6 Tips for Public Speaking

PublicSpeaking

Presentations are a vital part of many career paths. It is important to be able to speak confidently in front of a group of people whether that be your co-workers or the CEO and board of a large corporation. There are hundreds of articles out there that provide different tips on how to successfully give a presentation. So we have compiled the top 10 things to help you nail your next presentation.

Prepare Your Information Ahead of Time

There is nothing worse then getting to your presentation and fumbling your thoughts and words. It is important to plan ahead of time and structure your notes in a way that can effectively get your point across. Do enough research on your topic so that you can answer any questions the audience may have. It is always better to be over prepared then underprepared for a presentation. Also be sure to run through your presentation a couple of times before the big day. Familiarity with the information and sequence of notes will help your presentation seem more natural.

Engage With Your Audience

Audience engagement is key to a good presentation. Eye contact is a great way to keep your audience engaged. It is important to not just read off of the slides or notes but to look up and reiterate your points emphasizing certain things. To make your presentation more of a conversation, feature certain points that are open ended questions allowing for the audience to answer. Engagement will show your audience that you are passionate about your topic and want to inform them in the best way possible.

Branch Out From the Typical PowerPoint

In today’s technological world there are so many different formats to create a presentation. Try and steer away from the typical slideshow and branch out with a moving presentation like a Prezi. This will keep your audience interested.

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Don’t Over Text Your Slides

Audience members will zone out if there is too much text on your slides. It will be less affective if you put all of your points on the slide. Instead put your key points on the slide and leave out the details. Make use of white space and make sure your slides are not crowded. This will make it more visually appealing and will allow your audience to engage with you for more information.

Reiterate Your Main Point

When giving a presentation the main point can get overlooked if there is too much detail and it becomes lengthy. Make sure to reiterate your main point throughout the presentation to ensure that the audience understands the message.

Move Around Your Area

Walking around while giving your presentation will make you appear more confident in your information. It is better to walk around and engage rather than standing behind a podium the whole time. Use hand movements when necessary to emphasize certain points.

Using these six tips will ensure that your presentation is successful. Public speaking is a vital part of the corporate world and it is important to master it. It takes practice but following these tips will help you nail your next presentation.

Image via EDX

Midterm Elections and the Opportunities in Public Relations

election

Midterm election season is upon us and with that comes, to be completely honest, the most hectic time for any PR professional in the business. When campaigning season is here there is one thing on people’s mind, how their representatives represent themselves. The way a politician presents himself or herself is all part of tactical moves done by, in large part, the public relations team. Today, I wanted to use this current election climate and talk about the ways in which PR affects a campaign and what you can learn from it as a student of Manship.

First off, I would like to discuss a huge task a PR professional takes up when committing themselves to an election. That one thing would be transparency. During election season there are constantly scandals, accusations, threats, disagreements, and controversies following most, if not all, people running for office. It can be a PR professional’s job to constantly stay on top of these accusations and attacks on their client and make sure they are answered swiftly and promptly.

Secondly, I would like to discuss the idea of consistency in an election season. For a PR professional consistency can be their number one priority for the entire campaign. Now when I say consistency, that idea covers a lot of topics pertaining to campaigning, such as tone consistency. It can be a PR Professionals job to make sure each of their nominee’s speeches, press releases, interviews and really anything pertaining to presenting themselves matches a consistent tone. You do not want your nominee saying one thing one day and switching gears to a whole other topic the next day. It can put a lot of weight on the PR workers shoulders.

Lastly, I would like to discuss how you as a Manship student can learn from this midterm election season. I would start out by picking a certain candidate to follow and study throughout the election season. Next, I would research their campaign team, watch most of their debates, interviews, press releases, and campaign sessions and study all the work that goes into them. Look for consistency in messaging; follow any accusations your nominee gets into and how they deal with it and how people respond to it. You can learn about what works, what doesn’t work, and just what goes into a PR campaign during election season. You could easily apply this knowledge to your work at Manship or internships you might decide to take up.

PR professionals tend to have a lot of burden to carry during election season. Whether it is making sure the clients message is consistent, the clients image is transparent, or even just making sure the client is a likeable candidate, there is a lot to observe and learn during the midterms this year. If you decide to take up research on some of the midterm nominees this year, share what you’ve discovered and like/dislike about them. Also, if you found this article interesting, please share it on any of your social medias or even a fellow Manship student. Thanks for reading.

