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How to Make a PowerPoint Presentation (Step-by-Step)

  • PowerPoint Tutorials
  • Presentation Design
  • January 22, 2024

In this beginner’s guide, you will learn step-by-step how to make a PowerPoint presentation from scratch.

While PowerPoint is designed to be intuitive and accessible, it can be overwhelming if you’ve never gotten any training on it before. As you progress through this guide, you’ll will learn how to move from blank slides to PowerPoint slides that look like these.

Example of the six slides you'll learn how to create in this tutorial

Table of Contents

Additionally, as you create your presentation, you’ll also learn tricks for working more efficiently in PowerPoint, including how to:

  • Change the slide order
  • Reset your layout
  • Change the slide dimensions
  • Use PowerPoint Designer
  • Format text
  • Format objects
  • Play a presentation (slide show)

With this knowledge under your belt, you’ll be ready to start creating PowerPoint presentations. Moreover, you’ll have taken your skills from beginner to proficient in no time at all. I will also include links to more advanced PowerPoint topics.

Ready to start learning how to make a PowerPoint presentation?

Take your PPT skills to the next level

Start with a blank presentation.

Note: Before you open PowerPoint and start creating your presentation, make sure you’ve collected your thoughts. If you’re going to make your slides compelling, you need to spend some time brainstorming.

For help with this, see our article with tips for nailing your business presentation  here .

The first thing you’ll need to do is to open PowerPoint. When you do, you are shown the Start Menu , with the Home tab open.

This is where you can choose either a blank theme (1) or a pre-built theme (2). You can also choose to open an existing presentation (3).

For now, go ahead and click on the  Blank Presentation (1)  thumbnail.

In the backstage view of PowerPoint you can create a new blank presentation, use a template, or open a recent file

Doing so launches a brand new and blank presentation for you to work with. Before you start adding content to your presentation, let’s first familiarize ourselves with the PowerPoint interface.

The PowerPoint interface

Picture of the different parts of the PowerPoint layout, including the Ribbon, thumbnail view, quick access toolbar, notes pane, etc.

Here is how the program is laid out:

  • The Application Header
  • The Ribbon (including the Ribbon tabs)
  • The Quick Access Toolbar (either above or below the Ribbon)
  • The Slides Pane (slide thumbnails)

The Slide Area

The notes pane.

  • The Status Bar (including the View Buttons)

Each one of these areas has options for viewing certain parts of the PowerPoint environment and formatting your presentation.

Below are the important things to know about certain elements of the PowerPoint interface.

The PowerPoint Ribbon

The PowerPoint Ribbon in the Microsoft Office Suite

The Ribbon is contextual. That means that it will adapt to what you’re doing in the program.

For example, the Font, Paragraph and Drawing options are greyed out until you select something that has text in it, as in the example below (A).

Example of the Shape Format tab in PowerPoint and all of the subsequent commands assoicated with that tab

Furthermore, if you start manipulating certain objects, the Ribbon will display additional tabs, as seen above (B), with more commands and features to help you work with those objects. The following objects have their own additional tabs in the Ribbon which are hidden until you select them:

  • Online Pictures
  • Screenshots
  • Screen Recording

The Slides Pane

The slides pane in PowerPoint is on the left side of your workspace

This is where you can preview and rearrange all the slides in your presentation.

Right-clicking on a slide  in the pane gives you additional options on the slide level that you won’t find on the Ribbon, such as  Duplicate Slide ,  Delete Slide , and  Hide Slide .

Right clicking a PowerPoint slide in the thumbnail view gives you a variety of options like adding new slides, adding sections, changing the layout, etc.

In addition, you can add sections to your presentation by  right-clicking anywhere in this Pane  and selecting  Add Section . Sections are extremely helpful in large presentations, as they allow you to organize your slides into chunks that you can then rearrange, print or display differently from other slides.

Content added to your PowerPoint slides will only display if it's on the slide area, marked here by the letter A

The Slide Area (A) is where you will build out your slides. Anything within the bounds of this area will be visible when you present or print your presentation.

Anything outside of this area (B) will be hidden from view. This means that you can place things here, such as instructions for each slide, without worrying about them being shown to your audience.

The notes pane in PowerPoint is located at the bottom of your screen and is where you can type your speaker notes

The  Notes Pane  is the space beneath the Slide Area where you can type in the speaker notes for each slide. It’s designed as a fast way to add and edit your slides’ talking points.

To expand your knowledge and learn more about adding, printing, and exporting your PowerPoint speaker notes, read our guide here .

Your speaker notes are visible when you print your slides using the Notes Pages option and when you use the Presenter View . To expand your knowledge and learn the ins and outs of using the Presenter View , read our guide here .

You can click and drag to resize the notes pane at the bottom of your PowerPoint screen

You can resize the  Notes Pane  by clicking on its edge and dragging it up or down (A). You can also minimize or reopen it by clicking on the Notes button in the Status Bar (B).

Note:  Not all text formatting displays in the Notes Pane, even though it will show up when printing your speaker notes. To learn more about printing PowerPoint with notes, read our guide here .

Now that you have a basic grasp of the PowerPoint interface at your disposal, it’s time to make your presentation.

Adding Content to Your PowerPoint Presentation

Notice that in the Slide Area , there are two rectangles with dotted outlines. These are called  Placeholders  and they’re set on the template in the Slide Master View .

To expand your knowledge and learn how to create a PowerPoint template of your own (which is no small task), read our guide here .

Click into your content placeholders and start typing text, just as the prompt suggests

As the prompt text suggests, you can click into each placeholder and start typing text. These types of placeholder prompts are customizable too. That means that if you are using a company template, it might say something different, but the functionality is the same.

Example of typing text into a content placeholder in PowerPoint

Note:  For the purposes of this example, I will create a presentation based on the content in the Starbucks 2018 Global Social Impact Report, which is available to the public on their website.

If you type in more text than there is room for, PowerPoint will automatically reduce its font size. You can stop this behavior by clicking on the  Autofit Options  icon to the left of the placeholder and selecting  Stop Fitting Text to this Placeholder .

Next, you can make formatting adjustments to your text by selecting the commands in the Font area and the  Paragraph area  of the  Home  tab of the Ribbon.

Use the formatting options on the Home tab to choose the formatting of your text

The Reset Command:  If you make any changes to your title and decide you want to go back to how it was originally, you can use the Reset button up in the Home tab .

Hitting the reset command on the home tab resets your slide formatting to match your template

Insert More Slides into Your Presentation

Now that you have your title slide filled in, it’s time to add more slides. To do that, simply go up to the  Home tab  and click on  New Slide . This inserts a new slide in your presentation right after the one you were on.

To insert a new slide in PowerPoint, on the home tab click the New Slide command

You can alternatively hit Ctrl+M on your keyboard to insert a new blank slide in PowerPoint. To learn more about this shortcut, see my guide on using Ctrl+M in PowerPoint .

Instead of clicking the New Slide command, you can also open the New Slide dropdown to see all the slide layouts in your PowerPoint template. Depending on who created your template, your layouts in this dropdown can be radically different.

Opening the new slide dropdown you can see all the slide layouts in your PowerPoint template

If you insert a layout and later want to change it to a different layout, you can use the Layout dropdown instead of the New Slide dropdown.

After inserting a few different slide layouts, your presentation might look like the following picture. Don’t worry that it looks blank, next we will start adding content to your presentation.

Example of a number of different blank slide layouts inserting in a PowerPoint presentation

If you want to follow along exactly with me, your five slides should be as follows:

  • Title Slide
  • Title and Content
  • Section Header
  • Two Content
  • Picture with Caption

Adding Content to Your Slides

Now let’s go into each slide and start adding our content. You’ll notice some new types of placeholders.

Use the icons within a content placeholder to insert things like tables, charts, SmartArt, Pictures, etc.

On slide 2 we have a  Content Placeholder , which allows you to add any kind of content. That includes:

  • A SmartArt graphic,
  • A 3D object,
  • A picture from the web,
  • Or an icon.

To insert text, simply type it in or hit  Ctrl+C to Copy  and Ctrl+V to Paste  from elsewhere. To insert any of the other objects, click on the appropriate icon and follow the steps to insert it.

For my example, I’ll simply type in some text as you can see in the picture below.

Example typing bulleted text in a content placeholder in PowerPoint

Slides 3 and 4 only have text placeholders, so I’ll go ahead and add in my text into each one.

Examples of text typed into a divider slide and a title and content slide in PowerPoint

On slide 5 we have a Picture Placeholder . That means that the only elements that can go into it are:

  • A picture from the web

A picture placeholder in PowerPoint can only take an image or an icon

To insert a picture into the picture placeholder, simply:

  • Click on the  Picture  icon
  • Find  a picture on your computer and select it
  • Click on  Insert

Alternatively, if you already have a picture open somewhere else, you can select the placeholder and paste in (shortcut: Ctrl+V ) the picture. You can also drag the picture in from a file explorer window.

To insert a picture into a picture placeholder, click the picture icon, find your picture on your computer and click insert

If you do not like the background of the picture you inserted onto your slide, you can remove the background here in PowerPoint. To see how to do this, read my guide here .

Placeholders aren’t the only way to add content to your slides. At any point, you can use the Insert tab to add elements to your slides.

You can use either the Title Only  or the  Blank  slide layout to create slides for content that’s different. For example, a three-layout content slide, or a single picture divider slide, as shown below.

Example slides using PowerPoint icons and background pictures

In the first example above, I’ve inserted 6 text boxes, 3 icons, and 3 circles to create this layout. In the second example, I’ve inserted a full-sized picture and then 2 shapes and 2 text boxes.

The Reset Command:  Because these slides are built with shapes and text boxes (and not placeholders), hitting the  Reset button up in the  Home tab  won’t do anything.

That is a good thing if you don’t want your layouts to adjust. However, it does mean that it falls on you to make sure everything is aligned and positioned correctly.

For more on how to add and manipulate the different objects in PowerPoint, check out our step-by-step articles here:

  • Using graphics in PowerPoint
  • Inserting icons onto slides
  • Adding pictures to your PowerPoint
  • How to embed a video in PowerPoint
  • How to add music to your presentation

Using Designer to generate more layouts ideas

If you have Office 365, your version of PowerPoint comes with a new feature called Designer (or Design Ideas). This is a feature that generates slide layout ideas for you. The coolest thing about this feature is that it uses the content you already have.

To use Designer , simply navigate to the  Design tab  in your Ribbon, and click on  Design Ideas .

To use Designer on your slides, click the

NOTE: If the PowerPoint Designer is not working for you (it is grey out), see my troubleshooting guide for Designer .

Change the Overall Design (optional)

When you make a PowerPoint presentation, you’ll want to think about the overall design. Now that you have some content in your presentation, you can use the Design tab to change the look and feel of your slides.

For additional help thinking through the design of your presentation,  read my guide here .

A. Picking your PowerPoint slide size

If you have PowerPoint 2013 or later, when you create a blank document in PowerPoint, you automatically start with a widescreen layout with a 16:9 ratio. These dimensions are suitable for most presentations as they match the screens of most computers and projectors.

However, you do have the option to change the dimensions.

For example, your presentation might not be presented, but instead converted into a PDF or printed and distributed. In that case, you can easily switch to the standard dimensions with a 4:3 ratio by selecting from the dropdown (A).

You can also choose a custom slide size or change the slide orientation from landscape to portrait in the Custom Slide Size dialog box (B).

To change your slide size, click the Design tab, open the slide size dropdown and choose a size or custom slide size

To learn all about the different PowerPoint slide sizes, and some of the issues you will face when changing the slide size of a non-blank presentation,  read my guide here .

 B. Selecting a PowerPoint theme

The next thing you can do is change the theme of your presentation to a pre-built one. For a detailed explanation of what a PowerPoint theme is, and how to best use it,  read my article here .

In the beginning of this tutorial, we started with a blank presentation, which uses the default Office theme as you can see in the picture below.

All PowerPoint presentations start with the default Microsoft Office theme

That gives you the most flexibility because it has a blank background and quite simple layouts that work for most presentations. However, it also means that it’s your responsibility to enhance the design.

If you’re comfortable with this, you can stay with the default theme or create your own custom theme ( read my guide here ). But if you would rather not have to think about design, then you can choose a pre-designed theme.

Microsoft provides 46 other pre-built themes, which include slide layouts, color variants and palettes, and fonts. Each one varies quite significantly, so make sure you look through them carefully.

To select a different theme, go to the  Design tab  in the Ribbon, and click on the  dropdown arrow  in the  Themes section .

On the Design tab you will find all of the default PowerPoint templates that come with the Microsoft Office Suite

For this tutorial, let’s select the  Frame  theme and then choose the third Variant in the theme. Doing so changes the layout, colors, and fonts of your presentation.

Example choosing the Frame PowerPoint theme and the third variant of this powerpoint presentation

Note: The theme dropdown area is also where you can import or save custom themes. To see my favorite places to find professional PowerPoint templates and themes (and recommendations for why I like them), read my guide here .

C. How to change a slide background in PowerPoint

The next thing to decide is how you want your background to look for the entire presentation. In the  Variants area, you can see four background options.

To change the background style of your presentation, on the Design tab, find the Background Styles options and choose a style

For this example, we want our presentation to have a dark background, so let’s select Style 3. When you do so, you’ll notice that:

  • The background color automatically changes across all slides
  • The color of the text on most of the slides automatically changes to white so that it’s visible on the dark background
  • The colors of the objects on slides #6 and #7 also adjust, in a way we may not want (we’ll likely have to make some manual adjustments to these slides)

What our PowerPoint presentation looks like now that we have selected a theme, a variant, and a background style

Note: If you want to change the slide background for just that one slide, don’t left-click the style. Instead, right-click it and select Apply to Selected Slides .

After you change the background for your entire presentation, you can easily adjust the background for an individual slide.

You can either right-click a PowerPoint slide and select format background or navigate to the design tab and click the format background command

Inside the Format Background pane, you can see you have the following options:

  • Gradient fill
  • Picture or texture fill
  • Pattern fill
  • Hide background

You can explore these options to find the PowerPoint background that best fits your presentation.

D. How to change your color palette in PowerPoint

Another thing you may want to adjust in your presentation, is the color scheme. In the picture below you can see the Theme Colors we are currently using for this presentation.

Example of the theme colors we are currently using with this presentation

Each PowerPoint theme comes with its own color palette. By default, the Office theme includes the Office color palette. This affects the colors you are presented with when you format any element within your presentation (text, shapes, SmartArt, etc.).

To change the theme color for your presentation, select the Design tab, open the Colors options and choose the colors you want to use

The good news is that the colors here are easy to change. To switch color palettes, simply:

  • Go to the  Design tab in the Ribbon
  • In the Variants area, click on the  dropdown arrow  and select  Colors
  • Select  the color palette (or theme colors) you want

You can choose among the pre-built color palettes from Office, or you can customize them to create your own.

As you build your presentation, make sure you use the colors from your theme to format objects. That way, changing the color palette adjusts all the colors in your presentation automatically.

