When I first entered university, I had no clue about how to make a presentation. Coming from a Bangla medium background, I had never been asked to create slides or stand in front of a class to present. So, when I had to do it for the first time, I was genuinely terrified. 

I remember staring at a blank PowerPoint screen, not knowing where to begin or what a good slide even looked like. But over time, I have come to realise something quite important. That is, if you have a well-designed, well-prepared slide in front of you, it actually helps you feel more confident. 

It gives you a structure to follow. It becomes something you can rely on when you feel nervous. Now, as a fourth-year student, I have made enough presentations and learned what works and what does not. I would like to share some of those lessons with you. Especially if this is your first time making a PowerPoint presentation.

1. Designing: Keep it clean and clear 

One of the most common mistakes I made early on was treating the slides as a script. I used to dump entire paragraphs of information onto each slide, thinking it would help me remember everything. 

But what I have learned from feedback is that slides work best when they are neat, minimal and clearly organised. 

Rather than writing out your entire speech on the slide, it is much better to summarise your key points using short bullet points, arrows or visual cues. Including one or two carefully chosen pictures can also make a slide more engaging and easier to understand, but overloading it with too many images just creates visual chaos.

My personal method now is to write a full script of what I want to say first. Then, I look at the script and pick out the main ideas to highlight on each slide. That way, I already know what I am going to say, and my slides act as cues or visual pointers for my speech, not substitutes for it.

2. Templates: Make your slides stand out 

When it comes to designing your slides, the good news is that you do not need to be a graphic designer. PowerPoint comes with built-in templates. Those are perfectly fine if you are short on time. But if you want your slides to look a little more polished or creative, there are plenty of free resources online where you can find beautiful premade templates. 

I personally like using Slidesgo. But there are other websites such as Freepik, Microsoft Create and Canva. You can browse through their designs, download a template that matches your topic or aesthetic and then customise it using PowerPoint. This can save a lot of time while also making your presentation more visually appealing and professional.

3. Visuals: The power of background removal 

Pictures play a big role in making your slides more memorable. There is a trick I use when I want a cleaner look, which is removing the background of an image to create a PNG version. 

If you are using PowerPoint, there is actually a built-in tool that lets you do this quite easily. When you click on a picture and go to the “Picture Format” tab, you will see an option on the left side that says “Remove Background.” 

Once you click that, PowerPoint highlights the parts of the image it thinks should be removed, and you can also adjust it manually if needed. This gives your pictures a more seamless and professional feel.

Of course, the built-in background remover does not always get it right with complicated images. When that happens, I use a free online tool called remove.bg, which I have found to be quick, easy and surprisingly accurate. You just upload the image, and it instantly gives you a background-free version to download.

4. Animation and transitions: Less is definitely more 

Now let us talk about animations. I will be honest, I used to love adding dramatic animations to every image and using flashy transitions between slides. 

It felt like I was doing something impressive. But after watching my own presentation and listening to feedback from teachers, I quickly realised that too much animation can make your presentation feel slow, distracting and a bit unprofessional. 

The key is to use animation only when it serves a purpose. For example, having text fade in one point at a time can help the audience focus and follow along, but bouncing text or spinning pictures just feels unnecessary.

As for transitions, I recommend keeping them formal and subtle. One of my favourites is the “Morph” transition in PowerPoint, which creates a smooth movement between slides, especially when you are using similar elements. It gives a dynamic and professional look without feeling distracting. 

5. Presenting: Body language matters 

Do not underestimate how important body language is. When you are standing in front of the class, your gestures, facial expressions and movements can make a big difference. 

They guide the attention of your audience, add energy to your delivery and help break the monotony of static slides. For example, when you move around or shift slightly, people’s eyes naturally follow you. If you look at your slides on screen, the audience will look there too. 

And if you point or gesture towards a specific image or word, it draws their attention to that element. This sort of nonverbal communication keeps your audience engaged and helps you come across as more confident even if you are nervous inside.

Now take your time, write a script, choose or create slides that reflect your points clearly and rehearse before you go for the actual presentation. And remember, it is absolutely okay to be nervous. We all start there. But with each presentation, you will gain confidence, and eventually you might even start to enjoy the process, just like I have started to enjoy them. And, do not forget to smile!