# Presentations and SA



## biffyclyroluver (Mar 4, 2012)

The thing that causes the most problems for me in my SA is doing presentations. I shake and mumble when I do them...I hate it! Does anyone have any advice for getting past this and still getting on with education?


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## gorbulas (Feb 13, 2004)

biffyclyroluver said:


> The thing that causes the most problems for me in my SA is doing presentations. I shake and mumble when I do them...I hate it! Does anyone have any advice for getting past this and still getting on with education?


Good teachers realize that the majority of the class absolutely hates making presentations. They also factor in nervousness into the grading. As long as you do the presentation and try your best, that's all the teachers want. The worst thing you can do is avoiding it. Presenting is a life skill so it is best to overcome your fear while you are still in school.


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## Random Dude (Feb 27, 2012)

I used to have the same problem. Hands, legs, and voice shaking, lump in my throat, confused, forget things, cold sweat, difficult to grasp stuff with your fingers, general clumsiness. I think I had it quite bad. However, I had to do lots of presentations in one semester and after that I got much better (it was hell at first though). One thing that helps is talking about something that you find interesting/are enthusiastic about. Of course that's not always possible. I know there is really nothing someone could say to you to make things any better, because I was there. I can only assure you that if you tackle your fears head on, in time they will be the ones afraid of you . Public speaking is the easy one, because it's pretty much a monologue, with minimal social interaction, so long as you plan in advance it's not that bad (except the question part at the end). I find that talking to girls or being in large groups of people you don't know is about a 100 times harder to overcome . You could view public speaking as the first stepping stone towards full control over your social anxiety.

Blow them away :clap.


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## Shadow2009 (Sep 25, 2010)

Presentations are hell for me.

- In 2009 I had to do a solo presentation in my English class. I was shaking and sweating and felt sick, but I volunteered to go first to get it over with. I ended up falling backwards into a board on the wall before I even spoke. To make things worse, I was halfway through the talk and then my teacher (who hates me) made me restart it because I wasn't talking clearly. I done a weird thing where I emphasized every vowel by slapping my jotter against my hand, which everyone was laughing at. It was hell and dragged in, the full class were howling with laughter. I managed to laugh and joke about it and alot of people said it was the best talk ever but inside I was dead.

- I had to do a group presentation two years later in English, this time we were merged with the year below us. I hadn't even gotten a chance to get to know anyone before we were made to give a talk. All I had to do was read a paragraph from a poster but my voice kept shaking and my eyes were watering and people kept staring at me.

- I then skipped school to avoid another group presentation, but my teacher found out and insisted I just sit at the computer and work the presentation for the others. We got called up to do our talk and I sat on the computer chair and watched as my group read out their script from the screen. There was 5 pages and 5 of us, so obviously they (and everyone else) expected me to read out the last one. Everyone was staring at me and thankfully the teacher interrupted and read it for me. I was dead again.

- Joined college and done numerous presentations because I had no choice. They weren't bad, since it was college and nobody really knew eachother. However it got too much for me and I ended up leaving college after two months because the stress of presentations was killing me.

So yeah, I feel your pain.  Definitely the worst aspect of S.A

EDIT - Best advice I have is to act confident. ALWAYS VOLUNTEER TO GO FIRST. If it's a group presentation, offer to read your part out first and get it out the way. If you're sitting in class and the teacher asks for volunteers, GO FIRST and get it out of the way. You're better off doing your thing and then letting others go (while you relax) instead of watching everyone else and shaking like mad and THEN going up last. Plus, if you go after other people you might get compared (if you have to follow someone who is amazing/funny for example). Always get it out the way fast.


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## Insanityonthego (Jul 5, 2010)

Just chill. Be yourself. And F uck what people think.


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## Feynman (Sep 24, 2010)

I think that the most important thing is to be really prepared. You should practice your presentation as much as possible, so that you know exactly what you are going to say and you will be more confident. 

Another thing is to always know more a lot more about the subject than what you plan to talk about. This makes it a lot easier when answering questions after the talk. The worst thing you can do is say something you don't fully understand because the teacher/prof will pick up on that and ask what you meant by it.


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## TheQuietGirl20 (Feb 20, 2012)

I'm trying to get a doctors note. It just affects my anxiety too much I'm terrified. I worry about it months in advance.


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## The Professor (Jul 31, 2011)

It used to be no problem for me... but now I get panic attacks even when I just get called on to read a short paragraph from my seat! It's embarrassing as ****, especially when my good friends are in the same class... sitting right next to me...

I took like 3 lorazepams once and it didn't do _anything_


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## biffyclyroluver (Mar 4, 2012)

Yeah...I also get that problem- when a teacher asks me a question I panic. Theres this one teacher who is convinced I'm just lazy and shy and always picks on me :/


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## lilithandi (Mar 3, 2012)

I just had to give a presentation in my bio class the other day and it was awful. My face turns bright red and I fumble over words and shake, ugh. The worst part is knowing people can see my fear. Nobody else seemed to be as nervous as me!


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## wordscancutyoulikeglass (May 4, 2012)

I do the same thing. What works for me is getting really comfortable with first what I am actually saying, and then staring at the wall or at my teacher, but not at my classmates.


