The thesis defense is the penultimate step to the successful completion of your program, having withstood all the tests of college academia.
Unlike other presentations, the thesis defense impacts majorly on your final score. This being the case, you have no alternative but to give your best performance.
Owing to the pressure surrounding the thesis defense, it is bound to trigger anxiety and undermine your confidence, thus yielding a less than ideal presentation. It is vital to eliminate obstacles limiting your self-esteem and select items that evoke respect to ensure a quality presentation.
Top of the factors that help boost confidence and contribute to the first impression is the dressing code. This article discusses the thesis defense tips that will make a positive impact on the panel and give you ample comfort.
Before delving into what to wear during thesis defense; however, it is vital to know that the odds of your thesis being approved are on your side.
Dressing Tips For Thesis Defense
While there is no universally acceptable parameter on what to wear for a dissertation defense, official clothing is a favorite go-to option. Since the thesis presentation is a formal event, it is essential to dress in a style corresponding to the event.
To know what you could wear, you could consider engaging faculty members in your department for hints. Alternatively, you would check for the acceptable dress code in your school and run your preferred attire by these parameters.
Among the elements to check out for in a thesis defense attire are:
- Comfort
While many may advocate for one to sacrifice the comfort in a bid to look fantastic, this may make you a victim to several hours of unrest and irritability.
When selecting your cloth, ensure that you are comfortable in it, thus managing the presentation with comfort. However, ensure that the dressing code you settle for is in tandem with the dressing regulations.
- Pattern
While you are not limited within a particular range of colors, avoid clashing colors as it may appear overly casual. If you intend to combine colors of clothing articles, ensure that they rhyme, thus resulting in a neat look.
- Length and slimness
When selecting what to wear for a dissertation defense, you should provide both neatness and presentability. As such, wade away from fancy dressing styles that may comprise extremely tight dressing or skirts that fall above the knee.
While at this, ensure that the cloth leaves some room and doesn’t squeeze you excessively. Also, ensure that your slit is short enough that it doesn’t distract members of the panel.
- Hair
As is the nature of official attire, the hair should be kept and neat. As such, men should trim or comb their hair before their presentation.
For ladies, it is advisable to plait with incongruous colors that do not distract the panel from the presentation. By looking decent, you display a mature personality that is ready to fit into the job market in various niches.
- Familiarize yourself with the formats, guidelines, and expectations that the panel has for the exhibition. A great way to acquaint yourself with the setup is engaging people that have already defended their dissertations.
- Know the points you have presented in your dissertation and familiarize with various supporting facts.
- When going about your thesis presentation, begin with stating your thesis question, the objective and methodology of research. Also, ensure that you back every argument with factual statements that are acceptable in your field.
- When closing, mention the final verdict and the recommendations that would tackle the issue in the thesis statement.
- If you are not well-versed with a question, avoid wasting time on arguments you are not well-informed in. Alternatively, argue a topic that is closer to the subject citing the issues that would be practical for the situation tackled in the question.
- Keep your language simple to comprehend, thus making it easy for the panel to gather your points in an argument.
Presentation tips
Looking good is just the first step in acing your thesis defense. Presentation by itself, however, is what determines your fate.
It is critical to observe the tips below to ensure an ideal presentation:
Finally, remember that you have made it to the final step; thus, you ought not to shy from the last hurdle. To boost your confidence, remember that many of those that make it to dissertation defense end up succeeding in the venture.