# Public Speaking class starts next week...so nervous



## Raynic781 (Feb 8, 2013)

Probably every college student dreads this! For my curriculum I have to take a public speaking class which sucks! I'm super nervous, and I don't think I can do it. I want to drop the class SO bad, but I'll have to take it eventually, I might as well get it over with! 

Anybody else struggle with this?? It probably won't be as bad as I think it will since generally a lot of people get nervous when it comes to public speaking. My advisor who knows about my situation says the professor I have is easy, we'll see how that goes! 

I'm dreading next Friday already!


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## Lovecats (Aug 7, 2013)

I'm exactly the same, I hate public speaking. When I had to do it for my classes I used to shake so bad, and stutter. My voice went all shaky and everyone laughed because I sounded like I was going to cry, I even got a nervous giggle. Don't worry too much, when it's over you feel so much better! Good luck


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## twistedlogic89 (Jul 13, 2013)

ah... I remember when I had to take public speaking. I signed up one semester and ended up dropping out before we even had to get up and speak. I just couldn't handle the thought of it. I even tried going to class one day high on weed to calm the nerves but it didn't help. 

Then I signed up for it again over winter session. There was no way out, I just had to do it. I was so nervous, but I got through it. I think it actually helped me in some ways. I know it sucks, but really the thought of it is so much worse. Try to remember, speeches just last a few minutes. And most other people aren't even paying attention to you because they're nervous about their own speeches. You'll get through it!


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## SpyNumber403 (Apr 21, 2013)

Nope. Public speaking is no big deal for me.
Just learn to breathe and project your voice, and present the information you have. Be relaxed enough to intuit when to pause and put emphasis on things.

I find large group speaking so impersonal that there is no anxiety. It's just a routine task. Looking into peoples eyes is like throwing darts at targets. I feel it is my mannerisms, voice, gestures, and content being judged and not me.


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## Raynic781 (Feb 8, 2013)

SpyNumber403 said:


> Nope. Public speaking is no big deal for me.
> *Just learn to breathe and project your voice, and present the information you have. Be relaxed enough to intuit when to pause and put emphasis on things.*
> 
> I find large group speaking so impersonal that there is no anxiety. It's just a routine task. Looking into peoples eyes is like throwing darts at targets. I feel it is my mannerisms, voice, gestures, and content being judged and not me.


I try that every time but it never works for me. I think I'm doomed!


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## Regret (Oct 29, 2011)

just have to slow your mind, same goes for talking to people 1 on 1. At least for me, I used to say things really fast and came across really nervous. That class raelly teaches you to just think about what's in front of you and what you need to say


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## AnotherGuy (Aug 5, 2013)

Raynic781 said:


> Probably every college student dreads this! For my curriculum I have to take a public speaking class which sucks! I'm super nervous, and I don't think I can do it. I want to drop the class SO bad, but I'll have to take it eventually, I might as well get it over with!
> 
> Anybody else struggle with this?? It probably won't be as bad as I think it will since generally a lot of people get nervous when it comes to public speaking. My advisor who knows about my situation says the professor I have is easy, we'll see how that goes!
> 
> I'm dreading next Friday already!


Hey you. I see "next Friday" already passed. How was the first day of public speaking? I know they don't really make people do much on the first day except for maybe introducing yourself to the class.

Anyhow, I want to lend some advice. I have social anxiety hardcore but believe me when I tell you that I aced public speaking. Not only did I ace it, but I excelled at it. I was the top student in my class that semester. What helped me a lot is that I have a penchant for noticing who is a serious student and who is a textbook slack off. Chances are that 90% of the class are slack offs, as per usual. I just refuse to be intimidated in front of a group of people who aren't at school to take it as serious as I am. I refuse to compete with them. I have meaningful things to talk about during public speaking. Like "the technicalities of editing video and audio" and "how the video game systems companies develop motion capture gaming from military technologies". THEY did speeches on "how to make pancakes" and "why you should go see my band". Notice the difference?

I thought I'd share that with you because clearly school is important to you. I know you can look around in class and see who's counting minutes to leave and go drinking with their friends because its fun.