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## Shadow2009 (Sep 25, 2010)

You need to get on with it.  Avoiding them is the worst thing you could possibly do so don't listen to anyone telling you to avoid them. You need to get used to them. The more you do, the less scary they become. 

You should maybe take an anti-nerve spray thing from the chemist/supermarket. Worked for me when I had my 18th birthday party and have to give a speech. Apart from that i'd say when you're doing the presentation, look around at your class. It's insane how many people simply do NOT CARE about you. I don't mean that in a bad way, but think about it. When other people give a presentation, you aren't sitting staring at them and analysing their body language and tone are you? You're just looking at them, trying to look interested whilst daydreaming about something else. When I do presentations and look around the class, everyone is either on their phones, staring at the ground, yawning, drawing on paper or else looking at me in a "pretend to be interested" way. They're not analysing me or taking any interest in me at all, because students generally don't care about other people's presentations.


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## Openyoureyes (Jun 13, 2012)

This has been me since 9th grade. I can't do them, I avoid them at all costs. I've only done 2 presentations out of the 30 I had this year all because of my social anxiety. I'm a really good student, but when it comes to presentations I just don't have any motivation to do them because I embarrass myself. They all stare at me and judge me. I begin to lose control of what I say really, because I mumble and forget what to say or don't know how to say words anymore. My heart races uncontrollable...it makes me really uncomfortable. I've been suffering this way forever. 

My advice is...you're not alone but I did the 2 out of the 30 when I was feeling confident. I dressed nice, and was like heck what they say I'm going to get this over with even if I fail with talking (which I still did). You won't see their faces again after high school anyways.


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## ConeKiller (Feb 14, 2011)

I have to take public speaking this fall...I am dreading it FTL

maybe I will die in some freak accident by then so I don't have to deal with it :lol


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## KettleCorn (May 6, 2012)

Shadow2009 said:


> You need to get on with it.  Avoiding them is the worst thing you could possibly do so don't listen to anyone telling you to avoid them. You need to get used to them. The more you do, the less scary they become.
> 
> You should maybe take an anti-nerve spray thing from the chemist/supermarket. Worked for me when I had my 18th birthday party and have to give a speech. Apart from that i'd say when you're doing the presentation, look around at your class. It's insane how many people simply do NOT CARE about you. I don't mean that in a bad way, but think about it. When other people give a presentation, you aren't sitting staring at them and analysing their body language and tone are you? You're just looking at them, trying to look interested whilst daydreaming about something else. When I do presentations and look around the class, everyone is either on their phones, staring at the ground, yawning, drawing on paper or else looking at me in a "pretend to be interested" way. They're not analysing me or taking any interest in me at all, because students generally don't care about other people's presentations.


Nice post - this is great advice, and it's so true. When other people are presenting, I'm silently rehearsing my lines and not even paying attention to what anyone is saying, lol. Really, other students aren't judging us as much as we fear.

Also, skipping usually makes things worse, at least in my experience, because then I'd have to make it up on a different day where no one else was presenting and it was even more awkward.


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## cherryblossomm (Jun 16, 2012)

Does anyone else feel like they are in a different state of mind during presentations?? Before I actually begin a presentation, I feel SO nervous and feel like there is NO WAY I'll be able to do it. Then, when my name is called, I feel the utmost DREAD and desire to drop dead as I get up out of my seat.... next thing I know, I'm sitting back down (and feeling relieved that its over.)

I just feel like when I am forced to make a presentation (in class, etc) my anxiety puts me into a different state of mind during... I don't know how to explain it, but does anyone else feel the same way?


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## kittybunnycat (Jun 13, 2012)

Yessss I hate presentations! Ever since I was laughed at in sixth grade without knowing why, it just stuck with me... I have to be doing a lot of presentations in the future soon on my projects so I am trying to learn how to overcome this. My heart would beat fast while I see others go up to present. 
A piece of advice would be to practice presenting it to someone close to you.


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## VisualAttraction (Jun 12, 2012)

It really depends on how prepared I am. I absolutely cannot wing a presentation, otherwise I get all nervous and stumble over my words. Also depends on the crowd. If I'm presenting in front of a class of people I'm generally okay with, then it takes the pressure off.


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## Openyoureyes (Jun 13, 2012)

cherryblossomm said:


> Does anyone else feel like they are in a different state of mind during presentations?? Before I actually begin a presentation, I feel SO nervous and feel like there is NO WAY I'll be able to do it. Then, when my name is called, I feel the utmost DREAD and desire to drop dead as I get up out of my seat.... next thing I know, I'm sitting back down (and feeling relieved that its over.)
> 
> I just feel like when I am forced to make a presentation (in class, etc) my anxiety puts me into a different state of mind during... I don't know how to explain it, but does anyone else feel the same way?


YES! I'm just like wow did that just happen? I don't remember...OH well I do remember but idk. It's weird.


