taking seminars. But, the fact is that anything can be done. You just need to know how. Before you read on further, I'll tell you this. if someone else is doing it, you can do it too(no matter what it is). You have to put in the effort. In fact, the real challenge is in doing things that are not done by others. We move on...
Let us imagine that you are asked to take a seminar. Let us Analise our situation logically.
When you are asked to take a seminar in a classroom, you are expected to:-
1. Learn the subject matter thoroughly. Understand it.
2. Reflect on how you can make it easier to understand the subject yourself.
3. Convey the message to your friends in an easy, understandable and fun fashion.
This means that you have to read a lot. Take it from me. Anyone can read and understand. You need patience and the will to work. So, a seminar usually means collecting data. DO NOT ask others to explain the concept to you. Its your seminar and you are expected to convey your ideas to your friends. You can ask for help but don't let others do your job. Besides, collecting information is a very important part of preparation. You not only learn about the subject, you also learn about things allied to the subject.
So,
1. The first step is to collect information.
then,
2. Read all the things that you collected and remove the unwanted stuff.(More times than not, you end up removing most of the data so be sure to collect a lot)
then,
3. Learn from the data and make the concept easy for yourself.
The 3rd step is easy. Your brain automatically tries to simply things for you. So, trust your instincts and the author and you get past this step. You should try and relate the concept to the things you already know. Many concepts are based on nature and reality so relate the things on the books to real life. DO NOT memorize anything.
4. Imagine your friends. You have an idea about them. You know how to put things to them so that they understand. So, think about how to present it to them. Give them a lot of examples.
There, you now know the procedure to follow. So, don't be nervous. Here are some secrets that would be helpful for you to handle a seminar.
1. Don't get nervous. (For you TSK)There's nothing to worry about. You only going to face your friends. You have probably talked to them individually. Now you are going to talk to them in a group. Don't worry about the opposite sex. They are people just like you. They feel the same things. Remember, the worst that could happen is, you'll humiliate yourself. Its better to humiliate yourself in front of your friends than others you'll meet in the future.
2. You could write down a speech, memorize it and sing it in the seminar but it wont be interesting for others. You are not reading out of a book. You are explaining things.
3. Roughly, arrange your seminar topics. Write it down in a bit of paper. If you ever get stuck, just look at the topics and you'll automatically get back the flow.
4. Keep your eyes on your friends when you are talking. Keep looking from one to other. Everyone must get the feeling that you are talking to them. Don't look outside the classroom door or window unless something happens there.
5. Keep looking at your friends for signs. If they look bored or if the are making noise, quickly change your style of presenting. Throw in a joke or ask them an easy question.
6.The big secret to interest your friends is to give them something thats not in the textbook but something that is in your topic domain.
DO NOT give unrelated information just because you know it. (This is for you AZ)Some people have the temptation to say some cool stuff and they don't realize that they are crossing the topic domain.
Remember, cool stuff is cool only when you say it at the right time. We do not joke at a funeral.
7. Don't take too much time in a particular topic unless necessary.
8. Its okay to make a mistake. So if you do, apologize and that will make you look cool. Don't start sweating.
9. Some people may be smiling at you. They are not laughing at you. They are not making fun of you. They are just appreciating your points. It may look like they are mocking you but they are not, so keep your cool.
10. If you are temporarily out of points, revise your points until you can remember.
Thats all I can think of right now. So, go ahead and face your seminar. Don't cower.
Most of all, be innovative, think different.