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## Raynic781 (Feb 8, 2013)

AnotherGuy said:


> Hey you. I see "next Friday" already passed. How was the first day of public speaking? I know they don't really make people do much on the first day except for maybe introducing yourself to the class.
> 
> Anyhow, I want to lend some advice. I have social anxiety hardcore but believe me when I tell you that I aced public speaking. Not only did I ace it, but I excelled at it. I was the top student in my class that semester. What helped me a lot is that I have a penchant for noticing who is a serious student and who is a textbook slack off. Chances are that 90% of the class are slack offs, as per usual. I just refuse to be intimidated in front of a group of people who aren't at school to take it as serious as I am. I refuse to compete with them. I have meaningful things to talk about during public speaking. Like "the technicalities of editing video and audio" and "how the video game systems companies develop motion capture gaming from military technologies". THEY did speeches on "how to make pancakes" and "why you should go see my band". Notice the difference?
> 
> I thought I'd share that with you because clearly school is important to you. I know you can look around in class and see who's counting minutes to leave and go drinking with their friends because its fun.


By next Friday I meant the 16th of this month! My bad, that was my fault, I worded it wrong.

But thanks for the advice. I have a lot of interesting things to talk about, but I think my main problem is I get intimidated by people who are around my age (so early 20s) and I have this mindset that everyone is better than me even though sometimes that isn't the case. So when I'm up there presenting I'm just repeating to myself in my head that they think I suck or look stupid, etc,. I guess the good thing is that it's my first class of the day and it's only 55 minutes long, so I can just get it over with.


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## ChuckyFinster (Aug 2, 2013)

At my college, we have to choose between public speaking and interpersonal communication. I chose the latter, and luckily we can do it online. :boogie


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## Raynic781 (Feb 8, 2013)

ChuckyFinster said:


> At my college, we have to choose between public speaking and interpersonal communication. I chose the latter, and luckily we can do it online. :boogie


Dang you're lucky! I asked my advisor if there was an alternative for it, but there isn't one here. Blah, I hate my life right now!


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## Greenleaf62 (Aug 1, 2013)

Raynic781 said:


> I have a lot of interesting things to talk about, but I think my main problem is I get intimidated by people who are around my age (so early 20s) and I have this mindset that everyone is better than me even though sometimes that isn't the case. So when I'm up there presenting I'm just repeating to myself in my head that they think I suck or look stupid, etc,. I guess the good thing is that it's my first class of the day and it's only 55 minutes long, so I can just get it over with.


Try not to do that. You're just going to psyche yourself out. Believe it or not, that really isn't the case. I can guarantee that everyone in your class will be just as nervous as you, and when you're presenting they'll probably only be worrying about how they're going to do when it's their turn.


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## kuliko (Dec 8, 2012)

Probably the BIGGEST issue/problem I have with my anxiety-having to give speeches or presentations. One "technique" that I've used before is just cutting the tension in the air by just making a total fool of yourself on purpose at the beginning. It will (hopefully) cut the tension in the air and give you a different sort of vibe thus giving you the confidence you didn't have just minutes prior to your presentation.


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## SpyNumber403 (Apr 21, 2013)

ChuckyFinster said:


> At my college, we have to choose between public speaking and interpersonal communication. I chose the latter, and luckily we can do it online. :boogie


omg I took that class
it was the most boring class I've ever taken. 0 life application skills whatsoever, 0 academic cross over (apart from one chapter on the origin of language which touched on theories of social learning), 0 business crossover.


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## Sports1076 (May 5, 2013)

how do you take interpersonal communications online?  seems like it is a requirement to meet face to face... are there scheduled on campus meetings?


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## iheartkpop (Jun 14, 2012)

I'm taking a communications class too. I will be doing that pretty soon, but not now. It's still early in the semester, but when that time comes I will be very nervous as well. If the room was big, I'd probably be able to do it and be more comfortable, but the room is small and tiny. I just want to get it over with! I hope by doing this, it will help me gain confidence. Good luck to the both of us! <3


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## Perkins (Dec 14, 2010)

I took Speech 101 last Fall. I too was not looking forward to it but surprisingly found myself not hating it. Thanks to RateMyProfessor I chose a professor who seemed the most promising and forgiving. She turned out to be one of the sweetest and caring creatures I've ever met. She was incredibly engaging, lively, and very sweet. On the very first day of class she made us form into groups and one person from each group had to talk because she was trying to encourage us to be vocal and creative and say what we want to say, instead of being so closed off phlegmatic like we tend to be in life. I ended up being one of the people to get up on the podium to speak on the first day. I actually ended up breaking into a fit of giggles when she interrupted me and then she apologized. When everyone else laughed at what I said in response it helped take the load off and I thought, Okay, I can deal with this. Basically, what she really wanted from us was for us to be creative, and say what we feel and be expressive, which made us feel good, so she allowed us to choose our own topics to speak about according to her themes, i.e. persuasive, informative, etc. We also got assigned a textbook and we had open book exams (Seriously? This is a Speech class. What Speech class requires that?) But they were a cake walk if you did the required reading every week, which I did. What I didn't like was how when we were done with speeches we had to take questions, and when no one had a question to ask, which was often the case, we had to randomly choose someone. Awkward. By the time I did my third speech I was so used to it that it almost became a cake walk. And you usually got a good grade if she saw that you were at least trying. If she felt you were slacking then you were in for a rude awakening. A lot of people ended up dropping the class. By the end of the semester there were maybe 10-12 of us left.

