# Terrified about presentations? GO FIRST!!



## Shadow2009 (Sep 25, 2010)

I can't stress this enough. It's honestly the best tip I can give anyone who has a fear of presentations. I always volunteer to go first and it's so much better than sitting in fear shaking waiting on being picked.

Think of this way - everyone is nervous. Sure, they might not have social anxiety but EVERYONE is nervous about doing their presentation. Nobody gives a **** about anyone else's presentation, all they care about is getting theirs over and done with. When you're watching someone else, do you sit and think "oh wow this is a great presentation, he's so confident, this is interesting" or do you sit and worry about how YOUR presentation will be? If it's the latter, then please get it done as quick as possible. When you volunteer a) It's over much quicker and you can relax while everyone else is still stressed and nervous and b) Nobody is really paying attention because they're all too busy thinking about their own upcoming presentation.

I always go first and the relief of "omg, it's over with " is so amazing that you end up sitting watching everyone else with a big grin on your face. Please don't put yourself through the extra stress. GET IT DONE WITH! 

There's also a chance that someone in front of you could be absolutely hilarious or interesting which puts even more pressure on you, so please go first guys.


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## AlphaHydrae (Jun 15, 2011)

AHAH.. i have one next thursday. I need to start working on it. ahah.. I'll keep your advice in mind...


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## Shadow2009 (Sep 25, 2010)

AlphaHydrae said:


> AHAH.. i have one next thursday. I need to start working on it. ahah.. I'll keep your advice in mind...


Good luck.  What's it about?


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## Remnant of Dawn (Feb 22, 2012)

I always used to try and go second. Still get it over with quickly, but you don't have to be the very first one. I don't know, that made me feel better.

The only issue with that is, everyone seems to have the same idea. So after someone finally volunteers to go first, you get a thousand people wanting to go second. And then my anxiety kicks in, and I don't want to fight for the spot, so I end up going towards the end. Your idea is probably better, now that I think about it. I remember lots of times it would be Friday and I knew if I didn't go that day, it would bug me all weekend until I had to go Monday. It would have been so much easier if I just went, then I could have relaxed all weekend.


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## Greenleaf62 (Aug 1, 2013)

Remnant of Dawn said:


> The only issue with that is, everyone seems to have the same idea. So after someone finally volunteers to go first, you get a thousand people wanting to go second. And then my anxiety kicks in, and I don't want to fight for the spot, so I end up going towards the end.


This is what always happens to me =/ It makes it harder to volunteer when one person sits down and someone else jumps up and volunteers right away.

I do like the idea of going first (or second) though. Besides having to sit there and be nervous the whole time, I would never want to go last because I don't want people leaving the class and having my presentation fresh in their minds. :no


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## Charmander (Sep 5, 2012)

Good advice, just get it over and done with. I had the same problems as Remnant where lots of people would often volunteer before I could. Going last would be the worst because everyone else would be relaxed now that theirs are all out the way. Double the amount of attention.


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## chicagochuck (Jan 23, 2012)

I totally agree.. get it over with ASAP.


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## seafolly (Jun 17, 2010)

100% agree with this. I was an instructor this past fall and dreaded the weekly introductions to the new groups of students and their teachers. It didn't involve much, just your name and something interesting about you. And the end of each week you say a few sentences to the masses. The first time I did this, I fainted after the fact. After that, I went first (or nearly first) every time. 

1) Less anticipatory anxiety.
2) Doesn't matter what you say, people will forget by the time the last person goes.


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## Terranaut (Jul 11, 2013)

That is brilliant advice. Even after overcoming my SA with meds and that technique, getting stuck going last can be nerve-racking. Try to go first as much as possible in every round table--it not only gets you out of obsessing but makes you look confident whether you are or not.


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## BelowtheCurrent (Mar 14, 2013)

You are so right!!!
I have one tomorrow and plan on going first. For my chem class we had to pick straws for presentations of our research. My group got dead last. I don't really care though because no one every shows up for that class because it's at 8am, chances are people will only show up for their groups presentation date.


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## thesuperinvader (Sep 4, 2013)

yep yep, in my psych class my teacher made me go first and I was much less anxious and Ironically the two disorders I covered were depression and panic disorders, the ones I have .-.


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## PoppinSmoke (Jul 24, 2013)

That's excellent advice. Here's another tip, propanol. I would get extremely nervous before Id have to give a presentation in my public speaking class, and this drug completely changed all that.


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## InfiniteBlaze (Jan 27, 2011)

I agree. I've always wanted to go first since I was in high school. I would always ask my teacher to go first after explaining my situation and they let me do it.


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