E. How to change your fonts in PowerPoint

Just as we changed the color palette, you can do the same for the fonts.

Example of custom theme fonts that might come with a powerpoint template

Each PowerPoint theme comes with its own font combination. By default, the Office theme includes the Office font pairing. This affects the fonts that are automatically assigned to all text in your presentation.

To change the default fonts for your presentation, from the design tab, find the fonts dropdown and select the pair of fonts you want to use

The good news is that the font pairings are easy to change. To switch your Theme Fonts, simply:

  • Go to the  Design tab  in the Ribbon
  • Click on the  dropdown arrow  in the  Variants  area
  • Select  Fonts
  • Select  the font pairing you want

You can choose among the pre-built fonts from Office, or you can customize them to create your own.

If you are working with PowerPoint presentations on both Mac and PC computers, make sure you choose a safe PowerPoint font. To see a list of the safest PowerPoint fonts, read our guide here .

If you receive a PowerPoint presentation and the wrong fonts were used, you can use the Replace Fonts dialog box to change the fonts across your entire presentation. For details, read our guide here .

Adding Animations & Transitions (optional)

The final step to make a PowerPoint presentation compelling, is to consider using animations and transitions. These are by no means necessary to a good presentation, but they may be helpful in your situation.

A. Adding PowerPoint animations

PowerPoint has an incredibly robust animations engine designed to power your creativity. That being said, it’s also easy to get started with basic animations.

Animations are movements that you can apply to individual objects on your slide.

To add an animation to an object in PowerPoint, first select the object and then use the Animations tab to select an animation type

To add a PowerPoint animation to an element of your slide, simply:

  • Select the  element
  • Go to the  Animations tab in the Ribbon
  • Click on the  dropdown arrow  to view your options
  • Select the  animation  you want

You can add animations to multiple objects at one time by selecting them all first and then applying the animation.

B. How to preview a PowerPoint animation

There are three ways to preview a PowerPoint animation

There are three ways to preview a PowerPoint animation:

  • Click on the Preview button in the Animations tab
  • Click on the little star  next to the slide
  • Play the slide in Slide Show Mode

To learn other ways to run your slide show, see our guide on presenting a PowerPoint slide show with shortcuts .

To adjust the settings of your animations, explore the options in the  Effect Options ,  Advanced Animation  and the  Timing  areas of the  Animation tab .

The Animations tab allows you to adjust the effects and timings of your animations in PowerPoint

Note:  To see how to make objects appear and disappear in your slides by clicking a button,  read our guide here .

C. How to manage your animations in PowerPoint

You can see the animations applied to your objects by the little numbers in the upper right-hand corner of the objects

The best way to manage lots of animations on your slide is with the Animation Pane . To open it, simply:

  • Navigate to the  Animations tab
  • Select the  Animation Pane

Inside the Animation Pane, you’ll see all of the different animations that have been applied to objects on your slide, with their numbers marked as pictured above.

Note: To see examples of PowerPoint animations that can use in PowerPoint, see our list of PowerPoint animation tutorials here .

D. How to add transitions to your PowerPoint presentation

PowerPoint has an incredibly robust transition engine so that you can dictate how your slides change from one to the other. It is also extremely easy to add transitions to your slides.

In PowerPoint, transitions are the movements (or effects) you see as you move between two slides.

To add a transition to a slide, select the slide, navigate to the transitions tab in PowerPoint and select your transition

To add a transition to a PowerPoint slide, simply:

  • Select the  slide
  • Go to the  Transitions tab in the Ribbon
  • In the Transitions to This Slide area, click on the  dropdown arrow  to view your options
  • Select the  transition  you want

To adjust the settings of the transition, explore the options in the  Timing  area of the Transitions tab.

You can also add the same transition to multiple slides. To do that, select them in the  Slides Pane  and apply the transition.

E. How to preview a transition in PowerPoint

There are three ways to preview a transition in PowerPoint

There are three ways to preview your PowerPoint transitions (just like your animations):

  • Click on the Preview  button in the Transitions tab
  • Click on the little star  beneath the slide number in the thumbnail view

Note:  In 2016, PowerPoint added a cool new transition, called Morph. It operates a bit differently from other transitions. For a detailed tutorial on how to use the cool Morph transition,  see our step-by-step article here .

Save Your PowerPoint Presentation

After you’ve built your presentation and made all the adjustments to your slides, you’ll want to save your presentation. YOu can do this several different ways.

Click the file tab, select Save As, choose where you want to save your presentation and then click save

To save a PowerPoint presentation using your Ribbon, simply:

  • Navigate to the  File tab
  •  Select  Save As  on the left
  • Choose  where you want to save your presentation
  • Name  your presentation and/or adjust your file type settings
  • Click  Save

You can alternatively use the  Ctrl+S keyboard shortcut to save your presentation. I recommend using this shortcut frequently as you build your presentation to make sure you don’t lose any of your work.

The save shortcut is control plus s in PowerPoint

This is the standard way to save a presentation. However, there may be a situation where you want to save your presentation as a different file type.

To learn how to save your presentation as a PDF, see our guide on converting PowerPoint to a PDF .

How to save your PowerPoint presentation as a template

Once you’ve created a presentation that you like, you may want to turn it into a template. The easiest – but not technically correct – way, is to simply create a copy of your current presentation and then change the content.

But be careful! A PowerPoint template is a special type of document and it has its own parameters and behaviors.

If you’re interested in learning about how to create your own PowerPoint template from scratch, see our guide on how to create a PowerPoint template .

Printing Your PowerPoint Presentation

After finishing your PowerPoint presentation, you may want to print it out on paper. Printing your slides is relatively easy.

The print shortcut is control plus P in PowerPoint

To open the Print dialog box, you can either:

  • Hit Ctrl+P on your keyboard
  • Or go to the Ribbon and click on File and then Print

In the Print dialog box, make your selections for how you want to print your PowerPoint presentation, then click print

Inside the Print dialog box, you can choose from the various printing settings:

  • Printer: Select a printer to use (or print to PDF or OneNote)
  • Slides: Choose which slides you want to print
  • Layout: Determine how many slides you want per page (this is where you can print the notes, outline, and handouts)
  • Collated or uncollated (learn what collated printing means here )
  • Color: Choose to print in color, grayscale or black & white

There are many more options for printing your PowerPoint presentations. Here are links to more in-depth articles:

  • How to print multiple slides per page
  • How to print your speaker notes in PowerPoint
  • How to save PowerPoint as a picture presentation

So that’s how to create a PowerPoint presentation if you are brand new to it. We’ve also included a ton of links to helpful resources to boost your PowerPoint skills further.

When you are creating your presentation, it is critical to first focus on the content (what you are trying to say) before getting lost inserting and playing with elements. The clearer you are on what you want to present, the easier it will be to build it out in PowerPoint.

If you enjoyed this article, you can learn more about our PowerPoint training courses and other presentation resources by  visiting us here .

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How To Make a Good PowerPoint Presentation for College

A must-unlock skill of every college student is creating PowerPoint presentations. Whether you’re a freshman, sophomore or senior, you’re sure to come across an assignment that requires you to create a PowerPoint presentation.

Creating PowerPoint presentations enables you to hone creativity, build public speaking abilities, improve body language and boost confidence. Those interpersonal qualities are required, not only in classes but also in workplaces.

1. Identify the key points

Before anything else, a good comprehension of the topic you want to deliver is necessary. Understanding your materials helps you be more confident when presenting and providing better slides.

Those who aren’t knowledgeable about the topic they talk about most likely put a long string of words, leading to wordy slides. However, if you comprehend the discussion well, you can put short phrases in bullet points.

2. Choose an interesting template

Never present PowerPoint with plain slides because it’s the first step to a boring performance. Besides, finding PowerPoint templates online is a piece of cake.

Many online platforms provide downloadable and free PowerPoint templates. Some websites to dive into are Slide Carnival, Powerpointify, Slides and AllPPT. They have various categories, such as education, technology, business, medical, etc.

Moreover, mind the background of your slides. You should use the same background for the entire slide. Ensure that your background and font color are in good contrast to present clear and readable slides.

3. Write impactfully

Now that you’ve decided on the points you want to deliver, put them into slides. Spread your points and use bullet points if possible. You can also mark some slides to add images , graphs or tables later.

There are rules of thumb that students must be aware of when creating PowerPoint presentations. The overall idea is to keep your slides concise. Here are some points worth taking notes on.

4. Add visuals

Create a good balance of visual aids and text on your slide. Commonly, a slide with a visual representation only carries one idea written in short. Consider some points below when embedding visual aids on your slides:

You can go to Unsplash and Freepik to search for free photos. Remember to add credit for your photos to inform audiences.

5. Edit and tidy up your slides

6. add transitions and do a final check.

Some recommendations include Fade, Push, Cut, Cover and Uncover. Consider using one type of entrance transition to begin each slide. Add emphasis transition to highlight crucial points, images or other elements.

Final Thoughts

Daniel reed, leave a reply, ‘star trek’: jake sisko’s coming of age story, jujutsu kaisen’s gorgeous second season exacerbates ethical issues in animation, what’s behind beyoncé and taylor swift’s massive 2023, tv’s future golden boy: percy jackson, the hero you’ve been waiting for, bridgit mendler: where is she now.

9 Easy Rules to Make a Good PowerPoint Presentation

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Table of contents

  • 1 How to Start an Excellent PowerPoint Presentation?
  • 2 Tips On How To Make Your PowerPoint Presentation Perfect
  • 3 9 Rules On How To Make A Great PowerPoint Presentation?
  • 4 How to Make Your PPT Project Fast?

Today, regardless of whether you are in a school, college or university, a PowerPoint presentation is a common and widely-used method of engaging students and evaluating their knowledge and skills. This form of a multimedia project is multipurpose. With the help of a good PowerPoint presentation, a teacher or professor can not only make a lesson more interactive and engaging for the class, but also discover the knowledge and talents of his students. How to make a good PowerPoint presentation? Let's find out.

How to Start an Excellent PowerPoint Presentation?

Why do you have to do it? First, such projects are evaluated just like any other assignment, which means if you fail it, you get a low grade, and your overall academic performance drops. However, this is not the main reason. In addition, creating PowerPoint slides gives you many new useful skills and improve the ones you already have – you boost your critical thinking, research, and writing skills, not mentioning that you learn to use various techniques in your studies and gain some public speaking experience.

Thus, this task is useful in many different ways. Finally, it is fun! No one will argue that creating a PPT presentation is much more engaging and fun than writing a research paper of 10 or more pages! It is also a simple way to increase your grade. It is much easier to get an A for your presentation than to get a high grade for a thesis, which once more proves that this is a useful and important skill for all students.

How to make a great PowerPoint project? Although we have said that it is much easier than submitting a paper worthy of an A, you should not think that you will not come across certain challenges during this process. Keep in mind, that a good project delivers the necessary information to the audience, but the best PowerPoint presentations engage, impress, and stay in memory for a long time. Therefore, your main goal is to make it informative and interesting.

How to impress the class and your teacher? There are many factors that are going to influence the effectiveness and interest of your project, some of them are:

  • High-quality content.
  • Attractive visual files.
  • Engaging files.
  • Speaking confidence, etc.

There are many more PowerPoint tips to keep in mind. In this post, we will give you the top nine PowerPoint presentation tips that will definitely come in handy for every student or other people engaged in similar activities.

Tips On How To Make Your PowerPoint Presentation Perfect

How to make a good PowerPoint presentation for college? The process of making effective PowerPoint presentations is long and complicated. Luckily, we have tips and tricks that should help you with the outcome. Once you know these, you will see presentation slides as words, and you will develop your presentation skills in no time. At the same time, you can use these tips and tricks for any presentation, which is always a good idea. The design tips for effective PowerPoint presentation  can make a massive difference with your grade. Hence, they are important and beneficial. Once you know these, you can start creating a PowerPoint presentation. Let’s see tips and tricks that have a huge effect on the PPT process and PPT results.

Simplify The Words In any Microsoft PowerPoint presentation, there are a few seconds time a person can see the slide. It should contain simple words and short ones, so a reader can get only the most valuable information. This is essential when working with PPT. A good PowerPoint presentation will be visible and easy to understand within seconds.

Avoid Using All Capital Letters It looks confusing and won’t be seen in a good PowerPoint presentation. This is actually one of the PowerPoint design tips that have a huge role in all of this. You can add images on each slide, but make sure they don't interfere with the text. As always, know your audience first.

Light Text and Dark Background As you can see, this is a simple tip that has a huge effect. You can use dark text and a light background. The goal is the same. It should make the text more visible, and it is more important than the background. Use this for all lines of text, mandatory bullet points, and also key phrases.

Don't Use Text Fly-Ins These will not improve your presentation skills. The effects are not very amusing when you are discussing business, and they are something most people have seen countless times. It is one of the tips and tricks that is simple but works well with all PPT presentations and has a huge effect on the outcome.

Use HD Images You should only use HD images. These will make your slides look better and more professional. They can make any presentation so much better and more appealing. Use the best images you can find. Keep in mind that you must not use low-quality images at any point.

Avoid Using Animations The situation here is the same as with text fly-ins. These animations will get old fast, and they don't contribute to the overall value of your presentation. Keep things simple and easy. This is the best thing you can do and works well with any presentation and with any purpose. Check out professional presentations, and you will see no animations.

Don't Flip Too Much Your presentation should have a decent number of slides, but not too many. If you flip too much, you will lose the focus and attention of the audience. Just add all the facts and data you need and nothing more.

9 Rules On How To Make A Great PowerPoint Presentation?

There are many nuances to consider. However, there is no reason to deny that a student has to adhere to a few important rules in order to create a winning project, so here we have gathered all these rules for you! They will help you rock your PPT presentation! Besides, these slide tips can also come in handy for those students who are wondering how to write an essay with Google Slides themes.

1. Show your creativity

This is the first thing to keep in mind! A PowerPoint project is not about making it “right” or “wrong” – it is about showing your personality, so let your creativity out and try to surprise everyone with your unique artistic vision.

2. Add high-quality media files

It is not a secret that 90% of PowerPoint presentation's success is by graphics. This is the main thing that will attract your audience's attention. Therefore, you should always use high-quality pictures and videos, not mentioning that all files have to be relevant to your topic and also engaging (consider adding some unusual and fun graphics).

3. Don’t overload it with animation

Without a doubt, nice-looking transitions and animations between your slides attract more attention, but they may also distract your audience. Try to keep it simple and classy.

4. Choose a good theme

A well-planned visual theme will help you make your slides look organic and harmonic. However, do not use templates. Using common templates removes your personal touch from the work, and it becomes too vanilla and won’t be memorable.

5. Avoid providing too much text or bullet lists

Why does it matter? The main idea of pay for PowerPoint presentation is simplicity! This type of project does not have to be overloaded with text – this will be your function as a speaker to share more information with the audience, while your slides only have to contain the main points! Therefore, minimize the amount of text.

