Block Four
July – September
Block 4
The Thesis Defense
Keys for the oral presentation, prior preparation, and handling questions.
- Timed rehearsals of the presentation (3–4 full runs).
- Simulated Q&A with peers.
- Look at the audience, open posture, visible hands.
- Clear voice, steady pace; avoid filler words.
- In questions: listen, summarize, respond, and focus.
- If you don’t know something, acknowledge limits and suggest ways to follow up later.
Before
- Diaphragmatic breathing 2–3 min. See example
- Visualize the full sequence. Picture yourself succeeding!
- Materials checklist: slides, adapter, water.
During
- Focus on your objective, not on self-evaluating.
- If you freeze: pause, breathe, restate the key idea in one sentence.
- In complex questions: ask for clarification or time; repeat the question to buy seconds and confirm understanding.
After
- Record feedback: 3 strengths and 3 improvements.
- Celebrate the achievement and disconnect for a few hours.
- One key idea per slide.
- Minimal text; prioritize clear visualizations.
- Sufficient contrast and legible fonts.
- Script with navigation cues: intro → method → results → closing.
- Logistics tip: prepare copies on USB + cloud + email.
🎥 TED Talk: Amy Cuddy
🎥 TED Talk: Julian Treasure
🎥 YouTube: Defense tips
Manage the presentation, turn nerves into positive energy, reinforce confidence.
To always keep in mind
“Nerves are not your enemy: they are the spark of your energy.”
Practical exercises
- Rehearsal with body anchoring: practice the superhero stance standing tall, feet firm, breathing deeply. Use the posture to regain calm whenever anxiety appears.
- Positive visualization (5 min): imagine the defense in detail, responding calmly and confidently.
- Empowerment phrase: repeat before entering: “I have worked hard, I know what I’m talking about, few know as much as I do, I am ready to share it.”
- Understand your body: Accepting anxiety can reduce it: accept the thoughts that cause anxiety without judging them, let them pass. When they arise, practice 4-7-8 breathing.
- Rewrite your reality: Reframe nerves as emotions similar to excitement, and think “this is my body getting ready, like enthusiasm”—this can radically change your experience.
- Manage the Spotlight Effect: We often overestimate how much the audience notices our nerves—it’s called the spotlight effect—and in reality, they likely perceive it much less than we think.