Image via Media Post

How To: Use Paw Points

Every LSU Freshman living on campus is required to enroll into the LSU Dining plan. With the LSU meal plan, students receive credits called Paw Points. Paw Points can be redeemed in a variety of different ways. They act as a supplementary currency for Freshman and can be purchased during any year at LSU. Paw Points are great but are sometimes complicated to understand. Here is a guide on exactly what Paw Points are, where to spend them, and how they work.

What Are Paw Points?

Paw Points are the university’s retail portion of the dining plan. The LSU website writes,”These dollars can be used in any Dining retail location to pay a la carte. These dollars may also be used to pay door price for entrance into the all-you-care-to-eat facilities. Paw Points may NOT be used off campus.”

Where do I use them?

Paw Points can be used at most locations on campus and are treated like real cash.

Here is a list of a few locations that Paw Points can be used on campus:

McDonald’s
Einstein Bros Bagels
Tiger Lair Food Court
Magnolia Room Restaurant
CC’s Coffeehouse
Smoothie King
Atrium Café
The Club at Union Square

How Paw Points work?

Paw Points are used like cash, but feel more like a debit card. Paw Points are loaded up into your LSU Tiger ID by using LSUMylink. Paw Points can be redeemed at most on campus restaurants. It is important to keep your Tiger ID on you so that you can use your Paw Points. You swipe your Tiger ID like a debit card at participating locations in order to redeem your Paw Points. Once you use your Paw Points they’re gone for good, but excess Paw Points from first semester roll over into second semester. Paw Points not used by the second semester are then terminated.

Paw Points are an effective and useful way to get food during freshman year. It is a great system and is super convenient for an acclimating student. Paw Points were a very important part of my freshman year and kept me well fed after Tigerland.

Image via LSU Auxiliary Services

Money Moves

If there is one thing that comes with college no matter what major you’re in, it’s the price tag. From food, shelter, textbooks, transportation, and self-upkeep the list goes on and on. All these things can add up and be the most overwhelming aspects of college itself. So to start out our blog, we wanted to list eight things all of us have done to save a couple extra bucks and make sure that we’re all a little bit more economically sound.

Brad’s Money Saving Tips:

Books– Books are easily one of the most cost heavy things when it comes to college. Everyone knows the basic rule, if a professor says a book is recommended, that means don’t get it. But there’s a good chance you will need it anyway and end up going to LSU’s Barnes and Nobles. STOP! Check your resources before going there right away. Websites like Amazon and Chegg are a great resource for getting your books cheap and fast. Also, always rent when the option is available. Sometimes it might not be much cheaper than buying, but more than likely you will never need the book again. A penny saved is a penny earned.

Budget Apps– Budgeting is the key essential to saving money. If you can keep and follow a budget, your wallet will be 100% happier than it was before. Now, keeping up with and tracking a budget is easier said than done. If you want to follow a budget I recommend the app Mint. You can link your credit/debit card with this app and it tracks all your purchases and allows you to budget them out fast and easy. If you keep up with this app and your budget, you’ll for sure be on the right track.

Sarah’s School Saving Advice:

School Supplies– More than likely during your four or more years at LSU you will need a scantron or a bluebook. The bookstore sells these materials but why buy them when you can

get them for free. LSU’s Student Government office provides students with free scantronsand bluebooks by just showing your LSU ID. If you forgot to print your paper that’s due next class don’t worry, LSU’s Greek Life office provides free printing for students in the Union. These things may seem minute but make sure to take advantage of all of the free services LSU has to offer.

Coupons/Groupon-Coupons are a great way to save money and now they are more accessible than ever! Local restaurants and businesses are constantly delivering coupons to different spots around campus. Make sure to check the Union and Middleton for coupons. Groupon is another way to save a couple bucks. This app is updated daily with local coupons and deals. Coupons range from food to gas to a free haircut. So make sure to check Groupon before buying anything full price.

Image via Groupon App

Abby’s Top Picks To Help You Feel and Look Your Best:

As you’ve probably figured out by now college is pretty stressful. You’ll learn quickly that to stay afloat it’s important to take some time for yourself every so often. In this segment I’ll touch on two ways you can unwind and tend to yourself, all while on a college student budget.

LSU University Recreation/ U Rec

Working out isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but a stable workout routine can sometimes be essential in helping to maintain sanity during the semester.

