Week 7: Preliminary Rounds

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Feel free to skip this week if your competition does not have an in-person preliminary round or if your preliminary round takes place via video. 

While this week is lighter in terms of content, you still have a lot of work ahead of you. But let’s pause briefly and remind ourselves how far you have come. 

• You have written and finalized your script. 
• You have developed a strong start and perfected the delivery.  
• Maybe you have an analogy you are really excited about. 
• You have designed your slide(s) and/or chosen your prop. 
• You have rehearsed with friends, gotten feedback, and incorporated key ideas. 

If you are tired, it is with good reason. We are not yet done, but you are almost there!

To achieve your goals in Week 7, you will need approximately five hours to complete the exercises, including buffer hours:  

• Continue rehearsing. (Exercise 7.1)
• Compete in the preliminary rounds of your GRC competition. (Exercise 7.2 & 7.3)
• Support and encourage your fellow competitors. (Exercise 7.4)
• Request feedback from judges. (Exercise 7.5)
• Plan to reward yourself after your GRC talk. (Exercise 7.6)

Access Week 7 exercises here. 

Several GRC formats have an in-person preliminary phase that allows the field of competitors to be narrowed down to a smaller group for the final competition. I’ve seen them called heats, stages, phases, or rounds. Sometimes they are held in person, and sometimes they are conducted via video submission. 

In terms of their main purpose, preliminary rounds are the gateway to the final round. On the one hand, it is a preliminary round, so it doesn’t seem like there is anything at stake in terms of prizes. However, to advance to the finals, you need to deliver your best presentation. So, there actually is a lot at stake in the short run. 

One logistical note: The final event is often held in an auditorium or special event venue that can accommodate larger audiences. One piece of advice that will help you prepare (and manage your nervous energy) is to visit the locations where you will deliver your GRC talk. For more details, visit the FAQs page and review the question "How can I be prepared for the in-person event in an auditorium that seats 300 people?"

Why are preliminary rounds so important? 

First, you see how other graduate students approached their talks. When I organized the preliminary rounds at the University of Virginia, there were usually about 4–6 competitors per hour, which gives you an opportunity to see other students and their talks. Aside from being wowed by your brilliant peers because of their work, you may get ideas that you could incorporate in your own GRC talk or even future presentations.

Second, a preliminary round allows you to deliver your talk in a formal setting. After all those rehearsals in the shower, walking to class, and with friends, you will officially give your talk in front of judges. That experience will be formative as you continue to sharpen your vocal quality and your body language. 

Finally, you should receive feedback from the judges. When I organized the 3MT at the University of Virginia, I consolidated all the judges’ reactions and sent a summary file to each competitor. (I only sent comments, not scores.) I suggest that you ask the organizers ahead of time for a copy of the rubric the judges will use and what type of feedback to expect: Will you get a written review, will you receive any kind of score, etc.? Also, inquire as to whether you can contact the judges directly for their reactions. The reason for this is that if you do well enough to advance to the final competition, you will want to leverage their feedback to make any final tweaks. 

For preliminary rounds conducted via video, the timing of when you can view all the entries depends on the organizers. Often, there is a short period during which the judges review the videos privately. While the talks are typically posted on the organization’s website, this may not happen until after the final competition. As a result, you may not have the opportunity to watch other competitors’ presentations and learn from them during the early stages. I recommend asking the organizers—who knows, they might say “yes”! 

Alright, the big moment is here. It is time for your first “real” performance of your GRC talk.

Here are the key takeaways from Week 7:

1. Preliminary rounds are valuable practice. 

Even if you don’t make it to the finals, participating helps you refine your delivery, gain confidence, and observe other presentations for inspiration.

2. Observe and learn from peers. 

Watching fellow competitors gives you ideas for improving your own talk and expands your perspective on presenting research effectively.

3. Use feedback strategically.

Ask for the judging rubric and feedback in advance so that you can use it to fine-tune your talk for the final round if you advance.

4. Keep rehearsing and support others. 

Continue practicing your talk, cheer on your fellow competitors, and plan a personal reward for completing your preliminary performance.

Remember to review your progress with the Week 7 Checklist. 

At long last, Week 8 and the Finals!