6. Try to read less

Another thing that contributes to the success of your presentation is your confidence as a speaker, which is not shown if you are reading from the slides all the time. One of the most important tips for a PPT presentation is to stay confident and do not use a written paper to read the whole text from.

7. Use of charts and diagrams

This is something you should use! Often, charts and diagrams can highlight or explain the message you are trying to deliver much better than any text, but you have to use them carefully to avoid common mistakes as inappropriate size, lack of consistency, etc.

This is one of the most significant PowerPoint design tips! Although choosing fonts may not seem like a big problem, an inappropriate font can ruin the whole impression of your work! Choose fonts that will be easy to read and would look harmonious in your presentation.

9. Less is better

There is a rule that can help you make a perfect presentation – the 10/20/30 rule recommends you to include not more than 10 slides in your project, limit the time of presentation to a maximum of 20 minutes, and use minimum 30-point font size to make it easy to read. You won’t make a mistake if you follow this rule.

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How to Make Your PPT Project Fast?

Where to get great PowerPoint presentations? If you are still not confident in your abilities after reading our PowerPoint guidelines, it’s okay, and it is also fine if you just don’t want to bother yourself with a time-consuming task like this. You can enlist the help of professional writers here at PapersOwl !

Our team is ready to do its best to prepare excellent PowerPoint slides for you on any presentation topics for college students and of any complexity, and we can also do it promptly – even within a day or less. Why should you buy PowerPoint presentations online  from a professional? It gives you many benefits:

  • You are avoiding common mistakes.
  • You save time.
  • You don’t have to work on an assignment that seems complicated or boring to you.
  • You can hire a professional writer with an MA or Ph.D. degree to be assured of great results.
  • You get a chance to boost your grades quickly and easily!

Another great news is that at PapersOwl, you can also use presentation writing services with college assignments on various subjects – therefore, by choosing PapersOwl once, you obtain a reliable friend for all times. We can tackle any task, and we guarantee that you will be satisfied!

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How To Make A Good Powerpoint Presentation For College

How To Make A Good Powerpoint Presentation For College

If college presentations feel like navigating uncharted territory, fear not! Mastering how to make a good powerpoint presentation for college is like learning to steer a ship through turbulent waters—you need the right tools, strategies, and a touch of creativity. In this guide, we’ll delve into the secrets of creating an impactful presentation that captivates your audience while ensuring that your message bursts forth with clarity and professionalism.

  • 1.1 Understand Your Audience: Tailoring Your Message
  • 1.2 Craft A Clear Structure: Building the Foundation
  • 1.3 Engage with Visuals: Painting a Picture
  • 1.4 Keep It Concise: Focusing Your Message
  • 1.5 Limit Text: Let Your Voice Shine
  • 1.6 Choose Fonts Wisely: Clarity and Consistency
  • 1.7 Utilize Color Thoughtfully: Enhancing Visual Appeal
  • 1.8 Embrace Minimalism: Less Is More
  • 1.9 Practice, Practice, Practice: Perfecting Your Delivery
  • 1.10 Prepare for Q&A: Navigating Uncharted Waters
  • 2 Final Thoughts on How To Make A Good Powerpoint Presentation For College
  • 3.1 1. How many slides should my presentation have?
  • 3.2 2. Can I use animations and transitions?
  • 3.3 3. Should I memorize my entire presentation?
  • 3.4 4. How do I handle nervousness?
  • 3.5 5. Is it okay to use humor in my presentation?

10 Tips on How To Make A Good Powerpoint Presentation For College

Embarking on the journey of crafting a compelling PowerPoint presentation for college is like wielding a brush to paint an awe-inspiring masterpiece. Just as an artist blends colors to evoke emotions, you’ll learn to blend content, visuals, and delivery techniques to captivate your audience.

Its time to dive into the realm of presentation excellence, unraveling 10 essential tips that will transform your slides into a canvas of knowledge and intrigue. So, prepare to brush up your skills and let your presentation skills burst forth with brilliance!

Understand Your Audience: Tailoring Your Message

Imagine your audience as fellow travelers on a journey of learning. Just as a tour guide adapts their narrative to captivate their listeners, understanding your audience’s interests, knowledge level, and expectations is key. Are you presenting to peers, professors, or a mixed group? Tailoring your message to their needs is like choosing the perfect route to guide them through your presentation smoothly.

Craft A Clear Structure: Building the Foundation

A well-structured presentation is like a sturdy bridge, supporting your ideas as you guide your audience from one point to another. Begin with an engaging introduction that piques their interest, followed by the main points you’ll cover. Each slide should flow logically, much like stepping stones across a stream. Use headings and subheadings (H2 tags) to guide your audience, ensuring that your content is organized and easy to follow.

Engage with Visuals: Painting a Picture

Visual aids are like brushstrokes of color on a canvas—they breathe life into your presentation. Incorporate relevant images, graphs, and charts that enhance your message. Avoid overwhelming your slides with text; instead, use visuals to illustrate key points and concepts. Just as an artist selects colors thoughtfully, choose visuals that complement and enhance your narrative.

Keep It Concise: Focusing Your Message

In the world of presentations, brevity is your ally. Think of each slide as a puzzle piece; it should contribute to the bigger picture without overwhelming your audience. Use concise bullet points, avoiding long paragraphs. It’s like packing for a trip—select only what’s essential to ensure a smooth journey through your content.

Limit Text: Let Your Voice Shine

Too much text on a slide is like overcrowding a room—it leaves no space for your voice to resonate. Use your slides as prompts, not scripts. When you present, your spoken words should expand on the points highlighted on your slides. This engages your audience and ensures that your presentation remains engaging and dynamic.

Choose Fonts Wisely: Clarity and Consistency

Fonts are like the voice of your presentation—each one conveys a different tone. Opt for readable fonts like Arial, Calibri, or Times New Roman. Use bold and italics for emphasis, but avoid excessive decoration that distracts from your message. Consistency is key, much like maintaining a steady rhythm throughout a musical performance.

Utilize Color Thoughtfully: Enhancing Visual Appeal

Colors are like the backdrop of your presentation—they set the tone and mood. Choose a color palette that’s easy on the eyes and complements your content. Bright colors can be attention-grabbing, while muted tones create a sense of professionalism. Think of color as the thread weaving through a tapestry, adding vibrancy and cohesion.

Embrace Minimalism: Less Is More

Simplicity is like a breath of fresh air in a cluttered world. Embrace minimalistic design by using ample white space and clean layouts. It’s like decluttering a room—each element should have a purpose, contributing to the overall aesthetic without overwhelming the senses.

Practice, Practice, Practice: Perfecting Your Delivery

Practicing your presentation is like rehearsing for a live performance. Familiarity with your content allows you to speak confidently and engage with your audience. Practice your pacing, intonation, and gestures to ensure that your delivery is natural and compelling. Invite a friend or family member to listen and provide feedback—it’s like having a test audience before the big show.

Prepare for Q&A: Navigating Uncharted Waters

Imagine the Q&A session as a roundtable discussion among explorers. Anticipate potential questions and prepare thoughtful responses. Just as explorers research their destination, gather additional information to address queries that might arise. This part of your presentation is like an interactive map—guiding your audience through uncharted territories of curiosity.

Final Thoughts on How To Make A Good Powerpoint Presentation For College

In conclusion, knowing how to make a good powerpoint presentation for college is a blend of strategy, creativity, and effective communication. Think of it as a voyage—your content is the ship, and your audience is the crew.

With the right tools, you’ll navigate through the waves of information, ensuring that your message reaches its destination with clarity and resonance. So, set sail with confidence, and let your presentation shine as a beacon of knowledge and engagement.

FAQs: Navigating the Presentation Seas

1. how many slides should my presentation have.

While there’s no fixed rule, aim for around 10-15 slides for a 10-minute presentation. Adjust based on your content and pacing.

2. Can I use animations and transitions?

Absolutely! Just ensure they enhance your content and don’t distract from your message. Think of them as subtle waves that guide your audience’s attention.

3. Should I memorize my entire presentation?

While memorizing can be helpful, focus on understanding your content. Use your slides as prompts and engage naturally with your audience.

4. How do I handle nervousness?

Nervousness is like a tide that comes and goes. Practice, deep breaths, and positive self-talk can help calm your nerves. Remember, a bit of excitement is natural—it shows you care!

5. Is it okay to use humor in my presentation?

Absolutely! Humor is like a lighthouse—it guides your audience through your content with a smile. Just ensure your jokes are appropriate for the context and audience.

Remember, your presentation is an opportunity to share knowledge and engage with your audience. With these tips in hand, you’re ready to embark on your presentation journey with confidence and flair.

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Making better powerpoint presentations.

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Baddeley and Hitch’s model of working memory.

Research about student preferences for powerpoint, resources for making better powerpoint presentations, bibliography.

We have all experienced the pain of a bad PowerPoint presentation. And even though we promise ourselves never to make the same mistakes, we can still fall prey to common design pitfalls.  The good news is that your PowerPoint presentation doesn’t have to be ordinary. By keeping in mind a few guidelines, your classroom presentations can stand above the crowd!

“It is easy to dismiss design – to relegate it to mere ornament, the prettifying of places and objects to disguise their banality. But that is a serious misunderstanding of what design is and why it matters.” Daniel Pink

One framework that can be useful when making design decisions about your PowerPoint slide design is Baddeley and Hitch’s model of working memory .

how to make powerpoint presentation for college

As illustrated in the diagram above, the Central Executive coordinates the work of three systems by organizing the information we hear, see, and store into working memory.

The Phonological Loop deals with any auditory information. Students in a classroom are potentially listening to a variety of things: the instructor, questions from their peers, sound effects or audio from the PowerPoint presentation, and their own “inner voice.”

The Visuo-Spatial Sketchpad deals with information we see. This involves such aspects as form, color, size, space between objects, and their movement. For students this would include: the size and color of fonts, the relationship between images and text on the screen, the motion path of text animation and slide transitions, as well as any hand gestures, facial expressions, or classroom demonstrations made by the instructor.

The Episodic Buffer integrates the information across these sensory domains and communicates with long-term memory. All of these elements are being deposited into a holding tank called the “episodic buffer.” This buffer has a limited capacity and can become “overloaded” thereby, setting limits on how much information students can take in at once.

Laura Edelman and Kathleen Harring from Muhlenberg College , Allentown, Pennsylvania have developed an approach to PowerPoint design using Baddeley and Hitch’s model. During the course of their work, they conducted a survey of students at the college asking what they liked and didn’t like about their professor’s PowerPoint presentations. They discovered the following:

Characteristics students don’t like about professors’ PowerPoint slides

  • Too many words on a slide
  • Movement (slide transitions or word animations)
  • Templates with too many colors

Characteristics students like like about professors’ PowerPoint slides

  • Graphs increase understanding of content
  • Bulleted lists help them organize ideas
  • PowerPoint can help to structure lectures
  • Verbal explanations of pictures/graphs help more than written clarifications

According to Edelman and Harring, some conclusions from the research at Muhlenberg are that students learn more when:

  • material is presented in short phrases rather than full paragraphs.
  • the professor talks about the information on the slide rather than having students read it on their own.
  • relevant pictures are used. Irrelevant pictures decrease learning compared to PowerPoint slides with no picture
  • they take notes (if the professor is not talking). But if the professor is lecturing, note-taking and listening decreased learning.
  • they are given the PowerPoint slides before the class.

Advice from Edelman and Harring on leveraging the working memory with PowerPoint:

  • Leverage the working memory by dividing the information between the visual and auditory modality.  Doing this reduces the likelihood of one system becoming overloaded. For instance, spoken words with pictures are better than pictures with text, as integrating an image and narration takes less cognitive effort than integrating an image and text.
  • Minimize the opportunity for distraction by removing any irrelevant material such as music, sound effects, animations, and background images.
  • Use simple cues to direct learners to important points or content. Using text size, bolding, italics, or placing content in a highlighted or shaded text box is all that is required to convey the significance of key ideas in your presentation.
  • Don’t put every word you intend to speak on your PowerPoint slide. Instead, keep information displayed in short chunks that are easily read and comprehended.
  • One of the mostly widely accessed websites about PowerPoint design is Garr Reynolds’ blog, Presentation Zen . In his blog entry:  “ What is Good PowerPoint Design? ” Reynolds explains how to keep the slide design simple, yet not simplistic, and includes a few slide examples that he has ‘made-over’ to demonstrate how to improve its readability and effectiveness. He also includes sample slides from his own presentation about PowerPoint slide design.
  • Another presentation guru, David Paradi, author of “ The Visual Slide Revolution: Transforming Overloaded Text Slides into Persuasive Presentations ” maintains a video podcast series called “ Think Outside the Slide ” where he also demonstrates PowerPoint slide makeovers. Examples on this site are typically from the corporate perspective, but the process by which content decisions are made is still relevant for higher education. Paradi has also developed a five step method, called KWICK , that can be used as a simple guide when designing PowerPoint presentations.
  • In the video clip below, Comedian Don McMillan talks about some of the common misuses of PowerPoint in his routine called “Life After Death by PowerPoint.”

  • This article from The Chronicle of Higher Education highlights a blog moderated by Microsoft’s Doug Thomas that compiles practical PowerPoint advice gathered from presentation masters like Seth Godin , Guy Kawasaki , and Garr Reynolds .

Presenting to Win: The Art of Telling Your Story , by Jerry Weissman, Prentice Hall, 2006

Presentation Zen: Simple Ideas on Presentation Design and Delivery , by Garr Reynolds, New Riders Press, 2008

Solving the PowerPoint Predicament: using digital media for effective communication , by Tom Bunzel , Que, 2006

The Cognitive Style of Power Point , by Edward R. Tufte, Graphics Pr, 2003

The Visual Slide Revolution: Transforming Overloaded Text Slides into Persuasive Presentations , by Dave Paradi, Communications Skills Press, 2000

Why Most PowerPoint Presentations Suck: And How You Can Make Them Better , by Rick Altman, Harvest Books, 2007

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How to Make a Good PowerPoint Presentation for College

Learn how you can create a good PowerPoint presentation for your college.

Author: Barrera Alcova

Product/Version: PowerPoint

Date Created: November 27, 2020 Last Updated: December 6, 2023

In this present time, teachers are beginning to make the adjustment to digital means of engaging their students to make their job easy. In the same vein, students are expected to rely more on write my essay services and have in-depth knowledge about PowerPoint presentations, and it is believed that as a college student, you must know how to go about it. With the aid of good PowerPoint presentations, teachers have been able to communicate even the most tedious lectures in a way that's easy to grasp for students. Most importantly, it has improved interactions between students and college teachers and has also helped students broaden their knowledge so they can uncover hidden talent.

As a fact, a presentation is considered more than just a set of slides. This is the process of providing your ideas to others. In other words, this is a speech that is designed to convince others. Whether you completed the practice and your diploma is worthy of an excellent mark, or how you did your essay, even in case of do my homework for me - is not so important. The main thing is that the presentation skill is not an innate talent, but a skill that anyone can develop. For this reason, some students prefer to show up and highlight the main plan for the perfect presentation.

