Presentation Tips for Students: How to Make Clearer Slides and Feel More Confident

by Yum Yum Mama Team October 29, 2026

Student practising a presentation at home with a laptop and notes.

You have researched your topic, made your notes and opened Google Slides. Then you look at the first blank slide and wonder: Where do I even start?

Perhaps you have too much information and cannot decide what to leave out. Maybe your slides look more like a revision sheet than a presentation. Or you understand the topic but worry that you will forget what to say when you stand in front of the class.

These are common challenges for GCSE and A-level students. The good news is that a clear presentation does not require you to be a graphic designer or a naturally confident speaker. It starts with understanding what you want your audience to learn and building your slides around that message.

These presentation tips for students will help you plan your content, make clearer Google Slides and practise explaining your ideas. Along the way, we will look at how Psychology can help us understand attention, working memory and learning.

Why Do Some Student Presentations Feel Difficult to Follow?

Imagine watching a slide appear with three paragraphs of text, a detailed diagram and several facts in different colours. At the same time, the presenter begins explaining a study aloud.

As a listener, you have several things to do at once: read the slide, listen to the speaker, decide what matters and connect the information to what you already know. If there is too much to process, it can become harder to follow the explanation.

In Psychology, working memory refers to the system involved in temporarily holding and working with information. It has limits, although those limits are not a simple fixed number of words or slides for every person and every task.

Our guide to the Working Memory Model by Baddeley and Hitch explains how different components contribute to processing information.

For a presentation, the practical question is:

“What does my audience need to see now to understand what I am saying?”

A clear heading, a simple diagram or a short example may help. That does not mean every slide must contain only a handful of words. It means the content should support the explanation rather than compete unnecessarily with it.

1. Start With the Question, Not the Background Colour

It is tempting to open Google Slides and spend the first 20 minutes choosing a theme. Before you do that, look closely at the task your teacher has set.

Ask yourself:

What question am I answering?
Who is my audience?
How long do I have?
What does my teacher expect me to explain?
What should the audience understand by the end?

Turn the answer into one clear sentence. For example:

“By the end of my presentation, my class should understand what working memory is and how it might help explain difficulty following a crowded slide.”

This sentence becomes your guide. If a point does not help answer the question or support the audience’s understanding, consider whether it belongs in your presentation.

2. Plan Your Presentation Before Making Your Slides

You do not need a perfect script at the planning stage. A simple sequence of points can stop you from jumping between ideas or collecting too much information.

For an A-level Psychology presentation, you could begin with:

Introduction: What is the topic or question?
Explanation: What does the key concept mean?
Example: How might it appear in a real situation?
Evidence: What relevant research or theory helps explain it?
Evaluation: What is a strength, limitation or alternative explanation?
Conclusion: What should the audience take away?

For example, if you are presenting the Working Memory Model, you might introduce its components, show a simple diagram, explain one classroom example and then discuss a limitation. Your teacher’s instructions and specification should guide how much detail you include.

Planning also makes it easier to see where you need to check your knowledge. If you cannot explain a point simply, that may be a sign to revisit your notes before designing the slide.

3. Give Each Slide a Clear Purpose

Before adding text, decide what each slide is there to do. Is it introducing a concept, explaining a study, showing a process or asking the audience to apply an idea?

A useful slide title can communicate the main point rather than simply name the topic.

Less specific: Working Memory

More helpful: Working Memory Helps Us Hold and Use Information

The second title gives the audience an idea to listen for. You can then use the rest of the slide and your spoken explanation to develop that point.

If a slide is trying to introduce several unrelated ideas at once, consider separating them or choosing which details matter most.

4. Make Google Slides Easy to Read

Good slide design is not about filling every space. It is about helping people see and understand the information.

When making a Google Slides presentation, try to:

Use a readable font and check it on the screen or projector you will use.
Choose clear contrast between the text and background.
Keep headings and formatting consistent.
Use bullet points when they help organise information, rather than adding them automatically.
Choose images or diagrams that help explain the point.
Leave enough space around content so the slide does not feel crowded.
Avoid relying on colour alone to communicate meaning.

There is no universal rule that every slide must contain a fixed number of words or lines. A diagram, quotation or detailed example may need a different layout. Check whether your audience can read the slide and whether the information helps you answer the question.

If you are using an image, check that you have permission to use it and include any credit your teacher or the source requires.

5. Turn a Text-Heavy Slide Into an Explanation

Imagine you have written a full paragraph about an experiment on your slide. It may contain useful information, but your audience could struggle to read it while listening to you.

Try this process:

Identify the point you want the audience to understand.
Keep the essential terms or stages on the slide.
Move supporting detail into your speaker notes.
Explain the connection in your own words.
Check that removing detail has not made the slide inaccurate.

For a Psychology study, you might show a short sequence such as aim → procedure → finding, then explain the details aloud. If evaluation is required, give it space rather than squeezing it into the bottom corner.

