So I've 24 hrs to prepare a seminar and I'm so stressed i just keep watching the Big Bang theory. I've had three weeks but my supervisor has been making me work insane hours to keep up with the new project i'm working on i've had no time to prepare the seminar on the old stuff i've not looked at in ages. not even sure i have enough to make up an entire seminar and I just can't decide what to do or get started. Sorry for the panic rant - just needed to make the admission.

What kind of seminar is it? Is it teaching or is it for your PhD?

I usually prep my teaching seminars in an 30 mins to an hour max - so 24 hours would be plenty for me in that scenario.

No problem with ranting!

it's the annual phd student to department seminar on my work. scary. thankfully the scariest people aren't very good at showing up to these but the guy in charge of my funding will be there which isn't good.

Oh I hear you, Big Bang re-runs took up half my Sunday!

You'll be fine Mathkitty, if in doubt give them a graph or gantt chart, always gets me off the hook in style ;-)

In terms of getting started, I usually start with a one slide review of my last presentation or work to that date. Then move into the plan (that I obviously made and stuck to religiously) for the work I've done since. Then results, then analysis and future plans. I also tend to include at least one point on which I ask for input, keeps em awake and means I beat the arsey ones to the punch for questions!

some clever ideas there :) unfortunately being mostly pure maths i have no graphs, no results and no analysis. hmmn plan slide sounds good though :) I was thinking working out on the board means what i prepare will last longer and also save me typing time. Not sure though.

in my annual review I ALWAYS have a gantt chart (or three!) and no one else ever bothers - so it looks like you are super focused on timescales etc. - even though its a load of rubbish.

They're not so much interested in my progress or timeline as in the actual maths. it's a little scary!

Oh god here goes!

Just thought I'd update to say that it went fine. Not great, not as good as usual (as my sup pointed out), but fine. Just so glad it's over!! Thanks for all the ideas and support. Really helped me through the last really hard hours.