Practice Like a Pro and the rest will follow: My learning on presentation

[Tasnim Chowdhury]

Just 24 hours before our own presentation, I was watching Sadia Apu from Grow Your Reader Foundation (GYRF) speak in the knowledge fair program and I was genuinely impressed. She spoke with such fluency, and everything was perfectly timed. It was effortless, polished, and powerful. I kept asking myself: How does she do it? What’s the secret behind such a strong performance?

That same night, I got my answer.

While preparing for our presentation the next day, something clicked and that completely changed the way I look at preparing for presentations. As we rehearsed, one simple yet powerful idea stood out to me: Practice like you're already on stage.

Too often, we wait until we're "good" at something to take it seriously. But what I learned is that you don’t need to be a professional presenter to practice like one. In fact, practicing like a pro is what makes you a great presenter even if you're not there yet.

The key takeaway? Treat every practice session like the real deal. Set a timer. Stand up. Imagine your audience in front of you. Go through your slides or notes exactly how you would in front of a live crowd. Repeat this multiple times. This kind of intentional practice builds confidence, sharpens your timing, and helps you smooth out any awkward parts before the actual presentation. If you focus on practicing the right way, becoming a good presenter is just a matter of time.

So here’s my mindset shift that don’t wait to feel like a pro rather practice like a pro and the rest will follow.

[Parvez Hassan]

Excellent Writing apu