Over the years, college students have always encountered problems on how to present their slides. However, you can get a college essay writer online to help you write on how to do a good PowerPoint presentation slide.

PowerPoint Presentation for College

Below are steps that you can follow:

1. Make Your Outline Simple

The first step to having a good presentation is to make your outline simple and easy to grasp so that you won't look like you are trying to read out a whole textbook. Remember, you're working within a time frame when making presentations, so you need to know the necessary points that can help you marshal your facts effectively and accurately. To make your presentation easier, draft out steps that include your title slide, your topic introduction, your arguments (for and against), and conclusion. You can also have an expert to do your assignments .

2. Research Arguments to back your topic

The presentation can either be based around a narrative or you may be examining a discussion from an alternative point of view. No matter what it is, it is advisable to study the pros and cons of your presentation so you won't be speaking with a biased or undercooked mind. This is due to the fact that questions may be raised by your audience to counter your presentation's message. If you're unable to effectively defend your work, marks may be deducted by your supervisor, no matter how stellar your delivery.

Therefore, research on the arguments "for" and "against." This will help you prepare for whatever questions might be thrown from any angle. You can read more about the concept of argument in order not to commit fallacies during the presentation. It will give you an edge for good grades when you are done.

3. Keep the Slides Simple

Many college students fall foul of this simple rule; they want to impress their teachers with overcomplicated slides. Too many graphical elements and animations can make the presentation challenging to grasp for the audience. Always remember, the purpose of your presentation is to establish your claim, and the only means to ensure it is to keep the slides simple. You can research PowerPoint templates to choose slides that can make your work easy to understand.

4. Make Use of High-Quality Images and Videos

It is not everything that your words can explain, but a video or high-quality image can convey your thoughts better for you. Insert this imagery in your slides to make it more understandable. For instance, if you are discussing the importance of forex trading to the financial world, a forex chart will explain your point quickly. A video will explain even better because it will show how trading is done on forex, how profit can be made, and how a forex trader can avert losses.

5. Tell a Story

Your presentation can get more grades if you can tell a story that captivates the audience. Nevertheless, be sure that your story is related to what you are presenting and draw out the logicality of the story to the presentation. In your story, keep to the following rule: a call to action that will convince your audience. It is an excellent way to earn more marks. You can get professional help to write your essay.

6. Practice with Mock Presentation

Do mock presentations with your friends to know the flaws in your presentation so that you can improve on the areas where necessary. Ensure that you take mock presentations seriously. Verify that you're carrying your audience along and that you are keeping within the allocated time frame. Ensure also that there are no loopholes in your narrative. The mock presentation will help you make up for these flaws.

7. Never Read from the Slides

Always remember to say within yourself "I am presenting, not reading." This is a technique that has worked for people who have done successful presentations. Therefore, prepare well, understand the nitty-gritty of your topic so that you will write simple information on your slides, which you will explain to the audience. To make it simpler, list them in a bullet form format. It gives you confidence, and it leaves your audience with the impression that you know what you are talking about concerning the topic.

8. Let Your Voice and Body Language do the Expression

You do not want to do a boring presentation where people are bored with what you are saying. The only way to spice up your presentation is to add mimicking sound to your voice and let your body express itself with gestures and if possible, let there be humor that doesn't offend anyone.

9. Draw a Logical Conclusion

Like Nicollo Machiavelli would say "the end justifies the means," it would be a waste of time to have a good starting and end on a wrong note. The success of a presentation lies in the conclusion drawn at the end of the argument. Therefore, after giving points in the form of arguments from various points of view, draw a meeting point that serves as a meeting point that connects to both sides of the arguments you have marshaled. However, it must be proffering solutions; that solution is your position concerning the topic.

From the following points stated, you will discover that doing a PowerPoint presentation is all about being smart with words and time. However, you can save yourself stress by buying online from a reputable writing platform to have a successful presentation.

You May Also Like: Analysis Feature in WeCompress: Conversation with Mike Power | Presentation Procrastinators: 03

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How to Create a PowerPoint Presentation for College Class

How to Do a Paper Review Presentation

How to Do a Paper Review Presentation

Gone are the days when every professor demanded a term paper at the end of the semester. Now, many professors accept or even require you to create a PowerPoint presentation for the the class. Even if you know how to use the software program, it is especially important in college to put on a professional presentation.

Research your topic extensively. Using the Internet can be a good place to start, but you might also want to consult your school's library for more resources. Utilizing a wide variety of resources can ensure that your presentation is well-researched so that you can speak intelligently about your topic.

Write an outline for your presentation that includes all of the relevant information and speaking points you want to include. Thinking through your presentation ahead of time will make it easier to compose your slides. By writing the outline in a word processing application, you can copy and paste directly from your outline into PowerPoint.

Design your presentation in PowerPoint. Choose a professional and easy-to-read style for your presentation. On each slide, you should have a picture, a graphic or a few text points you want to emphasize. You should plan to speak for only 30 to 60 seconds on each slide, so don't try to cram too much information onto any one slide. Also, remember that you are the presenter and that you want your audience to focus on you and not the PowerPoint. The PowerPoint should serve only to enhance the presentation.

Rehearse your presentation. You should run through your presentation at least a few times before you present it for the class. It is important to stand and speak out loud when rehearsing. This helps you solidify what you will say, nail down your pacing and work out your transitions from slide to slide. If you have a few friends or family members willing to listen to your presentation, get them together for a dry run. This can help ease any anxiety you might have about presenting in front of the whole class.

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Collier Jackson has been writing professionally since 2010. Writing for various websites, he specializes in topics related to foreign languages, linguistics and Asian cultures. Jackson holds a Bachelor of Arts in Chinese from The Ohio State University.

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Andrew Childress

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What do you do when you need to share your knowledge with an audience? One of the best ways is to build a PowerPoint presentation for teaching . Use it as a supplement when you're speaking.

Planner Mission and Vision

It's often said that people have different learning styles. While some learn best by listening, others are visual learners. Other learners love trying hands-on exercises to learn the concept at hand. The best part of an effective presentation is you can combine all these into one package.

PowerPoint has carved out its place as the go-to presentation software for its ease of use. And when you're scrambling to quickly put together a presentation about education, you need all the help you can get to focus on the content instead of the slide designs.

In this tutorial, I'm going to share my techniques for building an education PowerPoint presentation . Even if you're a PowerPoint rookie, you can create a professional and informative education presentation.

PowerPoint PPTX Educational Presentation Guide

Download Our Free PDF eBook on Making Great Presentations

Before you read on, we want to make sure you know about this resource. It'll help you write, design, and deliver the perfect presentation.  Download our Free eBook:  The Complete Guide to Making Great Presentations .

 Free eBook PDF Download Make a Great Presentation

How to Make an Educational PowerPoint PPT Presentation Quickly With Templates (Video)

Are you ready to start your next educational PowerPoint presentation? Get a head start on your next education presentation with the tips and steps in the short video below:

how to make powerpoint presentation for college

Do you want to learn even more about creating presentations on education topics? Keep reading for a step-by-step guide with additional information and tips.

1. How to Write an Educational Presentation

Start by spending some time writing and planning the content for your presentation about education. It's hard to start with a blank slate for building an education PowerPoint presentation, but it helps if you can break down what you need to do with an easily repeatable set of steps.

Let's talk about key steps you can take to make writing a presentation feel more manageable:

Step 1. Set a Learning Objective

Every well-written educational presentation starts off the same way: by setting a goal for it. You need to set a learning objective,  the goal of what your audience will know after they've seen the presentation.

If you don't have a targeted goal for your education PowerPoint presentation, it's likely that your points will wander away from the central idea. Setting a single, focused learning objective helps ensure that everything you write supports that central idea.

Setting a learning goal and keeping it in mind helps ensure that your presentation has a tight focus.

There are many types of presentations, like persuasive, decision-driven, introductory, and informative (educational). The objectives that you set for these presentations are different because they each have different desired outcomes.

Here are some examples of three different learning objectives that would feel appropriate for an educational presentation:

  • This presentation will teach the audience the basics of personal finance and how to start investing.
  • The audience will learn how to write their first line of Javascript code.
  • The presentation will share the latest techniques for performing employee performance reviews.

Write out your learning objective so that you'll keep it in mind while writing the rest of the presentation about education.

Step 2. Write an Outline for Key Ideas

If the learning objective is the destination for what you want to accomplish, an outline is the roadmap that helps you make sure you arrive at the goal. Each of the points in your outline should be a supporting idea for the learning objective.

You don't have to use a complex tool to write an outline. In fact, a simple tool is better for drafting out these rough ideas in outline format.

Outline example in Word

I like to think of each of the outline points as key ideas for reinforcing the learning goal. Each of them should be different in some way.

Step 3. Build Supporting Points

Now, it's time to reinforce these key points by adding supporting points. These are just the details that illustrate the key ideas.

In my outlines, these are ideas for how I might teach the key ideas. One bullet point might be "chart that shows the power of compounding growth over time," for example. I usually put a second leave in the outline for each of the supporting points.

Remember that we want to teach concepts through a variety of lenses that accommodate different learning styles. You could use a second-level bullet point for a visual approach to teaching (charts and graphs), and a separate bullet point for an idea on an audience hands-on method to learning the idea.

how to make powerpoint presentation for college

2. Elements for Education PowerPoints

After you firm up ideas for the content that you'll include in the presentation on education, it's time to open PowerPoint. Start building the education PowerPoint presentation educational slides that support you while speaking.

So, what if you need to prepare a presentation for your classroom or audience, and you don't have the time to build out the presentation from scratch?

Elements PowerPoint Themes Example

In this tutorial, I'm going to use an educational PowerPoint template from Envato Elements. Elements offers unlimited downloads for a flat rate monthly fee. That includes more than 800 Microsoft PowerPoint templates. Use it to get a major head start.

Sure, PowerPoint has some built-in themes. But Microsoft's approach to custom themes is just different combinations of font styles, color schemes, and background images. The themes that Elements offers include pre-built slide designs that you can drop your own content into. These education PowerPoint presentation slides help you overcome the work of starting with a blank slate each time.

Education PowerPoint Theme

In this tutorial, I'm going to work with Envato Elements' presentation template titled,  Education PowerPoint theme .  The structure and simplicity of this theme makes it ideal for building an educational presentation theme.

If the template I selected isn't quite your style, don't miss out on the rest of Elements educational templates . Each of these pre-built presentations has plenty of ideas for building out an effective presentation on education PPT.

3. How to Build an Educational Presentation

Let's walk through building an educational presentation that'll drive knowledge to an audience. 

We're going to build a presentation that familiarizes an audience with the basics of personal finance. This fictitious slide deck will stress the importance of how you handle your finances. It'll also educate the audience on how to get started. 

Step 1. Introduce Yourself and the Subject

If someone has shown up for your presentation on education PPT, they likely have an idea of what it's about. But you can't guarantee that. So, it's important that you set the stage for the key ideas.

It's also important that you introduce yourself. I'll usually try to include at least a brief one-liner that establishes my knowledge on the subject.

For this slide design, let's start off with slide 2 in the Education deck. This has a placeholder for a professional image. If you've got one of yourself available, it's great to replace the placeholder with a self-image to personalize it.

Personal Finance Persona Example

Step 2. Give the Presentation About Education a "Why"

You're always competing for the audience's attention. An important part of building an educational presentation is capturing that interest near the outset.

To establish and hold that attention, you've got to show the audience the potential of following your advice and techniques.

Let's use slide design 6 for this purpose. A bit of inspiration sets the stage for the audience to soak up your advice in the rest of the presentation.

Personal Finance Slide

One of the other benefits of using Envato Elements is that you've got access to a huge library of stock photos. Instead of scouring the web for an image that you can use or paying to license one image after another, an all-you-can download subscription to Elements gives you access to the entire library.

In this case, I jumped back to Elements and pulled a stock photo selection for inclusion in the slide deck. 

Elements Personal Finance

Step 3. Share Techniques and Tips for the Topic

I like to think of this education presentation as the meat of the matter. You've set the stage, created a sense of importance. Now, the audience needs ideas on what the steps are that they can take to succeed.

In the screenshot below, I've customized slide design 10. This includes four easy steps, illustrated by arrows to show a progression of the needed steps.

Step by Step Guide to Problem Solving

Plan on building out several education PowerPoint presentation slides to explain the key learning steps. This is one example of using a slide in the Education deck to drive your concept.

Step 4. Teach With Visualizations

For the visual learners in the audience, it helps to have a chart or graph that illustrates the concept at hand. You might have the most eloquent speaking points in the rest of the presentation, but a well-made chart could be the key to driving your point home.

In the screenshot below, I generated a chart that shows the power of compound interest. I used slide design 24, which already had a placeholder for a graph that I modified with my own data.

Power of Compounding Growth with Visualization

Step 5. Finish By Asking for Action

After you've spent the presentation sharing your advice and information, ask for an action from the audience. 

In our case, the best step is to ask the audience to start budgeting to manage their finances. A simple, clean slide design that focuses on a single line of text is ideal for that.

Let's use slide design 31 to illustrate this concept. It's a great example of how you can take a slide that's for one purpose and easily transform it into an entirely different usage. I deleted the map graphic and increased the font size to make an impact.

Finish by Asking for Action

These are a few of the education PowerPoint presentation slides that you might want to build, but they showcase how easy it is to get started.

5 Great PowerPoint Educational Presentation Tips

Now that you know how to make an educational PowerPoint presentation, here are a few more tips. They'll help you make the most out of your presentation and your chosen PowerPoint template. 

1. Customize Your Presentation With School Colors

A great way to make your presentation about education more custom is to use your school colors. Use them as accents to highlight heading elements or in charts, graphs, buttons. 

Education PowerPoint Template

2. Use Animations Carefully

Animation and slide transitions can add interest to your presentation. But avoid using them for each slide. Instead, save them to transition between different sections of your presentation. 

3. Use Visual Aids

Make it easy for your students to follow along by adding plenty of visual elements throughout your presentation about education. This includes charts, graphs, photos, infographics, and other infographic elements. 

Solar System Education Presentation

4. Focus On One Topic Per Slide

Avoid having many ideas on one slide. This will overwhelm your audience. It'll also increase the likelihood of them zoning out instead of listening to what you've got to say. 

5. White Space Is Your Friend

Leave plenty of white space around various presentation elements. This will make it easy for your audience to focus on your presentation, not to mention you’ll avoid your presentation looking cluttered. 

iEdu PowerPoint Template

Find More Great PowerPoint Templates: 5 Top Designs

Envato Elements has plenty of education PowerPoint templates that you can download and use to create a stunning presentation quickly. What’s more, download as many templates as you want and use them in as many presentations as you want. 

Look at some of our best education PowerPoint templates that we've got available.

1. Edumode - Education PowerPoint Template  

Edumode - Education PowerPoint Template

The Edumode is a modern and vibrant PowerPoint presentation. Use it for teaching. There are plenty of custom icons and infographic elements that you can use to create an engaging presentation about education.