My advice: Do what your teacher wants of you and ask them _how _they want it done. Because teachers tend to have preferences on how they want things done, which mine certainly did. That alone helped me get in her good graces and ultimately get a good grade. Also, when you're done writing your speech, it's imperative that you practice reciting it to yourself at least once every day until your speech is due. And time yourself when this happens too. I say this because it's usually very easy to tell when someone's speech hasn't been rehearsed and they always tend to mess up somewhere in the speech. So practice, that way you won't really need your index cards and you'll be able to give more eye-contact and you'll ultimately be more comfortable because you know the material. AND it's unlikely you'll stammer, so that's a plus. And double check your spelling too on your speech outlines. That too will help your grade. I hope this was somewhat helpful.


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## Sharon Smith (Aug 15, 2013)

Thank god I don't have to take speech class in college.


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## Raynic781 (Feb 8, 2013)

Perkins said:


> I took Speech 101 last Fall. I too was not looking forward to it but surprisingly found myself not hating it. Thanks to RateMyProfessor I chose a professor who seemed the most promising and forgiving. She turned out to be one of the sweetest and caring creatures I've ever met. She was incredibly engaging, lively, and very sweet. On the very first day of class she made us form into groups and one person from each group had to talk because she was trying to encourage us to be vocal and creative and say what we want to say, instead of being so closed off phlegmatic like we tend to be in life. I ended up being one of the people to get up on the podium to speak on the first day. I actually ended up breaking into a fit of giggles when she interrupted me and then she apologized. When everyone else laughed at what I said in response it helped take the load off and I thought, Okay, I can deal with this. Basically, what she really wanted from us was for us to be creative, and say what we feel and be expressive, which made us feel good, so she allowed us to choose our own topics to speak about according to her themes, i.e. persuasive, informative, etc. We also got assigned a textbook and we had open book exams (Seriously? This is a Speech class. What Speech class requires that?) But they were a cake walk if you did the required reading every week, which I did. What I didn't like was how when we were done with speeches we had to take questions, and when no one had a question to ask, which was often the case, we had to randomly choose someone. Awkward. By the time I did my third speech I was so used to it that it almost became a cake walk. And you usually got a good grade if she saw that you were at least trying. If she felt you were slacking then you were in for a rude awakening. A lot of people ended up dropping the class. By the end of the semester there were maybe 10-12 of us left.
> 
> My advice: Do what your teacher wants of you and ask them _how _they want it done. Because teachers tend to have preferences on how they want things done, which mine certainly did. That alone helped me get in her good graces and ultimately get a good grade. Also, when you're done writing your speech, it's imperative that you practice reciting it to yourself at least once every day until your speech is due. And time yourself when this happens too. I say this because it's usually very easy to tell when someone's speech hasn't been rehearsed and they always tend to mess up somewhere in the speech. So practice, that way you won't really need your index cards and you'll be able to give more eye-contact and you'll ultimately be more comfortable because you know the material. AND it's unlikely you'll stammer, so that's a plus. And double check your spelling too on your speech outlines. That too will help your grade. I hope this was somewhat helpful.


Thanks, but I've tried all of that it doesn't help me at all. I practice it so much, I time myself, I practice in front of the mirror, it's like none of it helps when I go to class to present. This year is gonna suck really bad, I can already tell. I start tomorrow, thinking about skipping honestly.


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## Raynic781 (Feb 8, 2013)

Just wanted to tell everyone that my first day wasn't all that bad (wasn't bad at all actually). I don't think the public speaking class is going to be as bad as I think it is. There are only 5 speeches to do anyway.


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## DrPhibes (Aug 10, 2013)

What kind of speeches do you have to give? I will probably have to take this class at my college next Spring. Just curious about what you have to actually talk about. I think I am fairly good at public speaking but I am not creative* at all*.


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## Raynic781 (Feb 8, 2013)

DrPhibes said:


> What kind of speeches do you have to give? I will probably have to take this class at my college next Spring. Just curious about what you have to actually talk about. I think I am fairly good at public speaking but I am not creative* at all*.


