Timing

 

One of the most frequent mistakes is timing. If you go over three minutes, you are automatically disqualified. But being too short is also a lost opportunity. Every second you do not use is time someone else will take to promote their work more effectively. You do not need to aim for an exact three minutes—very few people can manage that perfectly—but you should target between 2.50 and 3 minutes. That way, you stay within the rules while also making full use of the time available.

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The Blank moment

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A second issue is over-reliance on memorization. Many participants learn their text by heart, which is natural. But if the script is too complex, written in a style that is not really your own, or packed with academic language, stress can easily cause a blank moment on stage. Almost every competition has at least one participant who loses their text completely. If that happens, do not panic: you can ask for a redo, just for the sake of sharing your project, even if you are disqualified. The best way to avoid this risk is to write your talk in the way you naturally speak. Imagine explaining your research aloud to a friend, then write down those sentences. What you end up learning is not an artificial script but your own words, which are much easier to recall under pressure.

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Content balance

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A third common problem is content balance. Too often, students spend most of their time describing the background of the project. While passion for the subject is important, the audience needs to hear more than context. They want to know what you will actually do and why it matters to them. Imagine there are investors in the audience. If they were to fund your project, what return on investment would they get? This framing helps you shift from explaining what excites you personally to explaining what your research can contribute to others.

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A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words...

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A fourth common mistake concerns the relationship between the image and the spoken content. Experience shows that only a very small amount of text is necessary on a 3MT slide. The audience cannot both read a content-packed slide and listen to a fast-paced speech; if they are busy reading, they will stop listening to you. This is why the image becomes so important. It should be memorable, striking, or even amusing—something that triggers emotion, whether surprise, concern, joy, or relief. Some presenters use a simple process illustration (with icons rather than words), a cartoon-style representation of their topic, or a single evocative picture of a person or place. If you decide to use AI-generated images, be mindful of the risk of “AI fatigue.” Distinguish yourself with a strong, consistent style so that your visual supports the message rather than distracting from it.

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Some examples (various styles)