# oral presentations



## metallica1 (Jun 3, 2008)

when i was in high school i just couldnt do them, i would talk to my teachers and make arrangements to do them with just the teacher at lunch time. how did u guys go with them?


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## Hoppipolla (Apr 11, 2007)

I just did them through the anxiety. Most of them were with othe people, so it wasn't that bad. I can only remember two oral presentations I had to do by myself in HS.


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## LarryDavid (Oct 17, 2006)

You shouldn't worry about presenting; thats the easy part. You should worry about delivering your message clearly; thats the hard part.


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## spinal97 (May 11, 2008)

In highschool, we usually presented in groups which wasn't too bad. But when I had to do it on my own, I was scared stiff. I just tried not to think about it and I just did it. I also tried to throw in a joke or two.

In college though I tried to avoid it as much as possible. I would drop courses just to avoid them. When I had to actually prestn somethng, I was a wreck. But I managed to get through it. 

I had to take a public speaking course as a requirement, I have no idea how I passed that. We couldn't stop talking, say "um" or "uh" when speaking, we had to speak for a certain amount of time, we couldn't stop early and we had to give a presentation every class! That was twice a week for 6 weeks!


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## Sean Swenson (Jun 3, 2008)

I've normally had to do it with a group as well. I think that part of the reason I was able to get through them was knowing all the people in the class. I've been at the same school since 5th grade (it is K-12), so I have known some people for almost half of my life. Recently, I had to do my Senior Exhibition in front of a panel of judges. It's essentially a power-point presentation explaining what you have done in highschool, etc. 12 points were needed to pass, and I got a 12.3. It's a graduation requirement, so I couldn't bear having to do it a second time if I failed. Graduation is this Friday, and since there are only 10 seniors, we each have to make a speech. I'm very worried about it.


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## Dove (Mar 14, 2005)

I usually just did them but with lots of anxiety, and I remember one where I didn't do it at all. I think I still passed that class with a B though.

I think I'm a little worse now, at least when it comes to presentations. Now I feel like I'd do anything to avoid them. Just the thought of ever having to do one again... ugh.


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## kikachuck (Nov 10, 2003)

I did them, but I was never very good. But you know, the more I thought about it, everybody sucks at presentations in high school and everybody sweats buckets up there. If you know that everybody is bad, it doesn't suck as much to be bad too :lol


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## beautifuldisaster (Dec 4, 2007)

the only way to get over a fear is to face it... i believe having to do oral presentations has helped me tremendously... in highschool i remember shaking the whole time, rarely ever looked up, shaky voice, etc... but by the time i got to college i felt more confident in myself during oral presentations b/c of having already done some highschool and learning from them


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## CandySays (Apr 6, 2008)

I had no other choice but to take a speech class this past school year. At first it was awful, no doubt about it. Then I eventually improved (sort of lol) by just trying to remain cool and collected before it was my turn. That, and, I repeated what I was going to say numerous times in my head and was well-prepared information wise. If it's an option, ask your teacher to maybe go second or third. First would bug me out, but I found it tremendously helpful to just get the darn thing over with ASAP.


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## FlyEaglesFly (Jun 12, 2008)

I suffered through them, because I thought it would be good for character building and whatnot - also, when it came to presentations, I tried to be as creative as possible so that my audience (the class and teacher) would be somewhat entertained instead of being bored - my senior year of HS I even took a speech and debate class :eek


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## elmo1 (Jun 20, 2008)

I always felt like everyone was criticizing me; the way I spoke, stood. I just felt SO awkward an anxious! My extreme nervousness usually led to a drop in my grade on that presentation, because the teacher would often assume that I didn't know much about the subject since I wasn't saying much. I stuttered and shook my way through each one and am still surviving, though.


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## Noca (Jun 24, 2005)

i wish I knew what SA was back in highschool or I woulda asked for accomidations for presentations. I always sucked at presentations and excelled in the rest of the class.


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## Tristram (Feb 9, 2008)

I've been super anxious about presentations as long as I can remember, although I've never really made any effort to avoid them completely. I've just tried my best to ignore the shaking and ridiculous heart rate and get it over with.

Now the latest presentation I did was a bit different. It was too short and I only finished my slides about 20 minutes before showtime, but what surprised me about the presentation itself was that I wasn't nervous. The class had to write comments for me on little pieces of paper, and every single one of them said that I seemed relatively at ease out there. I have no idea what caused this change or if it's only temporary, but still, a change it is.


