Parking lot questions
Students are eager to know the answer to their questions immediately. Sometimes they want to run before they can walk. I’ve had first years talk to me about extending their visa documents at orientation. Students at an OPT workshop will ask how to know if they’re eligible for a STEM extension before I’ve even finished talking about applying for regular OPT.
No doubt international office staff have put a great deal of thought into the order and flow of presentations such as new student orientation and OPT workshops. Here’s a way to let them know that their questions are heard and will be addressed–at the appropriate time.
Ask students to write down questions they have that they hope will be answered during the presentation. They can write on note cards, post-it notes, or a large easel pad. Read the questions and mention if and when each subject will be covered. If the subject will not be covered, invite the student to ask.
Announce a Q&A period
I generally save time at the end of my presentations for questions. In part, this is because I know that most of the questions students will have during, let’s say, an OPT workshop, are going to be covered during the presentation. Thorough presentations are essential when it comes to advising on status. Usually I know I’m going to talk about the purpose of the benefit, who’s eligible, where to find more information, how to apply, and what to do after applying. The typical questions are going to come up: “What if I can’t find a job by graduation?” “When will I get the new I-20?” Since I expect these questions, I make sure to touch on these topics during the presentation.
It’s also important to me that I’m able to share all of the overview information while everyone is in the presentation. Sometimes, a student will ask about the nitty gritty of a specific situation. Going on a tangent to answer may be at the expense of more relevant information being shared with the larger group. Not all 20 students at the workshop need to hear my advice to Diana about traveling outside of the U.S. to attend her brother’s wedding while waiting for OPT adjudication.
Digital queue
Have students text in their questions if the presentation is in person. If the audience can see the questions, this will probably make them less anxious knowing that the question has been asked and is on your radar. For online presentations, platforms like Zoom are helpful because they have a digital queue. If someone is assisting you, they can answer questions as they come in, or they can compile the most pressing questions at the end and read them to you.
Bonus tip: If you don’t already provide an overview or agenda at the beginning of the presentation, I encourage you to. Students will be able to see what’s coming up and will probably more patient about interrupting if they know the topic they’re curious about is part of the content.
There will always be times when someone in your audience just can’t wait and needs to have their question answered in order to follow what you’re saying. That’s okay! It’s helpful though to set expectations at the beginning and hopefully this will enable you to have a smooth presentation.