Use this template for any class or subject. Once you download this template, you’ll find over 40 unique educational slides designed in widescreen format as well as world maps. 

2. Education PowerPoint Presentation Template  

Education PowerPoint Presentation Template

This colorful education presentation is a great choice if you’re making a presentation for a younger audience. The template has many educational slides and over 1000 custom icons that you can use in your presentation. The template is also fully animated and was designed in full HD resolution.

3. University and Education PowerPoint Template

University and Education PowerPoint Template

This PowerPoint template is a great choice to create a presentation for high school or university students. It's got a clean and professional design with over 90 unique educational slides. You’ll also find:

  • 110 color schemes, 
  • slides designed in two aspect ratios
  • hundreds of resizable vector elements

4. Education PowerPoint Template

Education PowerPoint Template

Try this PowerPoint template if you’re looking for a versatile template with a clean and minimal design. This template comes with five premade color schemes and over 150 slides based on master slides. You’ll also find resizable vector elements and picture placeholders for easy editing.

5. Education PowerPoint Template  

Education PowerPoint Template

Use this versatile template for any type of educational presentation or business presentation. It comes with 10 master slides and five premade color schemes that you can use as a starting point for your designs.

To see even more educational PowerPoint template examples, be sure to check out our related roundups: 

how to make powerpoint presentation for college

Learn More About How to Use PowerPoint

One guide that I recommend to anyone who wants to learn Microsoft is our roundup, The Ultimate Guide to the Best PPT . This tutorial is like a roadmap for learning PowerPoint and using all the features in combination to build the perfect presentation.

Already checked out that guide? Don't miss out on these other top tutorials below to refine your PowerPoint skills:

how to make powerpoint presentation for college

Grab This eBook on Making Great Presentations ( Free Download )

We've got the perfect complement to a professional PowerPoint template. It'll help you learn how to write, design, and deliver great presentations.

Download  The Complete Guide to Making Great Presentations  now for FREE with a subscription to the Tuts+ Business Newsletter. Get your ideas formed into a powerful presentation that'll move your audience.

 Free eBook PDF Download Make a Great Presentation

Create a Great Educational PowerPoint Presentation

In this tutorial, we tackled how easy it can be to build a presentation to educate an audience with PowerPoint using pre-made Elements slide decks to quickly build a presentation. 

How do you build out your own educational PowerPoint presentations quickly? If you've got any tips that would help your fellow Envato Tuts+ readers learn the app, please share in the comments section below.

If you’re working on a presentation for your class, stop by Envato Elements and sign up. Download as many education PowerPoint templates as you want. Edit them to suit your needs, and you're done. Elements also provides top teaching resources , study tools , and online teaching templates .

Also, don't miss checking out on top presentation themes on Envato Market if you want other slide designs to try out. Why not get started on your next educational PowerPoint presentation today?

Editorial Note: This tutorial was originally published in February of 2018. It's been updated to include new information—with special assistance from Brenda Barron a nd a video from Andrew Childress . 

Andrew Childress

50 Creative Ideas to Nail Your College Presentation

how to make powerpoint presentation for college

We’d be willing to bet that most college students enjoy presentations about as much as they like their 7am class. Whether they’re designing them, or in the audience, there are likely a million and one things they’d rather be doing (like napping in their dorm room). In fact, 79% will say that most presentations today suck. And 35% of millennials say that they will only engage with content they feel has a great story or theme. With a reputation like that, it’s no wonder students avoid presentations at all costs. 

As a result, many will end up procrastinating, losing sleep over choosing a topic, and piecing a deck together at the last minute. According to research, 47% of presenters put in more than eight hours into designing their presentations. You do the math. Eight hours at the eleventh hour equals an all-nighter.

Luckily, that doesn’t mean the final product has to be a poorly thought-out frankendeck. 

Creative presentation ideas for college students

A lot can ride on a class presentation. It might be your last project at the end of the semester that determines the fate of your final grade, or maybe it’s a group project that counts for half of your participation in the class. Whatever the stakes are, we’re here to help you nail your next college presentation.

how to make powerpoint presentation for college

Pick the right topic

Before committing to your topics for presentations in college, you should consider things like what excites you, what you’re knowledgeable in and what you’d be interested in learning more about, books or movies that inspire you, world events, buzz-worthy pop culture, and what topics relate to your class course. How can you apply these things to your next class presentation?

You’re in college, so it’s very likely that your classmates will be sleeping, or staring out the window, while you’re presenting at the front of the room. To keep them engaged, make it interesting with these unique college presentation ideas.

College presentation ideas

  • The evolution of a specific product— like the cell phone
  • A presentation on your favorite celebrity
  • A history of the most influential presidents of the United States
  • How modern medicine is made
  • The highest paid [BLANK] in 2021
  • A how-to presentation on something you’re passionate about— like building cars
  • A book that you think should be made into a movie (and why)
  • Your favorite cultural recipe
  • Who built the Sphinx of Egypt
  • Social media now and then
  • Shakespeare’s hits and misses
  • Debunking a conspiracy theory
  • Unexpected traditions
  • Who invented the SAT, and what is it?
  • The most popular travel destinations for young adults in their 20s
  • What is van life anyway?
  • How is education different now than it was in the ‘70s
  • How to live a more sustainable life
  • The evolution of humans
  • The history of the Internet
  • Is organic really better?
  • How to get the most out of an internship
  • What employers are actually looking for on your resume, and how to write one
  • Everything you need to know about global warming
  • The top places with the most expensive cost of living in the United States
  • The rise of TikTok
  • What is influencer marketing and why is it so important?
  • Classic movies that should be cancelled in 2021, and why
  • Is eating vegan really better for your health?
  • Are aliens real?
  • Everything you need to know about the Big Bang Theory
  • Why streaming services are the demise of classic cable
  • Marijuana then and now: the process of getting it legalized
  • 15 Memorable things about [blank]
  • A comprehensive timeline of feminism
  • Is print— newspapers, magazines, books— dead?
  • The easiest foreign language to learn on your own
  • The best life hacks I learned on TikTok
  • What does white privilege mean to millennials and Generation Z?
  • Understanding finance for young adults 101
  • Everything you need to know about life after college
  • The difference between electric cars and gas cars
  • What is artificial intelligence anyway?
  • How thrifting can help the environment
  • The evolution of presentations: from caveman to TedTalks
  • Applying your degree in real life
  • The origins of your favorite music genre
  • Everything you need to about becoming a surgeon
  • The life cycle of [blank] 
  • Life without technology: where would we be without modern technology?

Make it beautiful

You have your topic, now what? Did you wait until the absolute last second to get started? Here’s the good news: no need for an all-nighter. Beautiful.ai can help you nail your college presentation in a pinch. The ease of use, and intuitive controls, help you create something brilliant in minutes, not hours. Start inspired with our inspiration gallery of pre-built templates and customize them to fit your content.

It’s important to connect with your audience on an emotional level, so make sure to pick trendy colors, modern fonts, and high-quality visual assets to compliment your presentation and evoke emotion. Engage your audience (especially your professor) with dynamic animations, or videos, to help control the narrative and direct their attention to the key takeaways. 

Pro tip: use the shareable link to share your deck out with classmates, teachers, or social media friends after class. 

Jordan Turner

Jordan Turner

Jordan is a Bay Area writer, social media manager, and content strategist.

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Create a Standout College PowerPoint: 9 Expert Tips and 15 Creative Topic Ideas

Stefani H.

Table of contents

Creating PowerPoint presentations is a common assignment for high school and college students. They have become an important part of evaluating students for their final grades, much like coursework or research papers.

But unlike the two, you don’t have to present information in MS Word or another word processing software, but as PowerPoint slides. The power of PowerPoint lies in the ability to incorporate oral, visual, and written elements of communication.

As a student, you must create well-written and well-designed slides to get good grades. Well-written and well-designed college PowerPoint presentations are engaging and informative and encourage collaboration and content sharing–critical things that your examiner will look for when grading your PowerPoint presentation.

Impress Your Professors: 9 Tips for a Top-Notch College PowerPoint Presentation

As a result, there are important tips to keep in mind as a student writing and designing college PowerPoint presentations. Below are nine of the most important tips.

1. Start with an outline

To put forward well-written and well-designed presentations, outline what you want to be included in your PowerPoint slides.

Make a rough note of what will go in the introduction section, body, and conclusion. By defining the order of how things will flow, you will easily get your message across with the right words, layout, graphics, and colors.

2. Choose a good template

The good thing about PowerPoint is that there is a whale of (free and paid) templates you can use to create your college PowerPoint presentation. However, the trick is to choose one template throughout your presentation and not use different templates at the same time.

Note that it should also blend well with the font and colors you will be using. It should not be outdated or have a basic design.

Choosing a good template saves you time when creating your presentation, as it will be easy to modify and also present information conveniently. But most importantly, it makes your presentation look professional, and this easily captures the examiner’s or viewer’s attention and keeps them focused on your presentation.

3. Choose a reasonable number of slides

There is no limit to the number of slides you can use for your presentation, especially in the corporate world. However, since this is a college assignment, it would be more prudent to keep your presentation at a reasonable length.

Too many slides, and you risk killing the attention of the viewer/examiner. Too few slides will make your presentation look cheap. So to maintain your presentation at a reasonable length, ensure the information you put in your slides is relevant and helpful to the reader.

4. Make it easy to read

The easiest way to kill your college PowerPoint presentation is to clutter it with chunky blocks of text. It will overwhelm your readers. As a result, make your PowerPoint presentation easy to read by avoiding text-heavy slides and including paragraph breaks.

Besides, use simple language and sentences. As for writing essays and research papers, always avoid jargon, filler words, or words that only you understand. Every word you put on a slide should support your topic.

An excellent writing tip that will help you along the way is to edit thoroughly, to remove any redundancy or extra information in the text, leaving only what is useful to the audience.

Where you have used words that your reader might not understand, provide their definition in the reference section so readers don’t have to leave your slide to look for its meaning.

Moreover, make your presentation concise. Too much information and graphics lead to cognitive overload.

Apart from that, it makes your presentation less interactive and attractive. So limit the amount of evidence, argument, banners, headers, footers, page numbers, and messages you put on your slide.

Ensure Your Presentation is Easy to Read: Additional Tips for Slide Design

  • Each slide should have one point and three to five sub-points.
  • Avoid long sentences. Each line should have 6-8 words.
  • Avoid italicized fonts.
  • All caps should only be used in the title.
  • Separate text and visual elements with white spaces.
  • Split your content into columns.
  • Keep your slides to five lines of text.
  • Make visuals large (it can occupy an entire slide with the text coming below or above the visual).
  • Use a transparent background.
  • Highlight important points or use contrast and call-out.
  • Use arrows, circles, and pointers to illustrate photos or graphs.
  • You don’t need to use complete sentences.

These are the ways to ensure your reader gets the key message you are trying to pass across, remember more in a few words, and avoid getting distracted or quickly win them back if they do as they aid in the retention of the information.

5. Use images and rich media to communicate

Images and rich media also help to communicate your message better and remember what you are saying since they are visual memory triggers. As a result, they need to be engaging.

When you incorporate charts, graphs, drawings, and diagrams in your presentation, don’t just use any image, but high-quality ones, and if possible, ensure their backgrounds are consistent with the color scheme and template you are using.

The same applies to rich media and animation. Videos, songs, and animation are very useful in capturing your reader’s attention and keeping them focused on the text. But don’t overuse them, as you will distract the reader. The rich media and images you use need to enhance your presentation and not cause distraction.

6. Highlight keywords

Keywords guide your reader along with the text or slides as they convey a message clearly. They are also useful when creating the flow of your presentation. Your primary keyword needs to be derived from the topic of your presentation. Other sets of keywords can be got from the structure of your presentation.

Note that you need to highlight your keywords using boldface or contrasting color so the reader can quickly and easily take crucial information.

7. Transition changes

As we have mentioned before, it is recommended to be consistent with your slides. Besides, the slides should also blend well with the fonts and colors. However, when your slides, colors, and fonts look similar, the user/examiner may not recognize change when transitioning between slides.

Since most humans suffer from change blindness , it may be hard for them to see the change, unless you establish a clear transition between the slides.

As a result, include a transition between the slides or important elements in the slides that will signal transition. Are you talking about the recent flooding in European countries? Use water transition. If you are talking about gun violence, use gun transition.

The work of transition is to reduce change blindness and improve memory retention of the information.

8. Consistent formatting and citation

Consistency in formatting and structure is one of the most important elements your examiner will look at when going through your PowerPoint presentation. As a result, try sticking to one font and color scheme to score more points.

The recommended font types are Ariel, Tahoma, or Veranda. Standardize it throughout the presentation. Your font size also needs to be large or readable. For example, if you are using the font type Veranda, the font size of your title needs to be 40 points, subtitles, and bullets at 32 points, and content 24 points. Leave smaller fonts for the footer.

Another important factor to consider is that each slide should have the same background. Using multiple backgrounds or changing styling is distracting. Besides, don’t overload your text/slides with colors. This will make the examiner shun your presentation, as it is distracting.

Instead, pick 2-3 color schemes to use throughout your slides, for example, white on black background. Avoid color combinations like green on blue, purple on pink, or red on green. The color combination you use should be clearer and sharper to help the reader easily read the information.

Lastly, in-text and image citations need to be the same. That is, if you are using MLA or APA style guide, stick to that throughout the presentation. But always counter-check with your instructor or assignment requirements for the right style guide to use.

9. Create a mock presentation for practice

To ensure that you have incorporated all that we have discussed above, make sure you create a mock presentation that you can go through to single out sections that may need reworking.

Once you have seen that all your ideas come through and everything is in order, rewrite the presentation considering your audience, purpose, and occasion (in our case, it is a classroom presentation).

Get Inspired with these 15 Unique College PowerPoint Presentation Topics

1. The Future of Artificial Intelligence.

2. The Importance of Mental Health Awareness.

3. Climate Change and its Effects on the Planet.

4. The Power of Positive Thinking.

5. The Psychology of Social Media.

6. Innovations in Renewable Energy.

7. The Benefits and Risks of Gene Editing.

8. Ethics in Business: Balancing Profit and Social Responsibility.

9. The Art and Science of Effective Communication.

10. The History and Significance of Jazz Music.

11. The Intersection of Technology and Healthcare.

12. The Evolution of Fashion Throughout History.

13. The Secrets of Successful Entrepreneurship.

14. The Science of Sleep: Strategies for Better Rest.

15. The Art of Mindfulness: Achieving Inner Peace in a Chaotic World.

The good thing about doing college PowerPoint presentations is that you acquire skills and knowledge that will help you in your professional life. It is not merely for amassing good grades.

So every time you are tasked with creating PowerPoint presentations, remember to plan carefully, make it easy to read, add useful graphics, choose the right template, and polish your writing and layout with a mock presentation before submitting a final piece. With these, you will score more points than other students or presenters.

