* Plan on 2-3 slides per minute of presentation time at most, less if the slides are very detailed.

* Don't put too many points on a slide, for example, no more than 6 or 7 "bullets", and keep them short - no paragraphs!

* Summarize and synthesize the key points of your paper on the slides, don't go into it in detail.* Mix pictures and text - a good example picture, figure, or chart (without too much detail) is worth a lot of words.

* Don't read the information on the slides, use it as background for what you say.

* Use examples and stories rather than just a listing of "dry" facts - why is this subtopic important, what does it mean?

* Think about your audience - what do other students typically know, what might be surprising or interesting for them?

* Saying something controversial can be OK and may get people to pay attention to your presentation.

Information Technology Services offers free classes in various applications each semester.  A list of the classes offered and when they are offered can be found here.