School Girl

Hey guys! This week's theme is all about giving presentations and participating in class, based on a question last week from Shy Girl in Connecticut!

Many people (including myself!) have trouble speaking in front of large groups of people, so I thought I'd put together a list of things we can all do to help cope with this source of anxiety.

[Source: http://www.whole-person-counseling.com/]

1. KNOW YOUR MATERIAL---Your presentation will go a lot smoother if you know what you are supposed to say. You don't necessarily have to have your part 100% memorized, but practice it enough times in front of your friends and family to be familiar with what your saying. If you are using cue cards, make sure you only write down the key points of your presentation to have something to refer to if you get stuck. If you write out your entire speech, you will be tempted to read off the paper the whole time, thus eliminating crucial eye contact with your audience.




2. LOOK GOOD---Feeling confident with how you look can help to reduce the anxiety associated with standing up in front of your peers. Wear your favourite shirt or spend a couple extra minutes in the morning doing your hair nicely. You will feel better about yourself and won't feel as nervous having people stare at you.




3. THINK REALISTICALLY---There are two things to keep in mind when talking to an audience:
   
   • Most people aren't paying that much attention, as they are probably sitting there thinking about the presentation that they will have to give once you are finished. They aren't paying close enough attention to you to notice if you flub a line, so don't fret when it happens. Take a deep breath and move on to the next major point in your presentation
   • Most people want you to do well and no one is going to laugh at you if you mess up. If somebody does make you feel bad about your presentation, they are very immature. Why would you care what somebody that rude has to say about you? They are not worth your time!



4. DO BREATHING EXCERISES!---Right before you go up, spend a minute or two taking deep breaths in and out. Count to five each time you breathe out and repeat this a couple times. It WILL make you feel more calm!




5. LEARN FROM EACH EXPERIENCE!---Every opportunity you get to talk in front of large groups will be beneficial to you in the long-run, regardless of whether you think it went good or bad. After each time, think about what went well and what didn't go well and make any changes accordingly! Did you find that your throat went dry as soon as you stood up there? Bring a bottle of water up with you next time. Did you rely too much on your notes? Spend more time practicing next time. All these small adjustments can drastically improve your public speaking capabilities in the long-run. Try it out!

I hope these tips will be helpful! Let me know if they work for you

• Class Participation Tips: How To Participate in College Class Discussions
  
• Toastmasters International


• Advanced Public Speaking Institute

I'm really shy, especially when it comes to speaking in front of a group of people. And of course, one of my required classes was a speech class. I had to give about 6 speeches throughout the quarter in front of a class of about 30 people. So luckily I came away with some tips to help overcome the shyness.

The first thing that you will notice is that overtime, you'll get to know the people in class, and it won't be as daunting to stand in front of them and speak. Another thing that helps is knowing that each and every one of them is going to be in the same boat as you. You aren't the only one having to speak in front of the class.

Speaking will be way easier if you practice what you are going to say. Whatever you do, don't memorize something to say though. Just have a rough idea, and go with the flow. If you try to memorize a speech, you run the risk of forgetting it and freezing in the middle. Give yourself some cue-cards. Just make brief notes on a series of note cards that will help you remember what you are going to talk about. Either make a short outline of your speech, or write helpful phrases. Don't write your speech word-for-word or you'll be staring at the paper the entire time, and not really speaking to your classmates.

The final thing is to let your nerves work for you. Being nervous gives you a rush of adrenaline, which will help you push through the speech and do a great job. Don't try to ignore your nerves, instead work around them. If your hands are shaking, make sure you aren't holding anything (so others won't notice). If your voice starts to stammer, pause and take a deep breath, then continue on. Tensing up your muscles, and then relaxing them can also help relieve some of the nerves you get before you go up there.

One last thing, don't be embarrassed if you feel your face turning red. It's not something you can control, and if you can just move passed it, your face will turn back to a normal hue. Leanne, 19 from Washington, USA

The best advice I can give?
PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE!!! Jessie, 15 from Calgary, AB

I've found that making a PowerPoint can help relieve anxiety when giving a presentation. Students will often look up at the slides instead of just looking at you, allowing some of the spotlight to be taken off of you. Hope that helps! Megan, 19 from Vancouver, BC

Fifteen percent of my history mark is class participation, so I've been able to pick up a couple things this semester that will hopefully be helpful to you Shy Girl.

First, make sure to come to class prepared. Most teachers will tell you what the next class's discussion will be about, but if they don't, just ask them. Do your readings the night before and spend five minutes before class reviewing your notes to refresh your memory. Knowing the material being discussed can improve your confidence and dramatically reduce your anxiety level.

Also, don't hesitate in raising your hand. If you think you know the answer, give it a try. Nobody is going to think any less of you if you get the answer wrong, so don't worry about it. Even if your answer isn't 100% correct, it'll probably be something that the rest of the class can build on. It is still a worthwhile contribution, so go for it! Tasha, 17 from Raleigh, NC

I saw the "Where's Anna?!!!" submission - I'm writing for How To, because Sar has left Now the wonderful Ashley is your School Girl columnist! Anna, 20 from Australia

Next week's theme will be all about Procrastination. Have you ever started writing a ten page essay the night before it was due and still ended up getting an A? What activities do you do when you're supposed to be doing your homework? Have any advice on how to stop procrastination? Send in your stories and/or advice!!! And if you have any other theme ideas, feel free to submit those too!