14 Ways to Win in College with Powtoon [Bonus: Student Webinar]

Read Time: 5 minutes

If you want to impress your professors, grab attention when presenting, get hired as an intern and stand out – every single time – video templates are the fastest and easiest way to do it

As college students, YOU are the rockstars that will Awesomize the world for tomorrow 😍!

It is you who will research, experiment, analyze, explore and present new ideas and discoveries that will shape our future (no pressure there)… but how can you shape the future and get your classmates, your professors and your audience to sit up and listen, if your presentations are BORING?

How can you stand apart from your classmates, when there are so many voices to be heard? In essence, how can you WIN in college?

To answer that question, I crafted this blog post — written by a grad student, for college students (grads and undergrads alike)! In addition I joined up with Powtoon’s very own Marketing Scientist, Nirel to create an awesome on-demand webinar, guiding you through exactly what you need to know to win in college (found at the bottom of the blog post).

But before skipping to the end of the post to watch the webinar, let’s take a moment to discuss the science behind grabbing attention…

A Few Small Elements Make a Big Difference for Grabbing Attention

Fortunately for us, science (and a few Master Attention Grabbers, such as Steve Jobs) have proven that using a few small tricks can equal giant, attention-grabbing success. Among them:

• Be unexpected
• Be interactive
• Minimize text
• Maximize BSV (big simple visuals)
• Build emotion
• Be genuine
• And… get to the point!

When you do this people will look up, they will pay attention to you because you have now proven that you’re worth their attention.

In our language of English, attention is paid because attention is a valuable currency. When listeners pay attention, they are rewarding you with arguably the most valuable currency in the world.

Sims Wyeth

Work Smarter, Not Harder!

But this is no secret — when we throw our heart and soul into a college/university project, and work through the night, perfecting and re-perfecting it, ensuring that all the right elements are there, then surely we will create the most outstanding result and everyone will love it, right?

WRONG. Just because you’re working harder does not always mean you’re working smarter.

In fact, if you give your all, over and over again, and don’t see results, you will eventually feel burnt and overwhelmed.

This is known as the Failure Frustration Cycle: “a reactionary process whereby students react to underperformance with actions that they think will solve their academic woes.” 

So, how do you stop over-working and start getting more efficient at grabbing attention, keeping it, and having your message remembered?

Use Video Templates

It’s simple, easy, and it works. Video contains all the attention grabbing elements to win: they’re interactive, unexpected, engaging, and contain animation that induces emotion. And luckily, there is a video template for every college situation.

Now, you may be asking yourself, “How can I, a college student without any graphic design or tech skills, make an original, animated or live-action video project/presentation?!”

Well, it is as simple as enrolling in classes as a “tenured” senior! All you have to do is choose a template, add your message, swap characters/objects/scenes, to your liking, and you’re done (and you’ll have a blast making them too)! So what are you waiting for?!

Below Are 14 Ways to Win in College With Powtoon (plus a bonus idea!)

1. Epic presentation

Present your report/project/assignment to fellow classmates or your Professor with a presentation that keeps their eyeballs glued to you. These “listicle” style templates are great for organizing your info±

2. Complicated topic

Explain complex scientific processes, organizational setups, and any detail-rich topic that needs SIMPLIFICATION, using whiteboard!

Explique en Español!

3. Present research results

A must-have for business and psychology majors, compare control and variable results/A-B Testing results (and include statistics!)

Try it out NOW, FREE!

4. Internship fair

Instead of talking their ears off, impress company reps by showing them who you are, (starting off with your digital skills)!

5. Interviews

Paper resumes, LinkedIn profiles and PDFs are so STATIC! Now your interviewer can see who you are through a piece of visual art!

6. Video resume

Imagine all the views your profile would get if you posted a video on LinkedIn … or sent it as a job application!

7. Niche networking events

Tens of thousands of college students are roaming around the auditorium but you need to stand out. Why not hand over a URL with that handshake?! The company rep or professor will be sure to remember you and your original video!

8. Follow-up thank you

Shake up that traditional email, and surprise your recruiter, professor, or college rep with a video message to show your gratitude!

9. Club meetings, announcements & events

Having an upcoming social for your club? Spread the word and increase attendance with a killer announcement!

 10. Organization Fairs

Get Freshmen to sign up for your awesome club by posting a video highlighting the benefits of joining 🙂 Make sure to include an irresistible CTA (call-to-action).

11. Capstone projects

Capstone projects, A.K.A. a project culminating a student’s intellectual and academic experiences that summarizes what they’ve learned (via a thesis, performance, or artwork) is quickly becoming a college requirement, so do it differently with video!

12. Campus housing staff & R.A. rules

Lay down the floor rules for your new residents with an animated presentation! Send out a video reminder via email for special events and announcements!

13. Greek life & rushing

Recruit the visual way! Highlight the unique aspects of your sorority or fraternity with hand-picked images and video clips 

14. Prevent sexual harassment

Whether you run a club, a frat, a dorm… make your stance against improper sexual conduct crystal clear. Train residents and members on the the laws and ethics surrounding proper conduct.  

BONUS – trivia night!

Break into teams and compete against your friends with a trivia filled video presentation! (Fill-in-the-blank, guess the person, locate the place…)

Watch Our On-Demand Webinar!

If this blog post is information overload, fear not! Nirel and I walk you through the details in our on-demand webinar (watch it now!):

https://powtoon.wistia.com/medias/do4qj7vj27

Go Forth & Win College!

We hope these sleek, funny and unique college templates will help you stand out among your peers, impress your professors and colleagues, ace those courses and ultimately help you WIN in college!

Try out a template and let us know what you think in the comments below — we’d love to hear from you!