Everyone who loves public speaking raise your hands! No, of course none of you raised your hands (unless you’re this girl). Honestly, though, why would anyone want to get up to speak in front of a group of strangers?

If we’re talking about the Three Minute Thesis competition (3MT®), we can think of about 1000 dollars, errr, “reasons”. But we know you’re above the money, so you’re probably looking for those other intangible benefits. With that in mind (and to make sure we didn’t sound like salespeople), we started combing the internet for real testimonials from real students who have competed in 3MT®. You can find a lot of stories about Windsor’s competition on the Graduate Studies website, but what about stories from the competitors themselves?

It turns out that the competition has affected a lot of students around the country. For instance, the University of British Columbia has been amassing a lengthy webpage of testimonials from past competitors. It’s especially interesting to see how positive even the finalists are, with no cash prize to show for their efforts. These comments are among our favourites:

“This competition is a MUST for all graduate students at UBC. When I joined the competition, my aim was simple: to win $1000. Throughout the process, what I gained is worth way more than the monetary reward. This competition pushed me out of my comfort zone enabling me to articulate my ideas, enthusiasm and passion to a wide audience. My participation has led to many other opportunities such as presentations at the Multidisciplinary Undergraduate Research Conference, with the alumni of UBC, at a summer barbecue with UBC President Stephen Toope and donors, as well as a special talk in the Pacific Parkinson’s Research Centre’s annual meeting. Feedback from the audience – particularly other students, researchers and patients – really inspired me to confidently pursue my PhD with enthusiasm and optimism. These opportunities not only bolstered my confidence, but they also enable me to expand my social and professional networks. I strongly encourage every graduate student to participate!!!
“Do. Or do not. There is no try.” (Yoda)
Sun Nee Tan, Neuroscience
3MT 2013 People’s Choice Winner

…

“I am a big believer in, and supporter of the 3MT program.  It was a great experience for me, and I think it’s a great addition to academic life at UBC.  The competition provided several benefits: 1) the opportunity to meet grad students from other disciplines and to learn about their fascinating research; 2) the challenge of boiling down my own research project into 3 minutes, which helped clarify my own thinking; and 3) the chance to get great presentation feedback and learn some tips from other presenters. I would do 3MT again in a heartbeat!”
Andrew Pilliar, Law
3MT 2012 Finalist

 

Ryan Andrew Murphy, a 3MT® finalist at UBC, shared his experience in the 2011 competition. For Ryan the 3MT® offered an opportunity to “join the conversation” by connecting with others in the research community. Watch his interview below:

)