6. Use Speaker Notes to Support You

Speaker notes give you somewhere to keep the detail that supports your presentation. In Google Slides, you can add notes to individual slides and use Presenter view when presenting.

Notes can include:

A reminder of the example you want to explain.
The name of a researcher or study.
A prompt for your evaluation point.
A question you want to ask the audience.
A reminder to pause before moving on.

You do not have to memorise every sentence. Some students prefer short prompts; others feel more comfortable having fuller notes available. Practise with the format that helps you speak clearly and meets your teacher’s requirements.

Before presenting, check which screen or window the audience can see. Presenter view may open notes separately, but the setup depends on your device and how you share your screen. Google’s guide to presenting slides and using speaker notes explains the available options.

7. Use Questions to Help Your Audience Take Part

A short question can give listeners an opportunity to think about the content rather than only hear it. It can also help you check whether your explanation made sense.

For a presentation on working memory, you might ask:

“What might make it difficult to listen to a speaker and read a large paragraph at the same time?”

Give your audience a moment to think. You could invite a response, ask them to discuss with a partner or reveal an example afterwards. The aim is to connect the question to your explanation, not to catch anyone out.

A short recall question near the end can also support revision. Our guide to using retrieval practice in A-level Psychology explores how bringing information to mind can be used as part of learning.

8. Can an AI Presentation Maker Help Students?

Some students use AI tools to help organise ideas or create an initial slide draft. That may be useful when you have notes but are unsure how to turn them into a presentation. The Decksy AI slideshow maker offers a way to create presentation drafts. Platform says that presentations can be downloaded as editable PowerPoint files and then imported into Google Slides. Check the tool’s current features, access requirements and pricing before using it.

An AI-generated draft still needs your judgement. Before using one for schoolwork:

Check that your school and teacher allow the tool for your task.
Do not upload private, sensitive or other people’s information without permission.
Check facts, studies, quotations and references against reliable sources.
Make sure the content matches your course and the question you were set.
Edit the slides so you understand and can explain every point.
Follow any rules about acknowledging AI use.

A polished slide is not necessarily an accurate slide. Your own understanding and your teacher’s instructions remain more important than how quickly a draft is produced.

9. Practise Explaining, Not Just Reading

Practising is not only about memorising words. It helps you notice whether the order makes sense, whether your examples are clear and whether the presentation fits the time available.

Try one practice run with a timer. Afterwards, ask:

Did I explain the key terms clearly?
Did I spend too long on one section?
Could I explain my example without reading every word?
Did my conclusion answer the original question?
Were there any slides I struggled to explain?

If you feel nervous, practise with a friend, family member or classmate you trust. You could begin by explaining one slide before attempting the whole presentation. Notes are there to support you; using them does not mean you have failed.

If you are presenting a Psychology topic and want to revisit the subject knowledge first, our AQA Psychology revision toolkit offers ideas for organising and checking your revision.

10. Check Your Presentation Before You Start

A final check can help you feel prepared and reduce avoidable technical problems.

Re-read the task and make sure your presentation answers it.
Check spelling, names, dates and sources.
Make sure text and diagrams are readable.
Test any videos, links or audio you plan to use.
Check that your speaker notes are visible to you, but not unintentionally shared.
Confirm that you can access the file on the device you will use.
Consider keeping an appropriate backup, such as a PDF, if your teacher permits it.
Allow time for questions if the task requires them.

A PDF can be a useful backup for viewing slides, although it may not preserve interactive features or speaker notes in the same way as the original presentation.

Frequently Asked Questions

How Many Slides Should a Student Presentation Have?

There is no fixed number that works for every presentation. The right number depends on the time available, the complexity of your topic and what you need to show. Practise with a timer and adjust the content to suit the task.

How Do I Make a Good Google Slides Presentation for School?

Start by understanding the question and planning your main points. Give each slide a purpose, make the content easy to read, use relevant examples and practise explaining your ideas. Check your teacher’s instructions before using outside tools or sources.

How Can I Feel More Confident Presenting in Class?

Confidence can develop through preparation and practice. Try explaining one slide to someone you trust, use notes that help you, and practise with the equipment if possible. If presenting feels particularly difficult, speak to your teacher about the support or adjustments available to you.

Is It Okay to Use AI for a School Presentation?

That depends on your school’s rules and the specific task. Ask your teacher what is permitted, check any AI-generated content carefully and follow the required approach to acknowledging its use.

Make the Slides Work for Your Explanation

A good presentation begins with a clear understanding of what you want to communicate. Your slides can then guide the audience through the ideas, while your examples and spoken explanation bring them to life.

Start with the question, organise your points, check your evidence and practise in a way that supports you. Whether you are explaining a Psychology study, a Biology process or another school topic, your audience will benefit from knowing what matters and why.