Well your school may be different, I'm not sure if my professor came up with these on his own or not. But we have to do a Introductory speech, Informative speech, Persuasive speech (he said this one is the hardest one), Special Occasion speech, and our final exam is also a speech but we won't know the topic of it until the day of the exam.


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## chicagochuck (Jan 23, 2012)

I know what you mean, I had a speech class end of 2011 that I dreaded, and had avoided for years. We had three speeches Introductory speech, Informative speech, Persuasive speech. Like a previous poster, i checked rate my professors and found an instructor that seemed very nice. I know that's not possible for everyone. But it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be.

One of the most important advice with this class or any class, job, function etc is, Speak up as soon and as frequently as possible, if you don't it will be very difficult to tell yourself to do it later on. One of my last classed met about 16 times I didn't say anything every time but I made sure at-least every other class session I commented or spoke..


I don't always follow this policy because i get nervous. But it helps so much say or ask anything where others can hear you!!! Well don't say just anything but you know what I mean ..lmao


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## caveman8 (Sep 3, 2012)

Sharon Smith said:


> Thank god I don't have to take speech class in college.


Actually change that mindset if you can. I wish I had done that in school. If you do it now, it will pay off later.

I'm going to try Toastmasters this week. I don't think there's any special technique that works, it's just practice and exposure over time.


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## lisac1919 (Jul 20, 2013)

omg I have a class called 'English 205' where its all pubic speaking and group work and it starts in 3 hours! I just learned it was going to be public speaking last night when I read the syllabus. Im dropping it. I know I will eventually have to take it but I just cant deal with it right now! ill just take it next semester or something. Right now I have to decide on another class to crash but im too distracted on this damn site! lol

on the syllabus it says that the first week will be introductions...like they'll go around the room saying their name, where theyre from, '2 likes and dislikes'. ugg I feel like puking. Maybe a different professor teaches the same class in a different way?


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## Raynic781 (Feb 8, 2013)

lisac1919 said:


> omg I have a class called 'English 205' where its all pubic speaking and group work and it starts in 3 hours! I just learned it was going to be public speaking last night when I read the syllabus. Im dropping it. I know I will eventually have to take it but I just cant deal with it right now! ill just take it next semester or something. Right now I have to decide on another class to crash but im too distracted on this damn site! lol
> 
> on the syllabus it says that the first week will be introductions...like they'll go around the room saying their name, where theyre from, '2 likes and dislikes'. ugg I feel like puking. *Maybe a different professor teaches the same class in a different way?*


My advisor said this professor was easier than all the rest, so I'm gonna stick with him. I like him though, he's funny, but I'm gonna talk to him and see if he can give me tips or something so I won't be _as_ nervous.


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## caveman8 (Sep 3, 2012)

lisac1919 said:


> omg I have a class called 'English 205' where its all pubic speaking and group work and it starts in 3 hours! I just learned it was going to be public speaking last night when I read the syllabus. Im dropping it. I know I will eventually have to take it but I just cant deal with it right now! ill just take it next semester or something. Right now I have to decide on another class to crash but im too distracted on this damn site! lol
> 
> on the syllabus it says that the first week will be introductions...like they'll go around the room saying their name, where theyre from, '2 likes and dislikes'. ugg I feel like puking. Maybe a different professor teaches the same class in a different way?


Lisa - I know how you feel. But next semester it will feel the exact same. You are just rationalizing it away - which I'm guilty of too.


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## lisac1919 (Jul 20, 2013)

caveman8 said:


> Lisa - I know how you feel. But next semester it will feel the exact same. You are just rationalizing it away - which I'm guilty of too.


well its too late now, lol, I dropped it and added german instead. I feel like I should lose weight before I take that English class. lol. Is that a bad way to think?


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## shylife2003 (Aug 20, 2013)

I have to take speech this year as well. I'm already a junior in college and have no idea why I thought I could just skip over it. I'm very shy and quiet. Also I've looked at where I want to be in college and its a filmmaker. I'm confident in myself, well just a little, and when I try to tell people what I want to be I get these looks like yeah right you don't even speak, so I keep it to myself. I spoke to my stepdad who understands me and says to just be fearless because people can sense fear. Handle the situation and take your time. I have now etched these three statements in my head I am...I can... I will!


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## Raynic781 (Feb 8, 2013)

lisac1919 said:


> well its too late now, lol, I dropped it and added german instead. I feel like I should lose weight before I take that English class. lol. Is that a bad way to think?


Why do you feel you should lose weight?


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