I'll start by saying that as a senior in college I've only had experience with oral presentations in school for various projects and assignments so I can't say that these recommendations necessarily should or would even apply to professional or public presentations. Having said that, I think that oral presentations tend to be assignments that a considerable amount of college students across the globe don't look forward to when they have to speak in front of their colleagues. I've observed that there are a couple different types of people when it comes to preparing for an oral presentation in college: those who spend a couple of hours - if that - preparing for an oral presentation because they are confident in their public speaking abilities and don't really feel that nervous during these presentations; and those that spend days or even weeks before the date of the presentation because they want to at least be prepared when they step up to the podium with sweaty and shaky hands. This piece is for the latter of the two, as I've given a notable amount of oral presentations during my time at college and I've learned a couple things that may help those who get nervous when they have to give an oral presentation.

1. Practice In A Mirror

This technique may seem like a corny thing to do when preparing for an oral presentation but there are a couple subtle benefits of doing it that helps you conquer nerves during the real thing. The first and most important reason that doing this helps is that you see yourself when you speak. So in a way, you are both the speaker and the audience. When doing this you will notice any nervous ticks or tendencies that you may be guilty of such as, swaying, swinging your arms, poor posture, gluing your eyes to your notecards, or tapping your fingers. When using this technique you also get a good idea of how engaging you are with your audience when you speak.

2. Practice In Front Of Your Friends (Or A Dorm Neighbor)

Practicing in front of your friends or a dorm neighbor is the next step up from practicing in front of a mirror, and it is significantly more helpful. The good thing about practicing in front of your friends is that you can at least eliminate some of your nerves because of the fact that you are speaking to the same person that you spend most of your days with at college. Also, when you practice your speech when you're not nervous, you may not recognize it but you are subliminally cementing the order and direction of your speech into your mind. So, when you go to perform your speech when it's the real deal you will have practiced it and at least have a framework to work with from when you practiced.

3. Listen To Your Favorite Song Before The Speech

Whether if it's on the way to your class, outside your class before you walk in, or maybe even while you're sitting at your desk before you walk up to speak; throw your headphones on/in and turn up your favorite song. I recommend listening to one of your favorite fast songs or songs that have euphoric lyrics/melodies but if it's Jack Johnson's "Banana Pancakes" that settles you before you hit the podium, then go for it! Your favorite songs tend to have an instant effect on your mood and may do a more effective job of calming your nerves right before you give your speech.

4. Dress Your Best

Have you ever heard the saying "look good, feel good, play good"? The way in which you dress has an immediate impact on the way that you feel walking around campus or sitting in class. It will make you look and feel sharper as you go throughout your day. It is important to note, though, when you aim to accomplish this technique that you don't take too much advice from your roommates or friends when you are dressing yourself. This is a common thing that many people do when dressing themselves up to look nice. During a presentation it is about the preparations that you've made in your head that are important so you want to dress the way that makes YOU look and feel good. Also, if you ask the opinion of your roommates or friends than it may disrupt the focus that you have for your speech.

5. Liquid Courage

People call it liquid courage for a reason. I can't recommend this for underage students as this could get you into some trouble with professors or administrators if they were to find out; however if you are of age then I suggest you try this if you can't calm your nerves any other way. I also want to say that I am not by any means recommending that you drink until you are drunk; but rather until you feel more loose than you would have if you didn't take a couple of drinks before you went to your speech. I've observed students try this technique on more than one occasion and they've been happy that they did it because it helped them calm nerves before walking up in front of a group of people. If you do this you should also chew a piece of gum or pop a mint or two in your mouth in between the time you drink and your speech as you don't want the smell of your breath to be an issue!