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## haebangja (Jun 16, 2012)

It's all mental obviously. You've got to get that image of the figure you want to be, and then sink into it. Psych yourself up a bit. Don't focus on the presentation itself, being in front of people or what not, but rather on the content your looking to share and the figure you want to be. Then step up and be it. =]. I was speaker for my high school class and though overall I was just in a better place, it's about knowing, picturing, and then sinking into the figure you want to be. Over time, if you want it enough and when it starts feeling right for a while, that'll be you. In all reality, it's only you being who you want to be.


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## jacwall322 (Jun 13, 2012)

I had to do a few presentations in college so far. I hate it.

One of them, I actually went through with. I never heard fear in my voice up until I had to do that presentation. It was horrible. But luckily, there was a nice guy that I had a few classes with and he asked simple questions, got me and the class to laugh, so my presentation didn't look all that bad overall.

Another class though... I had to do _two_ presentations in our auditorium-styled classroom. I skipped both of mine because I was too afraid to do them. My GPA for that class suffered horribly. :sigh

Luckily, online classes haven't required us to do anything like this. We just have to participate more in the discussion forums. Which, I would take over a presentation any day. :S


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## StarryNight (Mar 14, 2011)

For some reason, even though I'm incredibly socially awkward in most situations, I generally do really well in presentations. The anxiety's terrible right before I start, but then I get up there and it's almost as if someone else takes over my body. I can speak loudly and calmly. I actually get people to laugh a lot. During speech class, my professor commented that I was a natural up there, which made me want to laugh/cry at how ironic it is that I can barely hold a conversation with strangers. I wish whatever force took over my body during presentations would stay with me forever.
Anyway, something that always helps me with pre-presentation nerves are the thoughts that a) everyone else is probably just as nervous as you; you're all on the same side, and b) no one will be thinking about your presentation after you're done, except maybe you. It justhelps me put things in perspective.


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## jovo (Apr 13, 2011)

i take xanax when i have presentations


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## CristianNC (Jun 24, 2012)

This is the bane of my life at the moment. My SA in pretty mild in every other section but public speaking is a bloody curse. 

Someone said very well that the best thing is to go first and at least die trying instead of staying and waiting for the inevitable.

I had pleasant and less than pleasant experiences though. There was this one that made me feel ridiculously good about myself. It was about old Romanian literature and we had a month to prepare(the teacher was being very serious about this one and there was no way to skip it).
We we're allowed to read it from our papers but I didn't do that because I knew there was no way I could follow the lines under that stress so I learned it all(it was a 2-man presentation and I learned my colleague's part too). 
I started pretty poorly, my voice continuously cracking. This made me so angry that inside myself I went "F*** it, let's do this and f***** end it". So I started again and gave an almost flawless performance with was actually applauded by the teacher and the class. When it went to the questions I even answered most of my colleague's because as I said, I learned the whole thing.

I try to keep the same mentality and it goes pretty well.
Well....at least on the outside, I'm still mad as hell on the inside.


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## TimeToBegin (Jul 7, 2011)

Same with me. And I mean I'm terrified. What did I do? I drank a bottle of beer before each presentation I had to make last year (which was two altogether). And it worked. Perfectly. One of the presentations had to be over 10 minutes long and I thought there's no way in hell I could've done that completely sober without messing up because of my stuttering and mumbling and getting red in the face. One thing though, I'm not telling you to become an alcoholic or anything. I'm just saying that it worked very well for me, I drank just enough to feel a little lightheaded and even though my heart was still beating fast, I didn't "feel' any anxiety so it went very smoothly. I just didn't care.

You'll hear people give you advice and tell you it's just the way you think about it, but it's so much harder to actually overcome your fear, even when you KNOW it's all in your head. Anxiety is not rational after all, so you can't exactly beat it with rationality overnight. If you can't do it otherwise, just do what I did.


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## meepie (Jun 20, 2010)

cherryblossomm said:


> Does anyone else feel like they are in a different state of mind during presentations?? Before I actually begin a presentation, I feel SO nervous and feel like there is NO WAY I'll be able to do it. Then, when my name is called, I feel the utmost DREAD and desire to drop dead as I get up out of my seat.... next thing I know, I'm sitting back down (and feeling relieved that its over.)
> 
> I just feel like when I am forced to make a presentation (in class, etc) my anxiety puts me into a different state of mind during... I don't know how to explain it, but does anyone else feel the same way?


I feel like this. All the anxiety I've felt and hidden in the months/weeks prior to the presentation surfaces a few moments before the presentation. I'm well aware of my body and how it reacts. I am also the same way with introductions. I can walk into a class with mild anxiety but the moment the teacher/professor says the word "introductions" I feel like I can't control my symptoms. I try to get my body to be in the same state it was before that word, but it's just not possible. That's why what I do now is think about a moment in the future where I have little/no anxiety like right now sitting at my computer. I try to become aware of these moments so I can get a sense of calm when doing introductions.


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## GirlGristle (Nov 23, 2008)

I hate doing presentations where people in the audience get the opportunity to ask you questions, which always lasts around 30 minutes or longer if it's an interesting topic. Last semester I had to do something similar and I ended up just running to my seat after I finished my presentation, LOL. I was like screw everyone and their questions, I don't care.


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