The good news is that at Writers Per Hour, we have writing experts who can help you draft your slides and create a lasting impact. All you have to do is send us your brief, and we will take care of research, outlining, writing and revising .

The next time you’re met with a PowerPoint presentation for college, write to us, and we’ll get it sorted.

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10 Quick Tips on How to Make a Good Presentation for College or Class

Last updated on May 27th, 2024

When gathering class presentation ideas for college projects, students seldom think about the way they need to present their slides. College students can be focused more on the content they have to gather for their PowerPoint slides. Other essential aspects such as the slide layout, body language and the need to prepare for tough questions during Q&A can get lost in translation. Here are 10 quick tips on how to make a good PowerPoint presentation for college or class.

How to give presentation in college

1. Narrow Down Your Outline

In order to avoid confusion, it’s best to narrow down your outline. Don’t try to spread your topic too much, as academic topics can become a rabbit hole if you keep trying to dig in deep.

Even a single term can have a lengthy discourse or theory attached to it, which you might not have the time or energy to get into during a time bound presentation. Start with creating an outline and make sure that your outline is as specific as possible.

Skip fringe elements associated with your topic or briefly mention them explaining that they require more time to be discussed. Your outline can have the following pattern, title slide, introduction of your topic, main discussion points, conclusion.

2. Find Counter Arguments For & Against Your Topic

Whether your defending a specific narrative or simply providing different perspectives related to a topic, it’s best to study both sides of the argument. Students can be so obsessed with their favorite narrative that they often forget to understand the flip side of the argument.

This can result in a major embarrassment when they are asked tough questions which challenge everything they have built their presentation on. Not to mention this can result in a major deduction of marks! Therefore, make sure you know about both ends of the argument and if the discussion gets edgy, you can say that you respectfully disagree with the counter narrative in light of the information you have presented.

3. Keep Your Slides Simple

Adding too many animations and graphical elements can make your content confusing and difficult to follow. Too many animations can also make your slides heavy and your slides might even hang during the presentation. You can use minimalist presentation templates by picking one from our Free PowerPoint Templates or see reviews for Animated PowerPoint Templates to find expertly crafted layouts suitable for your presentation.

4. Try to Use Powerful Images and Videos

Sometimes, you can’t explain something even with a thousand words, however, a single picture or short video can do the job for you. You can incorporate powerful imagery in your slides to make it more meaningful. For example, it can be hard to explain a sales funnel, however, a funnel diagram or short video can help explain it with ease.

Similarly, if you are dealing with a complex topic such as behavioral economics , a short video or infographic can help you explain a lot without saying much. You can use third-party content by citing the source, this can also help you save time in explaining complex topics.

5. Tell a Story

Everybody likes a story! Especially if the story has some mystery to it. To make your presentation easy, you can turn your presentation into a story.

This will help you keep your audience interested and might even get you some extra marks. You can keep a bit of mystery regarding your story and explain it all eventually in the end, with a call to action, to persuade your audience.

6. Do a Mock Presentation

To give presentation in college, you can first make a mock presentation with your friends to see if your arguments or presentation style needs improvement. A mock presentation is a practice exercise in which a person develops and gives a presentation for a critical audience in order to practice presenting. This will also allow you to reflect and review your slides.

Sometimes, we only find those overlooked spelling mistakes or fractures in our narrative when presenting before an audience. A mock presentation will help you find those cracks and enable you to fill them up.

7. Don’t Read from Your Slides

It goes without saying, that you should never read from your slides. Not only can that result in a deduction of your marks but also affect your confidence.

Create slides with little information in them and explain from bullet lists or small lines of text to elaborate upon the narrative. This will allow you to be confident of your abilities regarding the topic and also leave a positive impression on your audience.

8. Be Expressive with Your Voice and Body Language

No one likes a presentation in monotone. Add variety to your voice by mimicking sounds, use a different pitch every now and then, as well as by expressive by using both your body language and tone. You can use your hands to point towards elements in your slides, make gestures to explain something and even add some humor by changing your tone or expressing a funny gesture (without offending someone).

9. Use the Rule of Three

According to Aristotle, after learning something new people tend to remember not too many details but just three things. You can use the rule of three to emphasize your point of view at the start in between and the end of your presentation to make it memorable. You can learn more about this concept from our post about using the rule of three .

10. Don’t be Afraid to Make Mistakes

When thinking about how to give presentation in college, the first fear many students face is failure. However, in a few years you would see that there was nothing to be afraid of, as the environment in college is nothing compared to what you will have to face at office or during your professional presentations.

So, don’t be afraid to make mistakes, admit if you make a blunder and keep going. You might get jitters or feel nervous the first few times, but that storm passes eventually, leading to a more confident version of the presenter, which comes with age and experience.

College presentations tend to be a learning curve which can help you polish your presentation skills for your professional life. It is quite likely that you will make mistakes and sometimes, you will have to face criticism, deduction of marks or even undue criticism. We hope you enjoyed these effective presenting tips for presentations. If you think your classmates are unfair during a Q&A session, try professional life, where you will have to deal with a number of people trolling your slides simply because of ignorance, jealousy and many times, both.

Don’t take it too hard on yourself and give yourself the necessary space to deal with both success and failure, without worrying too much about how people take your presentation. Try to remain calm, respectful and try to enjoy your time as a presenter because eventually, giving a presentation will be the least of your worries! If you want to learn more about effective presentations, don’t miss out the article on tips in making PowerPoint presentation .

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Presentation Tips For Students – Show And Tell Like A Pro!

how to make powerpoint presentation for college

Updated: June 19, 2024

Published: May 4, 2020

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Giving a presentation to fellow classmates can be a bit daunting, especially if you are new to oral and visual presenting. But with the right PowerPoint tips, public speaking skills, and plenty of practice, you can present like a pro at your upcoming presentation. Here, we’ve laid out the best college presentation tips for students. And once you have one successful presentation, you’ll get better each time!

The Best Presentation Tips for Students

1. arrive early and be technically prepared.

Get to the room early and make sure you leave plenty of time for technical set up and technical difficulties. Have several backup drives (including an online version if possible) so that you are prepared for anything!

2. Know More

Be educated on more than just what you are sharing. That way, you can add points, speak candidly and confidently, and be prepared to answer any audience or teacher questions.

3. Share Your Passion With Your Audience

Connect with your audience by showing that you are passionate about your topic. Do this with the right tone, eye contact, and enthusiasm in your speech.

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4. pace yourself.

When student presenters are nervous, they tend to speed up their speech. This can be a problem, however, because your speed may be distracting, hard to understand, and you may run under your time.

5. Rehearse Thoroughly

Don’t just practice, rehearse your college presentation. Rehearse the entire delivery, including standing up, using gestures, and going through the slides.

6. Show Your Personality

You don’t need to be professional to the point of stiffness during your college presentation . Don’t be afraid to show your personality while presenting. It will make your presentation more interesting, and you will seem more approachable and confident.

7. Improvise

You can’t be 100% certain what will happen during your presentation. If things aren’t exactly as you expected, don’t be afraid to improvise and run off script.

8. Pump Yourself Up

Get yourself excited and full of energy before your college presentation! Your mood sets the tone for your presentation, and if you get excited right before, you will likely carry that throughout and you’ll make your audience excited about your topic as well.

9. Remember To Pause

Pausing not only only prevents filler words and helps you recollect your thoughts, it can also be a powerful indicator of importance within your presentation.

10. Create “Um” Alternatives

Try hard not to use filler words as they make you look unprofessional and uncertain. The best alternatives to “um” “like” and “so” are taking a breath or a silent pause to collect your thoughts.

11. Using Your Hands

Using your hands makes your college presentation more interesting and helps to get your points across. Point at the slide, use common hand gestures, or mimic a motion.

12. Eye Contact

Eye contact is one of the most important presentation tips for students . Many students are nervous, so they look at their notes or their feet. It is important that you show your confidence and engage your audience by making eye contact. The more presentations you give, the more eye contact will feel natural.

13. The Right Tone

The best public speakers vary their tone and pitch throughout their presentation. Try to change it up, and choose the right tone for your message.

Preparing an Effective College Presentation

1. open strong.

Grab your fellow students’ attention by starting strong with a powerful quote, intriguing scenario, or prompt for internal dialogue.

2. Start With A Mind Map

Mind mapping is literally creating a map of the contents of your college presentation. It is a visual representation and flow of your topics and can help you see the big picture, along with smaller details.

Photo by  Teemu Paananen  on  Unsplash

3. edit yourself.

Some students make the mistake of including too much information in their college presentations. Instead of putting all of the information in there, choose the most important or relevant points, and elaborate on the spot if you feel it’s necessary.

4. Tell A Story

People love stories — they capture interest in ways that figures and facts cannot. Make your presentation relatable by including a story, or presenting in a story format.

5. The Power Of Humor

Using humor in your college presentation is one of the best presentation tips for students. Laughter will relax both you and the audience, and make your presentation more interesting

PowerPoint Tips for Students

1. use key phrases.

Choose a few key phrases that remain throughout your PowerPoint presentation. These should be phrases that really illustrate your point, and items that your audience will remember afterwards.

2. Limit Number Of Slides

Having too many slides will cause you to feel you need to rush through them to finish on time. Instead, include key points on a slide and take the time to talk about them. Try to think about including one slide per one minute of speech.

3. Plan Slide Layouts

Take some time to plan out how information will be displayed on your PowerPoint. Titles should be at the top, and bullets underneath. You may want to add title slides if you are changing to a new topic.

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4. the right fonts.

Choose an easy-to-read font that isn’t stylized. Sans serif fonts tend to be easier to read when they are large. Try to stick to only two different fonts as well to keep the presentation clean.

5. Choosing Colors And Images

When it comes to colors, use contrasting ones: light on dark or dark on light. Try to choose a few main colors to use throughout the presentation. Choose quality images, and make sure to provide the source for the images.

6. Use Beautiful Visual Aids

Keep your presentation interesting and your audience awake by adding visual aids to your PowerPoint. Add captivating photos, data representations, or infographics to illustrate your information.

7. Don’t Read Straight From Your Notes

When you read straight from your notes, your tone tends to remain monotonous, you don’t leave much room for eye contact. Try looking up often, or memorizing portions of your presentation.

8. Avoid Too Much Text

PowerPoint was made for images and bullets, not for your entire speech to be written in paragraph form. Too much text can lose your adiences’ interest and understanding.

9. Try A Theme

Choosing the right theme is one of those presentation tips for students that is often overlooked. When you find the right theme, you keep your college presentation looking interesting, professional, and relevant.

10. Be Careful With Transitions And Animations

Animations and transitions can add a lot to your presentation, but don’t add to many or it will end up being distracting.

Public Speaking Tips for Students

1. choose your topic wisely.

If you are able to pick your topic, try to pick something that interests you and something that you want to learn about. Your interest will come through your speech.

2. Visit The Room Beforehand

If your presentation is being held somewhere outside of class, try to visit the location beforehand to prep your mind and calm your nerves.

3. Practice Makes Perfect

Practice, practice, practice! The only way you will feel fully confident is by practicing many times, both on your own and in front of others.

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4. talk to someone about anxiety.

If you feel anxious about your college presentation, tell someone. It could be a friend, family member, your teacher, or a counselor. They will be able to help you with some strategies that will work best for you.

5. Remind Yourself Of Your Audience

Remember, you are presenting to your peers! They all likely have to make a presentation too at some point, and so have been or will be in the same boat. Remembering that your audience is on your side will help you stay cool and collected.

6. Observe Other Speakers

Look at famous leaders, or just other students who typically do well presenting. Notice what they are doing and how you can adapt your performance in those ways.

7. Remind Yourself Of Your Message

If you can come up with a central message, or goal, of your college presentation, you can remind yourself of it throughout your speech and let it guide you.

8. Don’t Apologize

If you make a mistake, don’t apologize. It is likely that no one even noticed! If you do feel you need to point out your own mistake, simply say it and keep moving on with your presentation. No need to be embarrassed, it happens even to the best presenters!

When you smile, you appear warm and inviting as a speaker. You will also relax yourself with your own smile.

The Bottom Line

It can be nerve racking presenting as a college student, but if you use our presentation tips for students, preparing and presenting your college presentation will be a breeze!

At UoPeople, our blog writers are thinkers, researchers, and experts dedicated to curating articles relevant to our mission: making higher education accessible to everyone.

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How to Present a Presentation in Class?

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How to Give a Presentation in Class as a College Student

We all have given presentations at some point in our lives. But for students, presentations play an important role, be it during a seminar or an important event. If you are wondering how to give a presentation in class, then don't worry; this blog will help you stand out in the classroom. Stick to the end to understand how to present a presentation in class and make an everlasting impression on your audience. Let's get started!

What is a Presentation?

In simple terms, a presentation is a way of communicating an idea to an audience by speech, slideshow, or other visual aids. Presentations are used in academic settings like colleges and schools and even professional settings like the workplace. An effective presentation should be well-structured, engaging, and tailored to the needs of the audience. It should include an introduction, a main body and a conclusion, as well as nonverbal cues like body language and tone of voice.

Components of a Presentation

Your final grade isn't based just on a few multiple-choice exams. Instead, it will combine assignments, exams, and presentations. This is why you need to know how to give a presentation in class if you want good grades at the end of your semester. 

To know how to give a good presentation, you first need to know exactly what goes into making a presentation. This will include two main components - a visual element and a spoken element.  

Visual elements

An essential aspect of how to present in class is visuals. If you're wondering how to create a presentation for the class that your peers and professor will love, here are a few important tips on how to give a presentation in class:

1. Keep it brief: Most well-made presentations can convey all the information you need in around 10-15 slides. 

2. Use minimal text: Don't overcrowd your slides with information. If people are too busy reading, they won't pay attention to what you're saying. 

3. Use relevant images: Your PPT's visuals should be catchy, but remember that they all need to serve a purpose.

4. Spoken elements: Spoken elements are the next essential thing in presenting a presentation in class. Most students have trouble with the spoken part of their presentations. If you want to know how to give a presentation in class that'll get you good grades, your speech needs to be well-polished. 

How to Start Your Presentation?

If you want to know how to give a presentation in class as a student, you must first learn how to write a good speech.

1. Use a good hook: The start of your speech should get the attention of your audience right away and pique their interest. 

2. Use some humor: Speeches are a way for you to showcase some personality. A spoken assignment gives you the freedom to be a little creative and better engage your audience.

3. Complement your visuals: Your speech needs to be informative and convey all the information you worked so hard to prepare. 

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How to Give a Presentation in Class?

Now that you have a fair understanding of a good presentation, we'll give you some tips on how to give a presentation in class that will help you make an impact and earn you the highest grade. Here are some tips on how to present in class that you can use before the big day: 

1. Introduce Yourself

It's a given that when you begin a presentation, you must introduce yourself with your name and offer a little background information to the audience. You can tell a bit about yourself and what your presentation is about. This will help you establish yourself as an expert in your domain.  

