Shy? Don’t Worry – Class Presentations Aren’t As Scary As They Seem

It is quiet and all the eyes of your classmates are on you as you walk up to the front of the room. Your hands shake and your voice quavers as you shuffle through your note cards. If you face anxiety when it comes to giving class presentations, you are not alone. Public speaking has long been touted as the Number One fear in the U.S. Luckily, you do not have to face the rest of your school days dreading the inevitable class presentation project. You can get over your fear of public speaking and deliver a flawless presentation as long as you follow a few steps.

Preparation is the shy person’s best weapon against presentation anxiety. When you get your criteria sheet for your presentation project, do not waste any time in beginning to prepare for it. Brainstorm about what you want to present about and then begin your research. As you put together your project, think about what you would like to say. Begin recording your presentation ideas on the computer or in a notebook so that you can get an idea of what topics you would like to hit. The goal is to be so prepared and well-versed in your presentation materials that you will feel confident and not need to bury your face in your note cards on presentation day. When you feel confident that you know your materials and the subject of your presentation well, you will invariably feel more confident in delivering your presentation. This is where many students falter. Too many procrastinate and end up cobbling their presentations together at the last minute. This means that not only are they already anxious because they have to speak in front of the entire class, but that anxiety is heightened by the feeling of being ill-prepared.

Rehearsal is another good way to prepare for your presentation and allay some of your public speaking fears. Get a good friend or borrow your roommate for a few minutes so that you can give a mock presentation. Afterwards, ask for their advice and criticism so that you can tweak certain aspects of your presentation. Come presentation day, remember to take it easy. Do not stress yourself out because your nervous energy will show. Instead, remind yourself to take deep breaths and pace your speaking so that you do not end up rushing through your presentation too quickly. With plenty of preparation and a few mock presentations, you will find that public speaking is not as bad as you once thought.

This entry was posted on Monday, June 14th, 2010 at 5:51 am and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.