Even if you’ve never set foot in a gym, the U Rec offers something for literally EVERYONE, beyond just barbells and burpees.

To skim the surface the rec offers an extensive list of instructor led Group X classes including cycling, Zumba, boxing, HIIT courses, and yoga classes just to name a few. All basic classes are free and covered by the student fee included in your tuition each year.
For a small extra fee, students also haveaccess to the recs certified student personal trainers.
Each semester the rec hosts a variety of activities that take place near and off campus adventures including hiking trips across the area, kayaking opportunities, rock climbing, and many more.
There are 2 locations across campus, a lazy river, 2 lap pools, ping pong and pool tables, racquetball courts, bike and equipment rentals, basketball and volleyball courts along with a built in track that surrounds the facility just to skim the surface.

If you’ve been apprehensive to take advantage of what the U Rec has to offer, hopefully this has changed your perception.

Image via LSU University Recreation

Thrift Shopping

When you’re dressed your best, you feel your best. When it comes to shopping, Thrift shopping, or thrifting as we’ll call it, is a personal favorite, and a must for anyone ‘”balling on a budget.” Why pay full priced for clothing when you could be paying a fraction of the price? Thrifting is like a scavenger hunt and you never know what you’ll find from name brands to the occasionally designer items. Don’t let the large quantity of items some of these stores carry intimidate you because you never know what you’ll fine. Listed below are a variety of thrift stores in Baton Rouge, along with their addresses, that we recommend hitting when searching for a good bargain.

Good Will
- 3121 College Drive, Baton Rouge, LA 70808
- 10778 Coursey Blvd, Baton Rouge, LA 70816
- 10350 Burbank Drive, Baton Rouge, LA, 70810
The Purple Cow
- 3651 Perkins Road, Baton Rouge, LA, 70808
Here Today Gone Tomorrow
- 10240 Burbank Drive, Baton Rouge, LA 70810
Time Warped (slightly pricier, but good for unique pieces)
- 3001 Government Street, Baton Rouge, LA, 70806

Hopefully these two bits of information will keep you both looking and feeling your best. If you check out any of the activities or shops above, feel free to let us know what you think, or if you have any recommendations to add to these lists

Buffetting on a Budget with Brooks

With the fast paced life of college, preparing food becomes a hassle and grabbing a quick bite to eat becomes way more convenient. Eating out quickly adds up and then your left either eating ramen noodles for weeks or living off of Paw Points. Here is a guide to cheap food options and great deals to help you save money and stay full as an undergraduate.

Fast and Convenient Locations

Canes
- Great promotional campaigns for rewards members
  - Buy a Box get a Boxor BOGO Deal
  - Free Green Lemonades on St. Patricks Day
  - Canes Peel the Love Campaign
    - Offers Tailgating Package, Cash Rewards, and Free Menu Items
- A staple Location of LSU and Baton Rouge as a whole
- Fast Casual
- Late Night

Mellow Mushroom
- Half Price Wine Night Wednesday
- Students eat half price nights
- Trivia Nights
  - Themed
  - Prizes including food and drinks from menu

Hungry Howies
- $5 Double Howie Rolls
- $15 3 Medium Pizzas Deal
- Open with delivery until 4am
- Flavored crusts

American Mart or Am Mart
$10 fresh to order Po-Boys
- Comes with Zapp’s Potato chips and a drink
Voted LSU’s Best Sandwich
Local Business

Walk-Ons
- Half Price Food Nights (usually Wednesdays)

Pocket Points

Pocket Points is an app used to make sure you are paying attention in class while also rewarding you for doing so. The way the app works is you make an account and register your school’s campus. Once you have your account set up your phones geo locator can tell when you are in class. Once you are in class you turn on the app and lock your phone. Every 30 minutes you don’t unlock your phone, you are awarded a Pocket Point. Once you collect enough Pocket Points you can turn them in to unlock rewards. The rewards are food delivery offers for nearby restaurants. Rewards are usually 4-15 points depending on the deal. Once you unlock a reward it gives you a code for that companies delivery service.

College can be expensive but with these tips we hope that you will be more savvy with your money. Use all of your resources and check daily deals, all of that money saved can really add up. If you have any more money saving tips leave them in the comments below, we’d love to hear from you!

Featured Image via Money Under 30