2. Build Rapport with your Audience

The next step in preparing a presentation in class is building a good rapport with your audience. Be yourself and genuinely try to connect with your audience. Research what the audience wants, smile often, and look at your audience while speaking. If there's time before your presentation, engage them in small talk. 

3. Know your Content Well

The next essential point on how to do a PowerPoint presentation for class is understanding your content well. You must have a good understanding of the content that you are presenting. If you don't understand what you're trying to say, how will your audience? Test out your presentation on some friends to ensure that your content is understandable to someone who isn't too familiar with the topic, so you can ensure that your classmates and professor can easily understand your content. 

4. Start with a Story

The presentation starting lines for students should always start with a short story to make it more interesting and relevant to your audience. This is the next important thing on how to give a presentation in class. Try to keep the story short, under one minute, and use humour or thought-provoking ideas. A personal touch to the story can enrich it, too. 

5. Organize your PPT

Organizing your presentation is also an essential element of giving a good class presentation. Make sure to put short and minimal content in your PPT and add good visuals, too. If you want to know how to give a presentation in class that will get you an A, remember to create a well-structured PPT and use these best PowerPoint presentation tips . 

6. Engage your Audience

Keeping the session interactive is another essential part of presenting a presentation in class. Keep your presentation engaging by asking questions, conducting a fun activity, sharing examples related to your topic, or using humour to make your audience interested and attentive. 

7. Speak Slowly and Clearly

While you're giving your speech, make sure that you speak slowly and clearly; it's the next important thing in giving an excellent presentation. When nervous, people tend to speak fast. Speaking slowly and clearly allows you to be more audible to your audience. 

8. Manage your Time

Managing your time is an essential aspect of presenting in class. Understand the time you require to present and adjust the length of your content accordingly. You can do this by practising multiple times while keeping track of your time. Try to avoid an incomplete and rushed presentation. Instead, aim to have a concise and well-delivered one.

9. Create a Visually Appealing Presentation

The other important thing about preparing a PowerPoint presentation for class is making the most of visuals. Visual aids like slideshows, charts, and graphs should be used strategically to reinforce the main points, engage the audience, and improve the presentation's delivery. Avoid cluttering your slides with extra information. 

10. Maintain Good Eye Contact with the Audience

Another important aspect of giving a presentation in class is maintaining eye contact. Good eye contact will help you build rapport with your audience, improve your concentration, become more confident, and facilitate engagement.

11. Dress Properly

Your appearance has a huge impact on the audience's perception of your presentation. Make sure that you are dressed appropriately, your outfit is comfortable and doesn't distract the audience from your message. So make sure of the dressing part on how to present a presentation.

12. End on a Strong Note

Ending your presentation on a strong note is also an essential part of the presentation process in class. In the end, summarize everything, address everyone's questions, if any, and thank your audience.

13. Seek Feedback

The next essential thing about presenting a presentation in class is seeking feedback. It is always a good practice to ask for feedback from your professor or classmates. It helps identify areas that you can improve upon for future presentations. It also shows your open-mindedness, as you are open to constructive criticism of your work.

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Creative presentation ideas.

If you're wondering how to give a presentation in class, but the typical PowerPoint slides and speech combination seems to be boring, there are a few different presentation styles you could try on how to present in class:

1. Video Presentation

A video presentation is a great way to pack as many visuals as you want into your presentation while still keeping your audience engaged. If you really want to go all out, you can even try out some timed speeches to complement specific parts of your video. 

2. Interactive Presentation

You can fill your presentation with short quizzes or audience opinions to get the entire class involved in your presentation. This could be a fun way to lift everyone's spirits and ensure your presentation stays in their minds even when they leave the classroom. 

3. Prop-filled Presentation

If you want to go the extra mile, you can bring in physical visual aids, another essential thing in how to do PowerPoint presentations in class to supplement your presentation. Incorporating props into your presentation shows an extra level of planning, creativity, and effort that your audience will appreciate. 

Public Speaking Tips for Students

So, your speech is written, and it's great! But that's only half the battle—your delivery is just as important. If the thought of public speaking makes you feel weak in the knees, try these public speaking tips, another essential thing for students to know about presenting in class. 

1. Record Yourself Practising

On how to present a presentation in class, the first tip is to record yourself. Listening to yourself speak helps you better understand where you can improve your delivery at different points. Once you know how you're going to sound in front of an audience, you can take the pressure off your final presentation. 

2. Practice in Front of Friends & Family

The next tip on how to present in class is practice. To get comfortable with the idea of speaking in front of a crowd, practice with your friends or family. The people closest to you are often your harshest critics, so if you can handle them, you can handle anything. 

3. Prepare for the Worst

When thinking about how to give a presentation in class, always be prepared for the worst. Preparing for the worst is an important part of presenting in class. Try to keep a backup in mind in case anything goes wrong, like the audio not working or the slides stopping. 

4. Breathe and Do a Self Talk Before the Presentation

Next on how to present in class, is doing deep breathing exercises and talking to yourself before a presentation. Say motivating and inspiring things to yourself, or you can do mantra-based rituals where you can say things like "I'm here to give, not receive." Do use these tips on how to calm down before a presentation .  

5. Memorise Key Points

Most people fear getting up on stage and forgetting everything they have prepared. To ensure that doesn't happen, memorize the key points related to your whole content. This is another essential tip on how to present a presentation in class.

Things to Not Do During a Presentation?

Now that you know what you should do, here are a few things you definitely should NOT do. If you want to know how to give a presentation in class, do not make these rookie mistakes while you're presenting. 

1. Reading from your Slides

Professors have to see dozens of students' presentations every day, and the last thing they want to see is a boring presentation with someone reading off of their slides. So, the first thing to avoid on how to present in class is reading from slides. Slides are a visual aid and should NOT be used as cue cards. 

2. Avoiding Eye Contact 

Make as much eye contact with your audience as possible. This is an essential part of giving a presentation in class. Do not look at your shoes or keep glancing at your slides. Maintaining eye contact shows confidence and will keep your audience engaged in your speech.   

3. Speaking Too Fast 

The next thing to avoid when presenting in class is speaking too fast. Don't rush through your words because that will make you come across as underconfident and reduce your volume. Keep a consistent pace throughout, and you'll get through your speech in no time!

4. Exceeding Time Limit

Don't exceed your time limit. Another thing to avoid when doing a PowerPoint presentation for class is overextending yourself, as people might have other things to attend to. Also, sitting too long through a presentation may cause your audience to lose attention. 

5. Overcrowding PPT with Text

The next thing to avoid when presenting in class is making your PPT verbose. Too much text makes your presentation look bad, and your audience might have to put in a lot of effort to read the content. 

That was our detailed guide on how to give a presentation in class as a college student. We know we've packed in a lot of information, but if you break everything down step by step, it's all incredibly simple. If you follow all our tips on how to present in class, we can ensure that you'll give a killer presentation! Before you start creating your presentation, make sure you check our blog for the best PowerPoint presentation tips . Also, check out the top 8 presentation tools for students.

Frequently Asked Questions

How to structure a presentation, how do you introduce yourself in a presentation, what is a fun way to start a presentation, how can i make my presentation more engaging, what is the 10 20 30 rule, what is the 666 rule in presentation, which text is best in presentation.

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How to Prepare an A+ College PowerPoint Presentation

Guest Writer

Guest Writer

  • Published on August 25, 2022

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How do we Prepare an A+ College PowerPoint Presentation?

College students have myriads of assignments, and creating a perfect PowerPoint Presentation is one of them. It is one major assignment that drops your grades if not properly done. PowerPoint isn’t only useful for college students. It is also an essential skill in the professional world. It boosts your critical thinking and writing skills. The experience in creating college PowerPoint presentations develops your public speaking. Also, you need to be painstaking in preparing your presentation. It should be engaging enough for your audience. 

However, college Presentation slides are much better and easier to do than research works. It is an engaging and more fun task to do aside from research. You can consult a PowerPoint writing service. You can consult a PowerPoint writing service if you don’t know the appropriate way to do it, you can consult a PowerPoint writing service . They write to ensure all the rules and guidelines in your slides are met. They make sure the font size and color align with your concept. You do not have worries aside from you doing a thorough practice for your assignment. 

Although, it is much easier than a research paper. You will still be faced with some challenges. To scale through that, this piece gives the necessary to make you do it like a professional.

Tips on how to prepare a college PowerPoint presentation

These tips entail steps to make a good PowerPoint Presentation for College. You must follow these actionable steps in detail to create a winning proposal. 

1. Research the topic

You must conduct in-depth research before you start your college ppt. If it has the necessary sounds, but the information isn’t worthwhile, it’s more like you haven’t done anything. Make sure you do research on your local libraries, the internet, and any other source you can get vital information. 

2. Keep track of the information

Make sure your researched information is presented orderly. Know which information is meant to come first and which to come last.  You need to organize the information you’ve gathered for your topic. In every piece of information you gather, consider your audience. Know if it will resonate with them and answer your topic appropriately. 

See also: The Ultimate Guide to 20 Introduction Ideas for Presentation That Work

3. Be creative about your presentation

The main reason you’re saddled with the responsibility of creating a PowerPoint is not to be either right or wrong. Regardless, you must be creative about it. Create unique designs that’ll surprise everyone and mesmerize your instructors. To ensure creativity, you may decide to choose a design template. Also, an important tip that’ll make it creative is to choose a theme that connects to the idea you want to translate. It should suit your topic and be attractive to your audience. 

4. Add high-quality fonts and media

It should have a decorative theme that’ll make it enticing to your audience. Any font you intend to use should match college or professional use. Graphics plays a significant role in your college PowerPoint Presentation. Good graphics make your content relevant and engaging.

See also: PowerPoint Night Ideas to Try That Will Steal Audience’s Attention

5. Stuck to one or two colors

Don’t over-decorate your PowerPoint; else, it’ll look unprofessional. You are expected to choose colors that’ll make it organic and harmonic. Using 2-3 colors all through your topic will create harmony. Also, Dark fonts should be used on light backgrounds and vice versa. It’ll make it look simple yet classy. 

6. Limit your sides and cut too many texts

Too many texts in your presentation will kill the attention span of your audience. A PowerPoint is meant to be catchy and brief. It requires your hard work to achieve. Wordiness will only ruin your professionalism. Add statistics, facts, charts videos, s, and pictures. Be concise; it goes a long way to determine if your audience will listen to your topic or not. Charts and diagrams will enable you to explain the points you intend to deliver without the slides being too clumsy for your audience. They are much better than texts in your slides, but you must be creative. If not properly done, you might make mistakes. 

See also: You Won’t Be Able to Memorize Your Presentation Material in 2022

7. The less the slide, the better it is

You don’t have to include too many slides in your presentation before considering it worthy of a college assignment. Make sure you don’t include more than 19 slides in your project. The presentation time should not be more than 20 minutes. Anything more than that will bore your audience. Also, your font size should be much easier to read. A 30 font size is much better for easy readability.

8. Highlight your keywords

The necessary keywords should be in bold fonts or texts. This will help keep your audience focused on your piece. It’ll make it easier for them to catch a glimpse of the main idea. You can have a peek here at how to determine your important keywords.  You can choose a contrasting color to highlight the most important element of your topic. Apart from the fact that it attracts viewers’ attention, it’ll also ensure they remember the core fact of your presentation. 

See also: 20 Books about Presentation Design

9. Be consistent with transitions

Transitions make your slides attractive. You are open to variants of transitions you can use. You should avoid overusing a transition or changing transitions. It’ll distract your audience. To make your transition catchy and attractive, stick to one or two.

10. Practice your presentation

College ppt presentations require grit and hard work, and you need to practice to perform better. Rehearse and run the few slides from time to time. Make sure you can easily turn in the videos in your slides without delay. You should also practice how to switch slides. It’ll make the presentation as smooth as possible. 

See also: The Effectiveness of MS PowerPoint: Take Your Presentation to the Next Level

It is a true story that we must prepare a college PowerPoint Presentation to get an A+. Not only is it beneficial to you as a student, but you also get to utilize the knowledge in your professional life. These tips are easier to know and use. If you utilize them properly, your presentation will be hitch-free. It will also enable you to create an amazing and persuasive PowerPoint. Also, you should know that you can consult a professional to help you if you find it difficult to achieve. 

Let’s visit RRPicks to download free PowerPoint templates . But wait, don’t go anywhere and stay here with our RRGraph Design  Blog  to keep up-to-date on the  best pitch deck template  collections and design advice from our  PowerPoint experts .

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How to Create Engaging Educational PowerPoint Presentations

How to Create Engaging Educational PowerPoint Presentations

Visual teaching is the best way to pass messages for learning purposes. However, there is an argument that using technical devices for education will interrupt students' thinking and creative capacity. 

These arguments are common in educational debates. On the other hand, delivering an idea with demonstrations has an immense impact on recalling and understanding a topic. So here comes the importance of engaging educational PowerPoint templates. 

The following article covers:

Why create an educational PowerPoint presentation?

Making educational PowerPoint presentations

Why create an educational PowerPoint presentation? 

Educational PowerPoint presentation will pass information to the audience with eye-catching visuals. So, it is both informative and introductory.  

It aims to familiarize the viewers with the topic. The viewers include students, business executives, researchers, and others seeking information.

PowerPoint is an effective tool for presenting study materials. Hence, it will help in the classroom and strengthen students' learning capacities. The educators may use supporting visuals like images, graphs, data-driven charts, and tables to pass an idea. Such visuals will help the viewer to get the idea effortlessly. 

Making educational PowerPoint presentations  

Let's look at the main steps it takes to create an engaging educational PowerPoint presentation. You can use  Google Slides ,  Keynotes , or any other presentation software to create one.  

#1 Define the objectives

First, you have to set a learning goal. It refers to what your audience will know after seeing your presentation. 

The objectives of the presentation may differ according to the type of presentation. The types include

  • Decision driven . This type of presentation is used when you need to achieve a common goal, so you need a presentation guide to help everyone in decision-making. 
  • Persuasive . These are mainly used when giving a business pitch or making a sales offer. 
  • Informative . As you can guess from the name, these presentations are mainly used to share knowledge or information.  
  • Introductory. 

You can set your objectives according to the type. Each of these types comprises different desired outcomes. 

#2 Focus on the target audience and accessibility 

For the presentation to achieve its purpose, you should know the strengths, weaknesses & needs of your target audience . 

For example, learners with visual or hearing impairments could not be able to access a PowerPoint presentation. They need help to go through images, sound, and graphics. Besides, you must consider the audience's age, language skills, and ability to interpret a concept. 

#3 Define what you want from an education PowerPoint presentation 

The purpose of learning should explain clearly and concisely. For example, what specific skills should a learner have to display, produce, and know as a result of the PowerPoint class? So, you make sure that outcomes should be attainable. 

#4 Plan your content  

After you determine your content, you should select the best format. You can create this format as table content, a data chart, a comparison diagram, a circular diagram, or a timeline template. 

For example, if you think of lecturing about key milestones of American Slavery prohibitions, your format should be a timeline PowerPoint.  Below you can see a simple  timeline template for American slavery prohibitions.  