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## jenro (Jul 2, 2008)

i've always been horrible with presentations. they give me the worst anxiety and I'm scared now about the work world because a lot of jobs require presentations as well.


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## Breathe (Apr 16, 2008)

Well, I'm in grad school..so even though I've been out of HS for a long time I can relate..Here are some things I've found helpful:

1. The first sentence is always the hardest. Just start talking and the rest should start to flow.
2. Know what your talking about. If that means carrying index cards with notes to help remember points..then do it!
3. Its totally normal to be nervous in this type of situation and even people that don't have SA have anxieties about speaking in public.
4. Just do it and get it over with already!


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## sh0x (Oct 9, 2006)

for some reason, i'm ok doing oral presentations when i'm up there with a partner...but when i'm by myself is when i get really nervous


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## briabrow (Jan 24, 2008)

I did exactly the same as you..and as a senior in college, I still cant do them. I have to arrange meetings with the teachers and if the teachers don't understand then I will drop the class. It's so frustrating because no one understands what it's like when that is your biggest fear. I'm going to try and start systematic desensitization and hopefully one day I'll be able to do them, but my psychiatrist said that I may just be one of those people who will never be able to do them, the main focus is overcoming the social anxiety that interferes with your day-to-day life and your goals.


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## Hallran (Jul 27, 2008)

I've had to give a number of solo presentations, in regular courses and a public speaking course. I was always nervous but just got them over with. Never volunteered to go first though. I usually did a presentation about a subject I liked, so that helped. Just try to be prepared.

As Barney Gumble said, "Just picture everyone in their underwear."

Ok, so I never did that. I usually picked a spot on the wall and talked to that. Lost points for no eye contact but that's better than eye contact and stuttering and blushing.


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## Cmwright (May 12, 2008)

Oral Presentations are the worst for me. I hate public speaking, but I have to take the class for my major its required. I sort of took it but I failed it, because I did one Presentation. The Teacher gave me bad remarks, my anxiety took over and I never went back to the class. So now I have to take it back over again. I dont know if I am gonna take it back over Fall Semester or Spring Semester.


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## njodis (Nov 8, 2006)

I despise them, but I was always able to somehow fumble my way through them without collapsing into the fetal position.


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## shelovescliche (Dec 17, 2006)

I always did them, but I was damn close to having a panic attack every time. It was embarrassing to be shaking so much that I could barely read my note cards, and if there was a presentation where you couldn't use note cards, I usually blanked out part of it and stumbled my way through the presentation. I usually did bad on them, even if I knew the material.

Lucky for me, the college I'm starting this fall requires everyone to take a public speaking course sometime during their four years. I'm probably going to fail that one.


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## CopadoMexicano (Aug 21, 2004)

felt the fear and did it anyway


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## SADone (Aug 8, 2008)

I've always had problems with oral presentations and i still do.


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## stuck_inside (Aug 25, 2008)

In middle school I would do all the work and practice but when the day would come I couldn't make myself stand up or speak and I would take an F. Now I either video tape it, do it for the teacher alone (though sometimes I have a panic attack when I try this), or get up in front of the class and only look at my notes in huge print and stutter through it and have a panic attack but get a better grade than an F. :cry The most frustrating thing is that I know that I have an A worthy project, but I ruin my grade by presenting badly.


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## xTrappedx (Aug 28, 2008)

metallica1 said:


> when i was in high school i just couldnt do them, i would talk to my teachers and make arrangements to do them with just the teacher at lunch time. how did u guys go with them?


Ok this sounds like a FEW particular incidents I've had. But basically, if teachers don't make exceptions I have to deal with it! I'm very academically determined....and nothing, not even Social Anxiety will get in between me and my 4.0! (I'm in college haha)

And "public speaking" was a requirement...i took it last year, and it was alright. Not too bad actually, although I did sweat profusely at the podium :lol :lol And I would always "choke" on words..God that was so embarrassing! Stutter+choke= comes out a horrid sound.

But the reason why it wasn't so bad? 1.) 1/4 of the class didn't show up for the speeches everytime we had them cause our professor was a dud, 2.) Only 20 people per speech class (what a relief), 3.) Only a total of FIVE guys in the class. (less pressure for me)


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## brokenpieces (Aug 28, 2008)

I find presentations easy but small group interaction hard because with presentations I have a speech rehearsed.


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