Giving speeches / speech class

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OTchic
OTchic Posts: 205 Member
in Chit-Chat
Hi yall,

So I am in college and taking speech and I am sooooooo nervous about it. I had class last night and my stomach still hurts from all the stress and nervousness I have.

Can anyone give me tips on how to CALM down?!!

TMI but I went to the bathroom 4x yesterday was nauseous as heck and had stomach pain all day that carried to today. I have this class until the end of December how am I supposed to survive?!! I know there's worse things I could do like if I went to nursing I'd be doing IV's and injections uuuuhhh!! So I try to think that way but it's not helping.

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  • corn63
    corn63 Posts: 1,580 Member
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    Shots of vodka. Or tequila. Take your pick.
  • KaleidoscopeEyes1056
    KaleidoscopeEyes1056 Posts: 2,996 Member
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    I was always nervous too, but it goes away with time. Especially if you can make the class laugh. Try that.
  • alias1001
    alias1001 Posts: 634 Member
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    Just know everyone else has to do it, too. The professor understands (I always do) that some people have stage fright, and may take that into account. Maybe see him/her about it during office hours and they have some better tips.
  • KaleidoscopeEyes1056
    KaleidoscopeEyes1056 Posts: 2,996 Member
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    Shots of vodka. Or tequila. Take your pick.

    Not both?
  • BrettPGH
    BrettPGH Posts: 4,720 Member
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    I've done my fair share of public speaking.

    Try to remember that they're all just people. They all are there to hear what you have to say. It's a party and you're the guest of honor. So relax a bit and focus on the material you're presenting. Talk like you're talking to a group of your friends, not a classroom. It's not going to kill you, it won't even hurt. No one is going to do anything but clap when you're finished.

    You'll be just fine.
  • ItsCasey
    ItsCasey Posts: 4,022 Member
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    What you're feeling is not unusual. I began speaking in public at the age of 6. By the time I graduated from high school, I was a pro. And still, when I took my first speech class in college, I was a nervous wreck. We're talking stomach ulcer levels of anxiety. But as I grew more familiar with the people in my class, it became easier to give speeches and presentations in front of them (and, in many cases, with them). Being well-prepared also helps tremendously, and I don't mean memorizing a speech or having detailed notes. I mean being so familiar with your topic that you can speak comfortably about it WITHOUT a written speech or notes.

    I have to make presentations a lot in my job, and I always get an adrenaline jolt right before I do, but these days I find that it actually helps me perform better. With time and practice, you'll be fine.
  • beach_please
    beach_please Posts: 533 Member
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    I remember being really nervous for my college speech class too. Once the first speech was out of the way, it got easier. Just keep in mind, that the vast majority of the students in the class are also really nervous.
  • SHHitsKaty
    SHHitsKaty Posts: 301
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    I took this class once when I first started college right out of high school and failed it miserably. I've since went back to school at 25 to finish getting my degree and had to re-take it since I failed and ended up with an A+. Just remember that EVERYONE in that classroom is as nervous as you are and that to be fair, most of them probably aren't even paying that much attention to you.

    I also learned that picking a topic on something you know a lot about, care about, etc. helps quite a bit. If you just pick something that you don't give a rats *kitten* about and don't know one thing about, it's harder to get up there and remember it all. If you care about it and are speaking from experience and knowledge, it's much easier to ramble on for the amount of time necessary.
  • OTchic
    OTchic Posts: 205 Member
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    thanks guys. i know a lot of people are nervous about it too. i am hoping to get my first one done so that from there it can be easier. ill even volunteer to be one of the first few to go up.

    i really liked thinking that the only thing that is going to happen is that people will clap at the end.

    sorry no alcohol! im such a lightweight i slur my words hahaha
  • OTchic
    OTchic Posts: 205 Member
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    I took this class once when I first started college right out of high school and failed it miserably. I've since went back to school at 25 to finish getting my degree and had to re-take it since I failed and ended up with an A+. Just remember that EVERYONE in that classroom is as nervous as you are and that to be fair, most of them probably aren't even paying that much attention to you.

    I also learned that picking a topic on something you know a lot about, care about, etc. helps quite a bit. If you just pick something that you don't give a rats *kitten* about and don't know one thing about, it's harder to get up there and remember it all. If you care about it and are speaking from experience and knowledge, it's much easier to ramble on for the amount of time necessary.

    hopefully our informative and persuasive speech will be something that we can choose to talk about. i know that if i choose something that i like i can ramble so theres some relief i didn't think about that. if we get to choose it theres less stress there. thanks for the thought!!

    i like how they might not even be paying attention to me too :)
  • AnninStPaul
    AnninStPaul Posts: 1,372 Member
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    prep, prep, prep. know your topic cold. run it past a few friends ahead of time.

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