  • Civil war  
  • Emancipation Proclamation 
  • Importance of 1965 
  • Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution 
  • Juneteenth  

Timeline infographic example

Source: Slidebazaar

This timeline would help you to create a sequential flow for your presentation. Then, if your topic is different, you can prepare another format. So, structuring a presentation is so important to hold your audience. 

The sequence should be simple and logical, allowing the viewer to keep up with them and take away key points. It also determines how much interaction you want from the audience. 

One more thing to remember when planning your content is the length of your speech. 

#5 Design the Slides    

Designing and arranging slides in a flow will give the necessary support for your PowerPoint presentation. Let’s see what you should and should not include in the slides. 

Decide on the numbers of Slides

  • In the real sense, the number of slides depends on your subject and time. However, you can use 10 slides for a 20-minute presentation. That means one Slide for two minutes to account for discussion to absorb the material. (If your lecture is under two minutes per Slide, you can add more slides for a 20-minute presentation.) 

Arrange slide contents  

  • Avoid too much text. Instead of long and heavy sentences, try to use brief points. Some of the best AI slides app options available these days can help you create one efficiently.
  • Follow the 6 x 6 rule . You can incorporate a maximum of 6 bullets with 6 words per bullet. 
  • Use large fonts . Ensure your text is good enough to read. You can use a font size of 36-40 for the heading and titles, and the subtext should be around 32-point font. 
  • Avoid ornate fonts . Stick to basic fonts because specialty fonts may be difficult to read. 

Make the content readable

  • Use bold, italics, and attractive colors to mark key points. 
  • Use dark backgrounds (black, blue, purple, etc.). Use a light typeface or light background (white, light blue, yellow, etc.). Or use a dark typeface for easy reading in a large room. 
  • Apply only two or three color combinations per Slide. Otherwise, it will distract viewers' attention. However, in the case of statistical diagrams, you can add more colors. For example, if you are using a pie chart with 5 or 7 distributions, you can use more colors. 
  • Try to avoid underlines because it denotes hypertexts. 

Add images clipart and graphics  

  • Use images and graphics only if  they support the content. Too many uses of these will obstruct viewers' learning. Use pictures and clipart sparingly. 
  • If a photo is essential, use simple pictures without decorations. 
  • Choose only two-dimensional graphs and data-driven charts . Avoid 3D styles since it obstructs reading accurate data. 
  • Place graphics appropriately, having accurate dimensions.

Use animations carefully 

Animations are catchy motion pictures. But they only give desired outcomes if you add them to your slides sensibly. For primary schools, animations may be essential to tell a story . But avoid using them for each Slide. Instead, you can add it for business presentations when you need a transition.

Avoid many ideas on one slide 

Cramming information into a single slide will overwhelm your audience. The learners may seem disinterested, so they will stop listening to you. 

Instead, only focus on one topic in a slide. It lets you cut off your speech about that material according to your scheduled time. 

Pay attention to slide arrangement

Flow and sequence is the soul of any presentation. So, to keep the audience's attention on the topic, follow the below order of slide arrangement. Use high-quality yet simple templates with relevant images. A common sequence may be the following:

  • Heading Slide  
  • Attention-grabber  Slide to make the audience interested in the speech and topic.  
  • Topic preview  
  • Content  
  • Transition  
  • Conclusion  
  • Q&A 

#6 Make the presentation interactive

Sometimes digital platforms have communication barriers. You can't easily understand students' body language and facial expressions. This is the reason you should come up with ways to keep the presentation interactive . 

Encourage participation from the beginning

Use separate PowerPoint slides before you start the core presentation. These slides should include a series of questions for students to answer while waiting for class to begin. You can arrange it in a quiz format.  

In the final session, consider having a question-and-answer session that includes a quiz about the topic you have covered. This session will provide an opportunity to receive feedback. You can also use QR codes to increase audience participation . QR Codes are a quick and engaging way to make your quiz more accessible, collecting feedback post the presentation, or encouraging email sign-ups.

Use quizzes polls and surveys 

Most of the teachers need clarification on where to include polls, quizzes, and surveys. Is it at the beginning, middle, or end? What we have in the beginning is what we already discussed. You can add surveys, polls, and quizzes from the middle to the end without losing the sequence and fluency. For example, if you are on the topic of climate change, you can take a class opinion poll where the student stands on climate change issues. 

#7 Practice and delivery  

Don’t read the presentation.  Rehearse the presentation with a sequential flow so that you can speak from bullet points. The text should be a hint for the presenter rather than a complete message for the students. 

Succinctly prepare and control over descriptions.  A presenter may already schedule their time allocations, so overly explaining causes stop your presentation halfway. Look at your watch when staring at each slide and control the presentation according to the prescribed time limit. 

Focus on audience.  Monitor your viewers body language and behavior rather than focusing on your slides. 

Use proper designs and diagrams. Many designs and charts are already incorporated into PowerPoint presentations. For example, if you want to display the cause-and-effect relationship between two or more items. You can use simple arrow connections or drawings showing the relationship. But if you want a professional touch, you can use a fishbone diagram to show the cause-and-effect relationship.  

PowerPoint presentation example

A few more tips for delivery   

  • Use microphones  
  • Choose clear and simple fonts 
  • Select high-contrast colors  
  • Include multiple-choice questions  
  • Use video files if necessary  

In this article, we have covered how easy it can be to create a presentation to educate learners with PowerPoint templates. The ways of using interactive components will determine their learning effectiveness. It will also make for more satisfied audiences, regardless of your subject. 

A presentation with visual aids enables the audience to understand the topic easily. It not only engages your audience but also helps the audience to recall the subject that you have discussed.  

If you are a provider of online education courses, you can use Uteach to create a course website within minutes. Besides, Uteach provides handy tools for coaching businesses that help you build end-to-end live sessions. So, if you want an online, scalable coaching business, then Uteach is the right choice for you. 

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Turn presentation slides into a study guide in PowerPoint

january 9, 2024

Neuroscience student and entrepreneur Ivana Okaro profile picture

by Ivana Okaro

Hi there! I'm Ivana Okaro, a student and content creator who’s passionate about sharing study tips that boost productivity and help students shine. Today, I'm excited to walk you through a cool and useful trick: turning a Microsoft PowerPoint deck into a helpful study guide. This technique is perfect for anyone who uses PowerPoint or wants to learn.

Why start with a presentation?

When we think about creating study guides, we might be tempted to create one from scratch. But here's an idea: Why not start with a PowerPoint presentation instead?

More specifically, why not start with your instructor’s lecture slides? (It’s common for professors and teachers to email these out to students after the lecture is over. If yours doesn’t, ask!). These presentations are often packed with essential information, carefully curated by educators or subject matter experts, and organized in a way that’s logical and easy to follow. They also tend to have a clear beginning, middle, and end, providing a cohesive narrative that can really help with understanding and recalling information. They've done the work to structure the learning for you, and that's something you can leverage. Let’s explore how to turn these presentations into a study guide that's tailored just for you.

Step 1: Get started with PowerPoint

Open your presentation: Open PowerPoint and choose the presentation you want to work with.

Switch to Outline view: In the upper tab, navigate to View and select Outline . This mode strips away images and videos, leaving you with just the text from your slides. It’s super handy for focusing on the key points and getting a big picture understanding of the structure.

Step 2: Edit your outline and add helpful points

Add subpoints: Notice a missing detail? Want to add a helpful example from lecture? Easy fix. Click on the slide in the outline and press enter. This creates a new slide. Now, navigate to Home and select Indent More , and add your point. Or, simply hit tab on your keyboard to indent and create a subpoint.

Collapse for a clearer view: If you’re working with a large presentation, you might find yourself wanting an even briefer outline. Right-click on a slide and select Collapse to hide the details, showing only the slide titles. For an even broader overview, select Collapse All . To see the details again, right-click and choose Expand or Expand All .

Step 3: Print or save your study guide

Printing your outline: Once your outline looks just right, you can print it directly. Select Print , and under Layout , choose Outline . This will give you all the key points in a neat, condensed format.

Saving as a PDF: Prefer a digital copy? Save your outline as a PDF so you can easily review the material when you’re on-the-go.

And there you have it: Your very own class slides, transformed into a compact study guide. This PowerPoint hack lets you leverage a familiar tool to create a structured, information-rich, and personalized study companion. And it just might transform how you interact with information and engage with your study material.

Best of luck with your exams!

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how to make powerpoint presentation for college

Microsoft 365 Life Hacks > Presentations > How many slides does your presentation need?

How many slides does your presentation need?

When you’re creating a presentation, it’s important to consider the amount of information you’re sharing with your audience. You don’t want to overwhelm them, but you also want to be comprehensive and ensure that you’re covering all your bases. Whether you’re giving a 10, 15, or 30-minute presentation, see how many slides your presentation needs to get your point across.

A man giving a presentation to a group of people

Rules and guidance for PowerPoint presentations

PowerPoint is a powerful visual aid for introducing data, statistics, and new concepts to any audience. In PowerPoint, you can create as many slides as you want—which might sound tempting at first. But length doesn’t always guarantee a successful presentation . Most presentations last around 10-15 minutes, and anything longer than that (such as a 30-minute presentation) may have additional visual aids or speakers to enhance your message.

A handy rule to keep in mind is to spend about 1-2 minutes on each slide. This will give you ample time to convey your message, let data sink in, and allow you to memorize your presentation . When you limit each slide to this length of time, you also need to be selective about how much information you put on each slide and avoid overloading your audience.

For 10-minute presentations

Ten minutes is usually considered the shortest amount of time you need for a successful presentation. For a shorter 10-minute presentation, you’ll need to be selective with your content. Limit your slide count to approximately 7 to 10 slides.

For 15-minute presentations

When preparing for a 15-minute presentation, concise and focused content is key. Aim for around 10 to 15 slides to maintain a good pace, which will fit with the 1-2 minute per slide rule.

For 30-minute presentations

A longer presentation gives you more room to delve deeper into your topic. But to maintain audience engagement, you’ll need to add interactivity , audience participation, and elements like animations . Aim for around 20 to 30 slides, allowing for a balanced distribution of content without overwhelming your audience.

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Tell your story with captivating presentations

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Using the 10-20-30 rule

The 10-20-30 rule is an effective way to structure your presentation. It calls for no more than 10 slides and no longer than 20 minutes (as well as a 30-point font).

Tips for crafting an effective presentation

No matter how long a presentation is, there are guidelines for crafting one to enhance understanding and retention. Keep these tips in mind when creating your PowerPoint masterpiece:

  • Avoid overload: Ensure that each slide communicates a single idea clearly, avoiding cluttered layouts or excessive text.
  • Pay attention to structure: Think of slides as bullet points with introductions, endings, and deep dives within each subject.
  • Add visual appeal: Incorporate images, charts, and graphics to convey information without using too many words to make your audience read.
  • Engage with your audience: Encourage interaction through questions, polls, or storytelling techniques to keep your audience actively involved.
  • Put in the practice: Familiarize yourself with your slides and practice your delivery to refine your timing and confidence.

Ultimately, the ideal number of slides for your presentation depends on the allocated time frame and how detailed your content is. By striking a balance between informative content and engaging delivery, you can create a compelling presentation that can teach your audience something new.

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COMMENTS

  1. How to Make a Great PowerPoint Presentation for College (Plus 12 Free

    Tip 4: Make use of charts and graphs. We all love a good stat. Charts and graphs are a great way to present quantitative evidence and confirm the legitimacy of your claims. They make your presentation more visually appealing and make your data more memorable too. But don't delve too deep into the details.

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    In this video, learn how to make modern PowerPoint Presentations for college seminars and receive tips to deliver them with confidence. As a student, we want...

  3. How to Make a PowerPoint Presentation (Step-by-Step)

    To do that, simply go up to the Home tab and click on New Slide. This inserts a new slide in your presentation right after the one you were on. You can alternatively hit Ctrl+M on your keyboard to insert a new blank slide in PowerPoint. To learn more about this shortcut, see my guide on using Ctrl+M in PowerPoint.

  4. How To Make a Good PowerPoint Presentation for College

    Below are practical steps for doing a good PowerPoint presentation for college students. 1. Identify the key points. Before anything else, a good comprehension of the topic you want to deliver is necessary. Understanding your materials helps you be more confident when presenting and providing better slides.

  5. How to Make a PowerPoint Presentation

    Making a PowerPoint. Follow these step-by-step guides on how to add certain elements to your PowerPoint presentation: Select a Design Theme. Add or Delete a Slide. Add an Image to a Slide. Add Notes to Your Slides. Add Animations.

  6. How To Make A Good PowerPoint Presentation For College

    A PowerPoint project is not about making it "right" or "wrong" - it is about showing your personality, so let your creativity out and try to surprise everyone with your unique artistic vision. 2. Add high-quality media files. It is not a secret that 90% of PowerPoint presentation's success is by graphics.

  7. How To Make A Good Powerpoint Presentation For College

    If college presentations feel like navigating uncharted territory, fear not! Mastering how to make a good powerpoint presentation for college is like learning to steer a ship through turbulent waters—you need the right tools, strategies, and a touch of creativity. In this guide, we'll delve into the secrets of creating an impactful presentation that captivates your audience while ensuring ...

  8. Making Better PowerPoint Presentations

    Advice from Edelman and Harring on leveraging the working memory with PowerPoint: Leverage the working memory by dividing the information between the visual and auditory modality. Doing this reduces the likelihood of one system becoming overloaded. For instance, spoken words with pictures are better than pictures with text, as integrating an ...

  9. How to make a great PowerPoint presentation for college

    During your college career, you'll sit through your fair share of PowerPoint presentations. And you'll probably find yourself presenting a few of your own too. A presentation is a great way to demonstrate what you've learned — hours of study condensed into a few short minutes. But great presentations aren't just about great content.

  10. How to Make a Good PowerPoint Presentation for College

    To make your presentation easier, draft out steps that include your title slide, your topic introduction, your arguments (for and against), and conclusion. You can also have an expert to do your assignments. 2. Research Arguments to back your topic. The presentation can either be based around a narrative or you may be examining a discussion ...

  11. How to Create a PowerPoint Presentation for College Class

    Design your presentation in PowerPoint. Choose a professional and easy-to-read style for your presentation. On each slide, you should have a picture, a graphic or a few text points you want to emphasize. You should plan to speak for only 30 to 60 seconds on each slide, so don't try to cram too much information onto any one slide.

  12. How to Make an Educational PowerPoint Presentation Quickly

    Step 4. Teach With Visualizations. For the visual learners in the audience, it helps to have a chart or graph that illustrates the concept at hand. You might have the most eloquent speaking points in the rest of the presentation, but a well-made chart could be the key to driving your point home.

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    Here's the good news: no need for an all-nighter. Beautiful.ai can help you nail your college presentation in a pinch. The ease of use, and intuitive controls, help you create something brilliant in minutes, not hours. Start inspired with our inspiration gallery of pre-built templates and customize them to fit your content.

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